My friend mole is back
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Discussion

crankedup

Original Poster:

25,764 posts

266 months

Monday 31st December 2012
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We always seemed to have moles in our garden, one day I saw the mole hill growing I grabbed a spade and managed to shove the spade blade underneath the mole hill with mole on top of the spade. My happy conquest was very short lived as I realized that I had killed mole, I felt a right a*se for doing what I had set out not to do, kill an animal. After that no more mole hills for four or five years until yesterday that is. A mole hill is in the making, I have seen the mound growing as I watch! There are back and this time I am letting them get on with living biggrin

897sma

3,595 posts

167 months

Monday 31st December 2012
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We used to get loads of moles, they end up making a right fking mess if you leave them. It's not the mole hills but the underground tunnels they excavate between them. You'll be walking across your lawn and sink to your ankles into one. If you don't want to kill them then if you piss on the mounds it will encourage them to go elsewhere.

Aphex

2,160 posts

223 months

Monday 31st December 2012
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Is it normal for them to die this way? The exact same thing happened to my Grandad. I was only young so my memory is a little hazey but the thing just seemed to die of fright?

It was then promptly launched over the back over the sheds. Horrifying and hilarious for a 6 year old to see

omgus

7,305 posts

198 months

Monday 31st December 2012
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Aphex said:
Is it normal for them to die this way? The exact same thing happened to my Grandad. I was only young so my memory is a little hazey but the thing just seemed to die of fright?
Yes, although very territorial with other moles they are incredibly timid little things and they can die of shock fairly easily.

Aphex said:
It was then promptly launched over the back over the sheds. Horrifying and hilarious for a 6 year old to see
rofl

Z4monster

1,442 posts

283 months

Monday 31st December 2012
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I had moles in my back garden which is mainly grass at present. they didn't really bother me much but I got some stuff which is supposed to repel them without any harm.

It's a granular pellet which has castor oil in it. You sprinkle it everywhere and it apparently makes their food taste awful. They then bugger off elsewhere to find food.

Seems to have worked for me as they soon went and haven't seen them all summer.

Turn7

25,354 posts

244 months

Monday 31st December 2012
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Dont laugh at this, but one thing that always fascinates me about mole hills is this - Moley only makes a hill as he cannot go more than about 8/10 feet without turfing out the soil from the tunnel, right ?

So,in a field/garden where Moleys having fun, you get a raft of mole hills in close proximity as thats due to the above....

But, then, all of a sudden, about 500 yards away from the original spot - new Moley action !

Do they parachute in over night or something ?

MaxMX5

387 posts

178 months

Monday 31st December 2012
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We had a mole in my parent garden once. The hills arent the problem, its the tunnels when they cave in when you walk on them. We got a mole catcher in (and yes he looked like a mole) to trap it. He said they are pretty good swimmers too which would explain how it got in the garden as there is a stream running along the back of it.

crankedup

Original Poster:

25,764 posts

266 months

Tuesday 1st January 2013
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Our garden is rural and rustic so I won't be worried how to get rid of them/him. The previous owner of our cottage apparently tried everything to rid the garden of moley, without success. Resilient little blighter's smile

Upatdawn

2,202 posts

171 months

Tuesday 1st January 2013
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Nightmare

5,278 posts

307 months

Wednesday 2nd January 2013
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Turn7 said:
Dont laugh at this, but one thing that always fascinates me about mole hills is this - Moley only makes a hill as he cannot go more than about 8/10 feet without turfing out the soil from the tunnel, right ?

So,in a field/garden where Moleys having fun, you get a raft of mole hills in close proximity as thats due to the above....

But, then, all of a sudden, about 500 yards away from the original spot - new Moley action !

Do they parachute in over night or something ?
they wait till its dark then do a covert 'above ground dash' before digging down again! maybe?

i have spent my life with wildlife as my main hobby (well joint first with weaponry) and I have never ever seen a mole frown ive seen a golden eagle, a Scottish Wildcat, pine martins, water vole, great crested newts and even a wallaby. but never a mole dammit!

omgus

7,305 posts

198 months

Wednesday 2nd January 2013
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Nightmare said:
they wait till its dark then do a covert 'above ground dash' before digging down again! maybe?

i have spent my life with wildlife as my main hobby (well joint first with weaponry) and I have never ever seen a mole frown ive seen a golden eagle, a Scottish Wildcat, pine martins, water vole, great crested newts and even a wallaby. but never a mole dammit!
I have been lucky enough to see a few, mostly fetched back to me by my old dog. Of that about 75% of them were still alive and just slobbered on so the dog would be shut in and moley released at the closest molehill.

Turn7

25,354 posts

244 months

Wednesday 2nd January 2013
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Nightmare said:
Turn7 said:
Dont laugh at this, but one thing that always fascinates me about mole hills is this - Moley only makes a hill as he cannot go more than about 8/10 feet without turfing out the soil from the tunnel, right ?

So,in a field/garden where Moleys having fun, you get a raft of mole hills in close proximity as thats due to the above....

But, then, all of a sudden, about 500 yards away from the original spot - new Moley action !

Do they parachute in over night or something ?
they wait till its dark then do a covert 'above ground dash' before digging down again! maybe?

i have spent my life with wildlife as my main hobby (well joint first with weaponry) and I have never ever seen a mole frown ive seen a golden eagle, a Scottish Wildcat, pine martins, water vole, great crested newts and even a wallaby. but never a mole dammit!
You may be onto something there....

TBF, Ive only seen two dead ones in my life as well.