Moles - It's war.....

[timmyalex]

Just been out to the veggy plot and I've got 3 mole hills (1 in one of my raised beds where i've just planted my red onions !!). Never had this problem before but cannot allow it to continue. So everybody how do you get rid of moles.????

[womble]

Jasper Carrot, shotgun. Y'know the score.


In all seriousness, traps are apparently the only thing that works, if you get one to work, could you please tell me how, because I've been trying for 3 years to catch one with a trap.

[jacob marley]

Just been out to the veggy plot and I've got 3 mole hills (1 in one of my raised beds where i've just planted my red onions !!). Never had this problem before but cannot allow it to continue. So everybody how do you get rid of moles.????

You dont they are imposible to eradicate it is nature you know..jacob

[oliveoyl]

Get a Castor Bean plant.

[FionaH]

Jasper Carrot, shotgun. Y'know the score.


In all seriousness, traps are apparently the only thing that works, if you get one to work, could you please tell me how, because I've been trying for 3 years to catch one with a trap.

Just in case you haven't seen it YouTube - Jasper Carrott - The Mole - Animated

[chris]

My father in law has a mole prob in his lawn, and he has a solar powered device that sends some signals through the ground to scare them off - or something.

[womble]

My father in law has a mole prob in his lawn, and he has a solar powered device that sends some signals through the ground to scare them off - or something.

Yeah, there's loads of those things around, some work for a time, most don't work at all. catching them is the only answer.
I have a problem in my raised beds every year, I have ended up with plants dying, when I dig them up I find their roots in mid air in a mole tunnel, happens alot.
Can I catch the bugger though

[VeggieNut]

It's a no hoper I'm afraid.

I've tried lots of things, the battery powered spike thingy is useless, humane trap, hopeless, I thought plastic bottles on the tops of canes poked into their tunnels worked for a bit....but no. I'm now trying to trap them with the nasty metal killing trap, which I'm also having no luck with....................ahhhhhhhhh

Please let me know if you find anything that works!

[timmyalex]

Moles 1 v Timmyalex 0 !!

Traps set for 3 days now and nothing. APART FROM NEW MOLEHILLS !!!! It's getting very frustrating. I read somewhere that one method was to get a chair and sit down with a large glass of wine and a net. You look closely for movement in the ground and then pounce once you see the pesky bugger.!! I suppose that after time that once the wine kicks in then even if you don't see any movement you wouldn't care anyway.

seems like a plan to me. Why do I keep thinking of "Caddy Shack".......

[mogs]

If ANYONE ever finds ANYTHING that works for moles I will start a fan club! I'm beginning to think I must have at least two dozen as even my paths are eroding under the plastic and wood chippings with them.... and it's no consolation that I obviously have tip top soil full of worms.

I'm hoping some budding entrepreneur is out there and can take my idea and turn it into reality - an industrial size 'bat the rat' that works on a solar powered infra red sensor system - mole pops up, infra red sensor detects it and massive hammer hits the spot - I'll throw my money at them if it works, cos absolutely nothing else does - they can keep the idea rights.

[gypsophelia]

I have a springer spaniel that digs them out , problem is you end up with a dog size hole! I read somewhere this week on a herb link that they dont like the smell of elder leaves and shove some down the hole, I am trying it at the mo as they seem to have moved into my polytunnel. Give it a whirl

[NotPercyThrower]

I know how to catch moles as long as you don't mind killing them..... I moved into a new place with a large garden totally covered in molehills last autumn. I called in a traditional mole catcher who set tunnel traps. He caught 5 moles, but it became unviable for him to continue as he charges just £10 a mole after the first one. I watched what he did and asked questions. I then bought a book from amazon and bought the kit the mole catcher recommended. I bought some traps, a mole probe and some markers from the flat pack company.

I caught the two remaining moles within about a week to 10 days and have had two more moles in the last fortnight, the last of which I caught this morning.

My advice is to buy a probe which you use to find the tunnels and also to flatten them down to avoid the mole sussing you out. Then you place a tunnel trap in the tunnel and carefully cover the trap blocking out the light. It's important to leave the tunnel as you found it.

Sorry if anyone doesn't like the idea of killing them, but apparently the humane traps cause severe stress to the mole and also create the challenge of what to do with them next, as if you put them back in an area inhabited by another mole they will fight.

The difficult bit is finding the tunnels, but it gets easier over time. You basically press the probe into the ground in the area affected until you find that it gives way. You then use an old knife and/or trowel to dig out a rectangular block in which to place the trap. You can also buy scissor traps, but most mole catchers seem to prefer the tunnel traps. I have never caught anything with a scissor trap myself.

Hope it helps, but let me know if you need any advice. If anyone is really struggling and lives in the Bristol, Bath, Chipenham area I might be able to help set a couple. It's not easy, but it does work.

Let me know when the fan club is set up.

[lindyloo]

i just couldnt kill a mole- those sweet little hands, and they look so vulnerable! a wise lady told me to simply ask them to move on, which i have done. it seems to have worked, and they miss mine and go to the posh lady's over the road! failing that, get a urine soaked rag and stuff it on the hole- they will get p-eed off and move. on the plus side, you will have some lovely friable soil when they go.