Weird tracks and cracks in garden and lawn

[Scarlet]

But at least the lawn looks nice eh?

Yes, you can hardly relocate a mole...it's going to mess someone else's garden up. If you got the mole eradicators in they kill them too.

[Kirk]

Always seems a bit odd, most here grow veg and fruit for themselves as it is considered better, many like to see wildlife and want more wild areas for nature, a good number are organic and dislike chemicals. Is it just me that thinks hitting a mole with a spade/shovel doesn't quite fit in.

Just a cardboard box and a short drive isn't exactly that much trouble.

[Knight of Albion]

Always seems a bit odd, most here grow veg and fruit for themselves as it is considered better, many like to see wildlife and want more wild areas for nature, a good number are organic and dislike chemicals. Is it just me that thinks hitting a mole with a spade/shovel doesn't quite fit in.

Just a cardboard box and a short drive isn't exactly that much trouble.

I couldn't agree with you more, dear Kirk.
It's a tiny little thing, it couldn't do you any harm even if it wanted to and it's pretty much blind ...

[Bill HH]

I couldn't agree with you more, dear Kirk.
It's a tiny little thing, it couldn't do you any harm even if it wanted to and it's pretty much blind ...

I have debated with you about killing pests and ( I think it was about ants) but with this one I am with you K of A. Regarding killing pests I said there is a line to be drawn and ants and slugs are on the extermination side but moles are more highly developed mammals and deserve a chance. it probably had babies somewhere wondering where mom was.
And besides old Moley is my favourite character in "wind in the willows"

[Scarlet]

Well I love chickens and there's nothing more I love to see than I bunch of chicks... But I have to cull the boys.

I've got moles in my garden, I haven't killed one yet but they are a nuisance, in a small garden they can create havoc ...it's the same with squirrels. Moving them on just moves the problem elsewhere and to someone else.

[Scarlet]

And besides old Moley is my favourite character in "wind in the willows"

Sorry Bill, my favourite was Roland Rat but I wouldn't hesitate to kill a rat and I certainly wouldn't move him somewhere else either.

[Shadylane]

I've put up with slugs decimating stuff I grow to eat, plants I've spent time and money growing and I still can't bring myself to put pellets down, although I have resorted to beer. I can't imagine whacking a small defenseless mammal on the head just to protect the neatness of my garden - in case it wasn't obvious, my earlier comment was supposed to be on the sarcastic side...

[Scarlet]

I still can't bring myself to put pellets down, although I have resorted to beer...

Hmm, you're still killing them, what's the difference?

How do you pick and choose what you decide to kill?

[Bill HH]

Hmm, you're still killing them, what's the difference?

How do you pick and choose what you decide to kill?

Yes you are still killing them but you are not spreading toxic chemicals all over the place which can kill birds.

As for how you pick and choose, that's a very hard one, for me I regard slugs and aphids etc as being at almost epidemic proportions, not threatened with extinction and causing a lot of damage to my crops, more advanced creatures I regard as under threat themselves and therefore in need of protection. Its a cruel world and sometimes hard decisions need to be made. There is also the factor that I truly believe insects and slugs do not feel pain like more intelligent animals.

[greencat]

Wow, I had no idea they could make so much mess.Well done on finding him.

[gardening_gal]

I didn't realise the extent of the damage they could do, I would never have known these tracks were caused by moles. You learn something new every day here.

I personally wouldn't have whacked him though, especially since it would appear he would have been fairly easily caught.

[Shadylane]

Hmm, you're still killing them, what's the difference?

How do you pick and choose what you decide to kill?

More or less what Bill said. Plus with beer - I like to think they die happy I suppose it comes down to necessity. I don't enjoy killing anything, but if I'm trying to grow food and the slugs keep eating it all - not just the odd nibble I can live with that - but ALL of it then I need to do something. Oh but you can just buy it from the shops I hear you say - well yes but I'm pretty sure even organic farmers use slug pellets so I would still be contributing to the death issue.

As for something making a mess of the lawn - I'd like to think that I'd try other methods before resorting do death by spade, just for the sake of having a perfect lawn.

[Nicos]

I can imagine within the next 100 years hardly any of us will have lawns , but may need to use the water/space for growing our own veg out of necessity due to world events!

Yeh...I can be pessimistic sometimes...but it makes good sense!!

[veggiechicken]

Plenty of mole runs in my garden. I view them as a positive - molehill soil is really fine and great for adding to the seed compost.

[Scarlet]

I use it for topping up my raised beds.
But when your garden is only 4metres square, it would just be one mole hill!