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How deter moles from lawn?
Hi. Have just googled re. stopping moles from entering a lawn,
tunnelling all over the place, and creating these quite large mole-hills of crumbly earth. There appear to be all sorts of devices, ranging from a "solar-moler" (£20) that supposedly deters moles with sonic vibration, to a medieval-looking thing called a "scissor trap". Our house has two large fields on either side and both fields are FULL of mole hills. The farmer doesn't seem to mind - probably because he only uses the fields as grazing for his sheep. So we are always going to have the threat of invasions from both sides. We have only been here six months and its only in the last week that we have had the first invasion. First, one pile of fresh earth, then another about two feet away, and today a third nearby. It's probably just one mole. I don't know how the previous owner deterred the little devils, but I need to find an effective long-term solution quick. So, I thought I'ld ask everyone here what REALLY works. The "solar-moler" is supposed to protect "over 600sqm/750sqyds". But in UK weather conditions does it get enough solar power to do that? Eddy. |
How deter moles from lawn?
A quick look round the internet, suggests the following:
"Moth balls down the hole sends them packing to someone elses garden!!!" "Stick a child's windmill into the mole-hill and the vibrations will scare them off." "Try empty bottles put down the mole hills. They dont like the sound of the wind whistling over the tops of the bottles." "Put emulsified castor oil down the tunnels". "Rolawn Mole Repel is a humane and safe way to deter moles. It is non-toxic, safe for the environment, children and pets. The garlic granules are poured into the runs under mole hills and do not harm moles, but stop them burrowing further." Can people vouch for any of these? By the way I am in Shropshire. The fields on both sides of me look like the one in the picture accompanying the following story: http://www.shropshirestar.com/2008/0...ion-hits-area/ |
How deter moles from lawn?
Eddy says...
A quick look round the internet, suggests the following: "Moth balls down the hole sends them packing to someone elses garden!!!" "Stick a child's windmill into the mole-hill and the vibrations will scare them off." "Try empty bottles put down the mole hills. They dont like the sound of the wind whistling over the tops of the bottles." "Put emulsified castor oil down the tunnels". "Rolawn Mole Repel is a humane and safe way to deter moles. It is non-toxic, safe for the environment, children and pets. The garlic granules are poured into the runs under mole hills and do not harm moles, but stop them burrowing further." Can people vouch for any of these? By the way I am in Shropshire. The fields on both sides of me look like the one in the picture accompanying the following story: http://www.shropshirestar.com/2008/0...ion-hits-area/ I can vouch that none of those work. Moles are a regular topic on here, I suggest you do a Google search of the group for moles. The only thing I've found that works are scissor traps - the ones with a scissor on each side so they get the mole from either direction. If, like me, you live next to fields then you will have to continue killing off the moles as new ones take their place. It is a never ending war. -- David in Normandy. To e-mail you must include the password FROG on the subject line, or it will be automatically deleted. |
How deter moles from lawn?
David in Normandy wrote:
I can vouch that none of those work. Moles are a regular topic on here, I suggest you do a Google search of the group for moles. The only thing I've found that works are scissor traps - the ones with a scissor on each side so they get the mole from either direction. If, like me, you live next to fields then you will have to continue killing off the moles as new ones take their place. It is a never ending war. Hmmm. Maybe I just need to get over the look of these vicious scissor-traps - rather like medieval Venetian chastity-belts! Eddy. |
How deter moles from lawn?
"Eddy" wrote in message ... Hi. Have just googled re. stopping moles from entering a lawn, tunnelling all over the place, and creating these quite large mole-hills of crumbly earth. There appear to be all sorts of devices, ranging from a "solar-moler" (£20) that supposedly deters moles with sonic vibration, to a medieval-looking thing called a "scissor trap". Our house has two large fields on either side and both fields are FULL of mole hills. The farmer doesn't seem to mind - probably because he only uses the fields as grazing for his sheep. So we are always going to have the threat of invasions from both sides. We have only been here six months and its only in the last week that we have had the first invasion. First, one pile of fresh earth, then another about two feet away, and today a third nearby. It's probably just one mole. I don't know how the previous owner deterred the little devils, but I need to find an effective long-term solution quick. So, I thought I'ld ask everyone here what REALLY works. The "solar-moler" is supposed to protect "over 600sqm/750sqyds". But in UK weather conditions does it get enough solar power to do that? Eddy. Alternatively accept the source of rather nice soil and live and let live. |
Quote:
Leave the trap outside for a few days before using it and do not touch it with your hands or anything scented like new gloves or washed rags. Set the trap in a run BETWEEN two mole hills Carefully dig down until you expose the run. Place the trap so that it is inline with the run. Refit some turf back around the trap to block out the light. My dad was brilliant at trapping moles. |
How deter moles from lawn?
