Moles

[Mike G]

How do I get rid of the little buggers, without killing them? I've got at least 3 in the garden (3 distinct locations). I'd like to relocate them to the local wood, and discourage the arrival of newcomers.

 

[Rod]

I've not had that problem myself but you can get humane traps and chemical repellents.

Rod

 

[AndyP]

They are efficient diggers Mike and can dig 100m or more in a day so you may only have one. They are solitary too and will chase off intruders. I only have about 1600m2 and soon realised that an empty run of tunnels will soon get re-occupied. I just live with them. Sweep up the hills and drop some grass seed down. Some years we do not get any hills at all.

Good luck and if you do find a method to deter them, that works, be sure to let us know.

 

[Mike G]

Oh that does give me hope, because I am pretty sure I can catch one: it seems to be active at the same place at roughly the same time of day, and the ground is incredibly soft (it's a rotted-down pile of something, possibly leaves, or wood chips). So, with a little patience, a spade, and a pair of gloves, I reckon I can get the little bugger into a bucket and off to the woods across the field.

 

[Rod]

Will your buried netting stop them coming back?
I've read that the humane traps are not that humane if not checked frequently as they need to eat continuously because of their high metabolic rate? They will starve to death!

Rod

 

[the bear]

I agree theres probably only one, they are incredibly territorial unless mating. And as said once caught, the first mole that finds the unused tunnels will immediately re occupy them.

I have caught a mole exactly like you are suggesting, wait for the mound to start moving and get the spade in underneath. You have to approach carefully as they'll sense the ground movement and immediately decend down. Be warned though when I did it the shock of being caught and bing brought out killed it. Probably had a heart attack. You may be more lucky if you don't want to intentionally kill it.

Mark

 

[kirkpoore1]

You can flood the tunnel with a hose. The mole won't come out, but will get to a spot where he can stick his nose out and breathe. I've caught them that way before.

After you flood the tunnels you can squish them down to get rid of them and prevent reoccupation.

Or get a dog that likes to dig.

Kirk

 

[RogerS]

I also think that those so-called 'humane' traps are nothing of the sort. Especially if the mouse ones are anything to go by. In the morning, the mouse will be dead, having evacuated its bowels and probably died from fright. Never found one alive and so I prefer a short sharp death.

And my granddad used to shine his shoes up beautifully with a bit of moleskin

 

[Mike G]

Will your buried netting stop them coming back?.....

I'm hoping not. We are surrounded by fields and a road, so goodness knows how it got here in the first place. I would have thought a ploughed field was impassable to a mole.

 

[Rod]

I read they like loose soft soil - my garden is 4/6" of soil on top of rock chalk - no moles.

Rod

 

[chataigner]

Détaupeur - name of a french made device that works very well. I'm sure you're all going to accuse me of murdering small furry animals, but that's what it does. You put one of their cartridges - A small explosive charge - in the run, add the trigger (a simple plastic lever that partially blocks the run so thay have to push past it) it operates a micro switch and "bang", electrically detonated. :twisted: :twisted: :twisted: :twisted: Works really well.

I'm sure their mummies love them but I dont share the sentiment ! :twisted: :twisted: :twisted:

 

[chataigner]

Will your buried netting stop them coming back?.....

I'm hoping not. We are surrounded by fields and a road, so goodness knows how it got here in the first place. I would have thought a ploughed field was impassable to a mole.

They are quite capable of walking miles on the surface (at night), or even swimming a stream.

 

[Mike G]

One of the only two whole moles I have seen was swimming.

I hope my new chicken wire fence will keep moles out, with holes only about 20 to 25mm in diameter.

 

[AndyP]

you're lucky Mike. I have ever ever seen one and that was dead on the lawn.

 

[RogerM]

My lawn was decimated by moles.

• I tried the sonic mole scarers - they treated it like a call to prayer.

• A neighbour told me that they hated the smell of diesel, so I put some tissue soaked in heating oil down the burrow - they just dug a new burrow around it.

• I tried the traditional Tralpex traps, but although they were triggered, they never caught anything.

• A farmer told me that if you knock the bottom out of a wine/beer bottle and stuff the broken end in the ground, the wind blowing over the neck makes a sound that drives them crazy and they'll go. This actually worked for a while, but when they came back they ignored it.

• I finally bought a pair of Steel Barrel Tunnel Mole Traps and I caught a mole the first night. He was an enormous b****r who I think had been subcontracted to Cross Rail. I thought there must be others, but that was the only one I caught, and the activity stopped.

Like you, I wanted to either deter them or catch them alive, but in the end I relented and went for the "kill" option as my lawn was becoming like the Somme. I also agree that the humane traps are not so humane. Either the mole starves, or if he's introduced to another mole's territory, one of them kills the other.

 

[9fingers]

I caught a mole the first night. He was an enormous b****r who I think had been subcontracted to Cross Rail. I

Brilliant

ROTFL!

Bob