Moles!

[Dog Biscuit]

Our field is home to some pesky moles and I've no idea how to eradicate them or get them to 'relocate'


I know its just a field, but the boys play footie there and its getting a bit of a faff to level the mounds of earth every few days

Any help greatly appreciated

FWIW be have two cats already but they are useless feckers

[No ideas for a name]

Only one way to get rid of a mole.

[Tango13]

I used about 100ml of castor oil mixed with a squirt of washing up liquid in a 10l watering can and spread the mix evenly across the lawn, they've not been back since.

[Dog Biscuit]

Tango13 said:

I used about 100ml of castor oil mixed with a squirt of washing up liquid in a 10l watering can and spread the mix evenly across the lawn, they've not been back since.

Really?

That's something I've not heard of before - I'll give it a try

Thanks

[mikeiow]

I've had one success with an Easy Set Mole Trap, last year.

Got another in the garden now, so the trap is set.....& in between, my BiL used it with success.

One mole can cause an inordinate amount of damage. Got a mole-man in a few years back when our garden resembled The Somme. One mole caught, and all activity stopped.

[Simpo Two]

Waiting for someone to post the Jasper Carrott sketch...

Basically you just move them from your lawn to next door.

[Silvanus]

Worth trying the humane tube traps, then you can go and release them. Moles are cool.

[Dog Biscuit]

Ive ordered some of the metal traps off Amazon so will give them a whirl

It looks absolutely dreadful at the moment

As a side note - I've been pondering the point of why moles exist and the role they play in the food chain

Seem pretty pointless at a glance

[Silvanus]

Dog Biscuit said:

Ive ordered some of the metal traps off Amazon so will give them a whirl

It looks absolutely dreadful at the moment

As a side note - I've been pondering the point of why moles exist and the role they play in the food chain

Seem pretty pointless at a glance

Look up the benefits, they are useful little creatures. I'd happily have them in my garden.

[Simpo Two]

Silvanus said:

As a side note - I've been pondering the point of why moles exist and the role they play in the food chain

Seem pretty pointless at a glance

Same place in the food chain as hedgehogs, just underground for protection as they don't have spines and can't see very well.

[glennjamin]

They eat worms...if that's any benefit... Bury the traps but wear gloves they have great sense of smell and will avoid new smell in area of runs ,

[smifffymoto]

If you’re setting traps,wear gloves at all times.
Moles will smell you and tunnel the other way.
Set as many traps as possible,they’re not expensive so don’t scrimp.

[shirt]

I recommend this guy

[recordman]

I find scissor traps the easiest to set and the most effective. Before use from new cover them in soil for a couple of days to get rid of any smells.

[mikeiow]

recordman said:

I find scissor traps the easiest to set and the most effective. Before use from new cover them in soil for a couple of days to get rid of any smells.

After some time using both scissor traps and the easy set one I mentioned above, I find the former totally useless. Just my experience, I am sure they must work sometimes….

Yes, wear gloves, & yes, make sure they are covered with earth

[Promised Land]

mikeiow said:

After some time using both scissor traps and the easy set one I mentioned above, I find the former totally useless. Just my experience, I am sure they must work sometimes….

Yes, wear gloves, & yes, make sure they are covered with earth

I think it is a case of what works best for the individual involved, personally I have tried barrel and scissor traps but I had the most success from Putanges, they're a French designed trap (as far as I know) but worked well for me.

I know someone who if the soil is soft enough can shovel one out while it is digging.

Not only are gloves needed to stop any odours but they also react to tunnel air pressure changing, you put a trap in with a loosely fitted lid over it they will know something is a miss and not use that part.

Also the OP should always look for the freshest mole hills, then locate the runs from there and set traps accordingly, no point setting one in a run it is no longer using. Nowadays you can take a photo daily, then locate the freshest hills.

[abzmike]

I have a couple of solar powered ultrasonic buzzers - seem to do the trick after moles turned by grass into something like a ploughed field a couple of years back.

[TAYLOR1010]

I have seen someone use seaside windmills in the ground, they resonate and drive the mole away. Alternative; pot of worms and a 12 bore.

[Mr Magooagain]

I’ve trapped five (5) this last couple of weeks with scissor traps.

[mikeiow]

Glad to hear of successes with the scissors!
As I said above, my experience was just that - my failure to get the lawn demolishers until I got the ‘easyset’ box one.

Tried solar things and also stabbing windmill sticks in - no success with either
Tricky little buggers really!