Eddy says...
David in Normandy wrote: I can vouch that none of those work. Moles are a regular topic on here, I suggest you do a Google search of the group for moles. The only thing I've found that works are scissor traps - the ones with a scissor on each side so they get the mole from either direction. If, like me, you live next to fields then you will have to continue killing off the moles as new ones take their place. It is a never ending war. Hmmm. Maybe I just need to get over the look of these vicious scissor-traps - rather like medieval Venetian chastity-belts! Eddy. Ouch! -- David in Normandy. To e-mail you must include the password FROG on the subject line, or it will be automatically deleted. |
How deter moles from lawn?
On Thu, 14 Feb 2008 21:40:37 -0000, "Graham Harrison"
wrote: Alternatively accept the source of rather nice soil and live and let live. Yes... I noticed what a beautiful quality of soil was thrown up by these li'l fellas in my lawn, and wondered if I could use it as potting compost... rich, dark, fine tilth.. Maybe shovel it into a wheelbarrow every week or two and spread it on the viggie beds... JD |
How deter moles from lawn?
David in Normandy wrote:
Ouch! Indeed! :-) Anyway, today I was in a bargain shop and saw moth-balls going cheap so I bought a packet. Came home and could I find the hole beneath the mole-hill? No way. No sign of a hole anywhere. I had carefully removed the soil and stones that the creature had tossed up and I had then carefully prodded the exposed ground with a thin bamboo stick, hoping to locate the hole. Nothing doing! Guys, how do I locate the hole! :-) Eddy. |
How deter moles from lawn?
Eddy says...
Guys, how do I locate the hole! :-) Moles back-fill the tunnel that leads to the hill by a few inches, sometimes more. So finding a tunnel below a hill can sometimes be difficult. Bear in mind that such a tunnel is typically a dead end so the mole may not go there again (or often). Best to find a tunnel. I look for very small mole hills or simply a small bit of raised lawn where the ground looks like it is cracking. Dig carefully and you will uncover a tunnel. I think moth balls are an old wives tale or urban legend. They are useless. Though they may keep the moths out of it's mole skin coat :-) I've put all sorts of obnoxious things down mole tunnels with no success at making them move on. The best thing to put in a tunnel is a double bladed scissor trap, taking care not to handle it with bare hands (I always wear gloves) because apparently moles have a keen sense of smell. Then carefully cover the hole again to exclude any daylight. I use some broken plant pot bits to put immediately on top of each side of the traps to stop earth falling into it and fouling the scissor blades from closing properly. If you buy some scissor traps it is best to leave them out in the rain for a few days to wash off any human smells. I leave mine in soak in some water from the water butt overnight. Don't worry about the slight rust film. -- David in Normandy. To e-mail you must include the password FROG on the subject line, or it will be automatically deleted. |
How deter moles from lawn?
Thanks for the advice, David.
How far down are the tunnels? Do the tunnels run parallel with the surface of the ground? Do you locate the tunnel by digging in a clockwise or anti-clockwise direction around the mole hill, i.e. just beyond the perimeter of the mole-hill, until you strike lucky? Eddy. |
How deter moles from lawn?
On 2008-02-15 18:49:41 +0000, Eddy
said: David in Normandy wrote: Ouch! Indeed! :-) Anyway, today I was in a bargain shop and saw moth-balls going cheap so I bought a packet. Came home and could I find the hole beneath the mole-hill? No way. No sign of a hole anywhere. I had carefully removed the soil and stones that the creature had tossed up and I had then carefully prodded the exposed ground with a thin bamboo stick, hoping to locate the hole. Nothing doing! Guys, how do I locate the hole! :-) Eddy. Hire a decent molecatcher. Setting these traps up is a delicate business if you don't know what you're doing. A molecatcher shouldn't charge you unless he catches the varmit -- and it is almost certainly just one or at most two moles. Then next year hire him again. And the year after. |
How deter moles from lawn?
Eddy says...
