moles!!

How did you get on ? Guess who's got moles now :(

 

They have moved into our garden as their usual haunt in the field below us, is under water. I use traps. The problem we are having is that the area they are in at present has only about 2 inches of soil over a thick layer of brick rubble. Their tunnels are under the bricks and it is very difficult to get through it to the runs. How they push up through it is amazing.

 

Well this may sound a little weird but I have found it to work and I have not found any damage to lawn or surrounding plants. I keep it local and put it as deep as I can into the hole. would like to know if anyone tries it and if so how did it work out?
Peter C

 

Well this may sound a little weird but I use Jeyes Fluid and have found it to work and I have not found any damage to lawn or surrounding plants. I keep it local and put it as deep as I can into the hole. would like to know if anyone tries it and if so how did it work out?
Missed out the punch line sorry about that
Peter C

 

Wonderful !!!

 

As well as many other forms of wildlife that I spend many hours "fighting" in a vain attempt to protect my garden, I have moles too. Randyros is correct in his "observations" lol. Now is the time for Moles to breed hence the signs of activity atm and I was told that they mate above ground? I've used both types of traps which are really only effective if you find the main runs. The tunnel types are bugg... to set and I've trapped fingers a few times! In my experience tramping the hills down has zero affect unfortunately as does setting the traps in newly dug soil as the blighters just burrow round the traps if the ground is soft.It's adviseable to get you hands covered in soil before setting the traps and if new get the traps "dirty" too as Moles have noses like bloodhounds. Try to set the traps in a main run and then cover the trap with either soil if not too deep or a piece of slate or similar to make where the trap/s are air tight. If a Mole senses air in the tunnel that's enough to alert it to danger.If using soil to cover over the trap do use some sort of marker to remind you where the traps are...learnt from bitter experience that it's easy to forget where they are and found out the painful way. Even with lots of good advice on how to catch them it's still decidedly hit or miss to get success unfortunately!

 

I've put one of those solar 'scarers' in for now (may work, may now, better than doing nothing) and I've started digging a trench in the field just outside the garden ... going to bury 2' tall wire mesh in it to form a barrier (they can do what they like in the field, I dont care !) It's hard work though (I'm not the fittest)

 

Quick Bodger run Shiney has got the Jeyes out again.

 

I am maybe innocent but what about just collecting the soil for seed compost and letting them get on with it?
Mind you, we only ever get them in the lawn, never in the beds. We have deep beds (double dug, never trodden on), might that explain it?
Annemieke Wigmore, Somerset UK: http://thoughtforfood-aw.blogspot.com

 

I heard that putting in cut-in-half-garlic cloves helps. Also peeing in the holes. Sounds like fun, for a man.
Annemieke Wigmore, Somerset UK: http://thoughtforfood-aw.blogspot.com