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Nitrogen and worm activity
Hello Everyone. I am new to this newsgroup - I live in Shropshire - and
have a question that relates to some land that I own near to where I live. I have a two acre field, and have fenced off a largish area which I have turned into an allotment. Over the last year or two, and particularly this year, I have been plagued by moles. I have set traps, and have caught several, but the number of molehills just keeps on increasing, and now the entire field is virtually full of them. In addition to this I now have a further problem in that large areas of turf are being dug up, almost in the manner I would expect if I had a couple of pigs in there - which I do not. I believe the digging is being done by badgers, although I can't find any setts nearby. Both the badgers and the number of moles in my field and garden I put down to a high worm population - I am 100% organic. All the land that surrounds my field is grazed by sheep or cut for hay, with the farmers using a fair amount of nitrogen fertiliser. The interesting thing is that their fields are barely affected in the way mine is, and my theory is that the inorganic nitrogen and other top dressings being used discourage worm activity. Anyone got any views on this? |
#2
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Nitrogen and worm activity
On Sat, 21 Jan 2012 13:06:27 +0000, Farmer Giles
wrote: Hello Everyone. I am new to this newsgroup - I live in Shropshire - and have a question that relates to some land that I own near to where I live. I have a two acre field, and have fenced off a largish area which I have turned into an allotment. Over the last year or two, and particularly this year, I have been plagued by moles. I have set traps, and have caught several, but the number of molehills just keeps on increasing, and now the entire field is virtually full of them. In addition to this I now have a further problem in that large areas of turf are being dug up, almost in the manner I would expect if I had a couple of pigs in there - which I do not. I believe the digging is being done by badgers, although I can't find any setts nearby. Both the badgers and the number of moles in my field and garden I put down to a high worm population - I am 100% organic. All the land that surrounds my field is grazed by sheep or cut for hay, with the farmers using a fair amount of nitrogen fertiliser. The interesting thing is that their fields are barely affected in the way mine is, and my theory is that the inorganic nitrogen and other top dressings being used discourage worm activity. Anyone got any views on this? Most earthworm species prefer soil with a pH between 5 and 7ish. Repeated use of nitrogen based fertilisers over time (and this is years rather than months) will raise the soil acidity and if the soil pH drops below 4 as a result, then earthworms will largely be absent from the area. So if your soil is within the earthworm heaven range they've all moved to your field and a high concentration of worms leads to a high concentration of critters that feed on them. In a small garden area, moles can be deterred by reducing the soil pH in order to reduce the worm population. Plus, of course, it's a smaller area to set traps in and, indeed, likely that the problem is a single mole (apart from the mating season) as they're very territorial. But a 2 acre field is not going to be as easy to deal with. Moles don't like disturbance. If fields around are being ploughed then that will deter them and they'll migrate to your quieter surroundings. Maybe you could get a neighbouring farmer to plough the bit of your field that isn't allotment? February to March is main mole nookie time - probably why the number of molehills is increasing at the moment - so disturbing them now may have some effect. If nothing else it will demolish their existing tunnel network. Trouble is that if the field remains worm central then they'll be back. Cheers, Jake ======================================= Urgling happily from the dryer end of Swansea Bay. If a man is alone in the garden and speaks, and there is no woman to hear him, is he still wrong? |
#3
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Nitrogen and worm activity
On 21/01/2012 13:58, Jake wrote:
On Sat, 21 Jan 2012 13:06:27 +0000, Farmer wrote: Hello Everyone. I am new to this newsgroup - I live in Shropshire - and have a question that relates to some land that I own near to where I live. I have a two acre field, and have fenced off a largish area which I have turned into an allotment. Over the last year or two, and particularly this year, I have been plagued by moles. I have set traps, and have caught several, but the number of molehills just keeps on increasing, and now the entire field is virtually full of them. In addition to this I now have a further problem in that large areas of turf are being dug up, almost in the manner I would expect if I had a couple of pigs in there - which I do not. I believe the digging is being done by badgers, although I can't find any setts nearby. Both the badgers and the number of moles in my field and garden I put down to a high worm population - I am 100% organic. All the land that surrounds my field is grazed by sheep or cut for hay, with the farmers using a fair amount of nitrogen fertiliser. The interesting thing is that their fields are barely affected in the way mine is, and my theory is that the inorganic nitrogen and other top dressings being used discourage worm activity. Anyone got any views on this? Most earthworm species prefer soil with a pH between 5 and 7ish. Repeated use of nitrogen based fertilisers over time (and this is years rather than months) will raise the soil acidity and if the soil pH drops below 4 as a result, then earthworms will largely be absent from the area. So if your soil is within the earthworm heaven range they've all moved to your field and a high concentration of worms leads to a high concentration of critters that feed on them. In a small garden area, moles can be deterred by reducing the soil pH in order to reduce the worm population. Plus, of course, it's a smaller area to set traps in and, indeed, likely that the problem is a single mole (apart from the mating season) as they're very territorial. But a 2 acre field is not going to be as easy to deal with. Moles don't like disturbance. If fields around are being ploughed then that will deter them and they'll migrate to your quieter surroundings. Maybe you could get a neighbouring farmer to plough the bit of your field that isn't allotment? February to March is main mole nookie time - probably why the number of molehills is increasing at the moment - so disturbing them now may have some effect. If nothing else it will demolish their existing tunnel network. Trouble is that if the field remains worm central then they'll be back. Thanks for that, which does seem to confirm my theory. None of the fields surrounding mine have been ploughed - it's all pasture land - so it would seem to be the regular applications of nitrogen that are sending the worms, followed by the moles and badgers, over to my place. Ploughing my field is not really an option - and it would also, presumably, serve to increase the problem in the allotment area. I suppose I just have to keep on trapping them! Incidentally, I don't go along with this (common) view that moles are solitary operators, I think they are much more numerous in small areas than is generally believed. I myself have trapped dozens in my field over the last two or three years, and others tell me similar stories, but they don't seem to be reducing in number! |