Thanks for the advice, David. How far down are the tunnels? Do the tunnels run parallel with the surface of the ground? Do you locate the tunnel by digging in a clockwise or anti-clockwise direction around the mole hill, i.e. just beyond the perimeter of the mole-hill, until you strike lucky? Eddy. If you find the mini-hills / small raised bits of lawn then they are typically only one or two inches directly below the surface, which makes them ideal candidates for traps. Dig with something small like a stout garden trowel - a spade is OTT, you need to disturb the minimum amount of earth around a tunnel. Wear gloves to avoid leaving any human scents on the soil. I've heard others say they use a cane or stick to probe for the tunnels but I haven't tried this myself, so don't know how easy it is. I'm still something of a beginner with all this myself. Scissor traps are the only thing I've had any success with getting rid of moles - and that is only recently too, it seems to take a bit of a knack to set the traps in exactly the right way in the right place. I suggest you buy two or three, they aren't expensive. I've got four set in different parts of the lawn and check them once a week, moving them elsewhere at the same time to new earthworks. I've caught two moles in the last month but there are still more to get based on the amount of fresh hill activity. Waste of time setting the traps in the tunnels that terminate in a big hill, the moles just seem to shove more earth into the traps which sets them off but no mole caught. Always go for the mini hills which have a continuous tunnel underneath them - a mole motorway. -- David in Normandy. To e-mail you must include the password FROG on the subject line, or it will be automatically deleted. |
How deter moles from lawn?
David in Normandy wrote:
Waste of time setting the traps in the tunnels that terminate in a big hill, the moles just seem to shove more earth into the traps which sets them off but no mole caught. Always go for the mini hills which have a continuous tunnel underneath them - a mole motorway. Thanks for all advice, David. When you say dig beneath smaller hills, are you still referring to a pile of excavated earth - or just an area of grass that appears to have been pushed upwards? If you are referring to the smallest hills, am I right in thinking the first thing you do is carefully lift off, and gently brush away, the soil . . . leaving you with just the grass beneath? Then if that's right, do you just start gently digging in the middle of the exposed area? What I mean is, these creatures are tiny, so their tunnels must be narow, so the tunnel could be anywhere in the circle of grass underneath the mole-hill. Do you just lift off the entire "disc", so to speak? Eddy. |
Trapping moles.
Thanks for all advice, guys. Found this online and I am convinced. I
just need now to buy a couple of Duffus traps. "The best type of trap by far is the tunnel trap, much more effective than the scissor mole type. Apart from two (or more) of these, all you need is a small hand trowel, a spare roof tile and a mole stick. This is a T-shaped stick of about half-inch diameter or a little more, which you can either find in a hedgerow or you can use the handle of a child's seaside spade. It should be about 18" long and four or five inches across the end of the "T". An "L" shaped end of about 3" will do just as well. Point the longer end of the stick, but leave it slightly blunt to give a better "feel".. Spread the existing mole hills, either by digging them up (the soil is useful as a basis for potting compost) or by spreading them using a garden fork "wiped" flat against the soil. When new hills appear, start probing the ground with the stick in a circle, at two-inch intervals, at least 2ft away from a fresh mole hill. Suddenly you'll hit a point where the stick suddenly "gives", then "bottoms" firmly beneath the tunnel. Some catchers say that you can never catch moles this close to a hill and that you have to find a deep main run (which is far from easy). Don't believe them! Determine the direction of the mole run with a couple more prods, then dig a round hole about four inches across and roughly the depth to which the stick was sunk. Probe its sides until you find the two ends of the mole tunnel, then insert the "L" or "T" of the stick into and along these to make a smooth, continuous run right across your hole. Try the mole trap in place without setting it, just to check that it fits - if not, dig a little more soil away, but not too much as it must be a tight fit. Set the mole trap, and don't worry too much about adjusting it to a "hair trigger" - moles are powerful diggers and will easily release a firmly set mole trap. And don't bother to use gloves (which is almost impossible anyway) as the latest research shows that moles actually have quite a poor sense of smell. Cover the top of the hole with the roof tile, mark the position with a stick (if in a large field), and leave for at least a couple of hours - preferably all day or overnight (once I succeeded within ten minutes, but that was very much the exception!). If you're lucky, you'll find a mole inside. My average rate of success is about 25%, so the more mole traps you set the better your chance of success. Death is virtually instantaneous, so don't worry about having to deal with an injured animal. If you're less fortunate, the mole trap will be untouched, so leave it - for up to two or three days altogether, after which there is a reduced chance of success. The worst thing that can happen is that the hole you patiently dug will be crammed full of soil, in which case you must dig out the mole trap, refill the hole and try again elsewhere; you could try again in the same place, but this rarely seems to work." |
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