#4
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Nitrogen and worm activity
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#5
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Nitrogen and worm activity
On 21/01/2012 14:39, Janet wrote:
In articleyJedndTO8ISJVofSnZ2dnUVZ8nadnZ2d@brightvie w.com, says... Incidentally, I don't go along with this (common) view that moles are solitary operators, I think they are much more numerous in small areas than is generally believed. I myself have trapped dozens in my field over the last two or three years, and others tell me similar stories, but they don't seem to be reducing in number! Moles are highly territorial and adults patrol their own tunnel system. When you trap the lone tunnel inhabitant then other moles will move in to its territory. I accept that is the conventional view, but my experience - and that of others - would appear to contradict this. I once caught two moles in the same tunnel on the same day - and it was around July, which is not (as far as I understand it) the 'mating season'. |
#6
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Nitrogen and worm activity
"Jake" Nospam@invalid wrote in message
... Snip February to March is main mole nookie time Jake, you never cease to amaze me with the odd and interesting facts you know :-} -- Kathy |
#7
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Nitrogen and worm activity
On Sat, 21 Jan 2012 15:49:51 -0000, "Kathy" wrote:
"Jake" Nospam@invalid wrote in message .. . Snip February to March is main mole nookie time Jake, you never cease to amaze me with the odd and interesting facts you know :-} I lead such a sad life really! I need to get out more! :~) I'll start worrying when I start forgetting all the stuff I've learned over the years. (I can still conjugate some Latin verbs, e.g. amo, amas, amatrimony). Cheers, Jake ======================================= Urgling happily from the dryer end of Swansea Bay. If a man is alone in the garden and speaks, and there is no woman to hear him, is he still wrong? |
#8
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Nitrogen and worm activity
"Jake" Nospam@invalid wrote in message ... On Sat, 21 Jan 2012 15:49:51 -0000, "Kathy" wrote: "Jake" Nospam@invalid wrote in message . .. Snip February to March is main mole nookie time Jake, you never cease to amaze me with the odd and interesting facts you know :-} I lead such a sad life really! I need to get out more! :~) I'll start worrying when I start forgetting all the stuff I've learned over the years. (I can still conjugate some Latin verbs, e.g. amo, amas, amatrimony). Cheers, Jake ======================================= Urgling happily from the dryer end of Swansea Bay. That now opens up the whole 'I have done Latin' boast :-(( I choose to boast that I have forgotten more Latin than I learnt at the Private School I went to. Why Oh Why do they feel that Latin is sooooooooooooooooooo important? OK OK OK I know that plant names are in Latin and wahay away we go lets boast that we know that the Latin name for a Daisy is .....................? Come on, show off, what is it? Mike -- I'm an Angel, honest ! The horns are there just to keep the halo straight. .................................... If a man is alone in the garden and speaks, and there is no woman to hear him, is he still wrong? Yes because women are like that. ... .. .. |
#9
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Nitrogen and worm activity
On Jan 21, 1:06*pm, Farmer Giles wrote:
Hello Everyone. I am new to this newsgroup - I live in Shropshire - and have a question that relates to some land that I own near to where I live.. I have a two acre field, and have fenced off a largish area which I have turned into an allotment. Over the last year or two, and particularly this year, I have been plagued by moles. I have set traps, and have caught several, but the number of molehills just keeps on increasing, and now the entire field is virtually full of them. In addition to this I now have a further problem in that large areas of turf are being dug up, almost in the manner I would expect if I had a couple of pigs in there - which I do not. I believe the digging is being done by badgers, although I can't find any setts nearby. Both the badgers and the number of moles in my field and garden I put down to a high worm population - I am 100% organic. All the land that surrounds my field is grazed by sheep or cut for hay, with the farmers using a fair amount of nitrogen fertiliser. The interesting thing is that their fields are barely affected in the way mine is, and my theory is that the inorganic nitrogen and other top dressings being used discourage worm activity. Anyone got any views on this? Diggers could be rabbits too. Whatever they are all you can do is fence them out with chicken wire. Moles are attracted by worms.if you have a big population there are people out there will gas them. |
#10
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Nitrogen and worm activity
On 22/01/2012 11:05, harry wrote:
On Jan 21, 1:06 pm, Farmer wrote: Hello Everyone. I am new to this newsgroup - I live in Shropshire - and have a question that relates to some land that I own near to where I live. I have a two acre field, and have fenced off a largish area which I have turned into an allotment. Over the last year or two, and particularly this year, I have been plagued by moles. I have set traps, and have caught several, but the number of molehills just keeps on increasing, and now the entire field is virtually full of them. In addition to this I now have a further problem in that large areas of turf are being dug up, almost in the manner I would expect if I had a couple of pigs in there - which I do not. I believe the digging is being done by badgers, although I can't find any setts nearby. Both the badgers and the number of moles in my field and garden I put down to a high worm population - I am 100% organic. All the land that surrounds my field is grazed by sheep or cut for hay, with the farmers using a fair amount of nitrogen fertiliser. The interesting thing is that their fields are barely affected in the way mine is, and my theory is that the inorganic nitrogen and other top dressings being used discourage worm activity. Anyone got any views on this? Diggers could be rabbits too. Whatever they are all you can do is fence them out with chicken wire. Moles are attracted by worms.if you have a big population there are people out there will gas them. There is a lot of rabbit activity around the field, so you could well be correct. I did rabbit proof the allotment/garden with chicken wire, but to do the perimeter of the whole field - probably around 500yds - is out of the question. Remember, it needs to go about 18 inches into the ground to be effective. |
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