Moles

[Dusty Rhodes]

Does anyone know a source of the stout plastic windmills which will keep the little bu**ers away from the lawn area?

Did you overlook post 16, from a professional?

Dusty

 

[mbc]

The trick is not to touch the traps with your bare hands, ..

Alternatively give your hands a good dirtying, if the moles are in cow pasture cow dung is good to dirty your hands with, I imagine in an allotment some ripe compost might do to mask your human scent.

 

[Fraise]

Did you overlook post 16, from a professional?

Dusty

No.
According to the old lady next door (who has a mole free lawn) you have to clip a chunk out of one of the vanes so the windmill is unbalanced and transmits vibration into the ground. This only works with stout plastic windmills and not the lightweight ones sold in local toy shops.
The principle of the electronic mole scarers is similar, they give pulses into the ground which the moles do not like.


.

 

[Midland Beek]

This mole paranoia reminds me of wasp paranoia.

Do some backward people really think that moles nibble the roots of plants, when moles found in the British Isles are in fact carniverous?

 

[Bryang]

DN170221 No luck so far Only managed to put them to use last Friday, been poorly with virus infection.
Midland beek Am well aware that moles are carnivorous, problem is they are working at such a rate that I will have difficulty in keeping my veg uncovered! My allotment is organic so there is a lot of worms etc to keep them happy.I'm having trouble finding my parsnips to dig them up, the moles have practicaly obliterated the row visibility!

 

[Oandy]

Hi i have spoken to a mole catcher today, he said which ever trap you use make sure that the trap is level or slightly lower than the run. As moles prefer to go down rather than up if there is something in the way.

 

[Polyanwood]

My Nan used to make us take cold ashes off the fire (coal/wood) and scoop the mound off and post the ash down the hole. We thought it was ridiculous, but if you posted about a pint down every hole, they usually went. Don't know if it would be the alkali, the traces of heavy metals or the finess of the dust that upset them.

 

[Midland Beek]

So, tell me. Why would any allotment holder feel the need to kill a mole on his allotment? I can only think of a single reason why someone would do this ... stupidity.

Before any allotment holder gets setting traps in order to kill wild animals on his or her Local Authority run allotment, I would ask as to whether they have the right to do that.

I wish at times I was an RSPCA Officer. But humans kill lots of animals on account of human stupidity.

 

[theboynelson]

So, tell me. Why would any allotment holder feel the need to kill a mole on his allotment? I can only think of a single reason why someone would do this ... stupidity

There are a number of reasons people don't wish to have moles on their property. They undermine root systems, make the ground rutted and can severely reduce earthworm activity. They can also, quite simply, make an area look unsightly.

It's not unreasonable to say that you don't want them on your property. I have vine weevil in my garden, am I meant to just let them breed away happily and not try to control them? Should I just let deer come in and savage my lovingly tendered crops?

I work on the land as a living, if I didn't try to deal with any pests that were there, I'd maybe be looking for a new job in the near future.

 

[Oandy]

So, tell me. Why would any allotment holder feel the need to kill a mole on his allotment? I can only think of a single reason why someone would do this ... stupidity.

Before any allotment holder gets setting traps in order to kill wild animals on his or her Local Authority run allotment, I would ask as to whether they have the right to do that.

I wish at times I was an RSPCA Officer. But humans kill lots of animals on account of human stupidity.

OR stupidly allow vermin to control what goes on in our lives. Or we can take hold of our own lives and control what happens. Would you not kill a Rats, mice, ants. flies wasps and such like I would.

 

[Erichalfbee]

One man's meat

I have moles all through my wildflower meadow-to-be and in the orchard. They seem to make no difference at all to the trees. Infact, I might take the opportunity of the newly tilled earth to plant wildflowers atop every mound
I honestly think they must make little difference to earthworm populations.

I might have to stand by the asparagus bed with a gun though

 

[enrico]

So, tell me. Why would any allotment holder feel the need to kill a mole on his allotment? I can only think of a single reason why someone would do this ... stupidity.

Before any allotment holder gets setting traps in order to kill wild animals on his or her Local Authority run allotment, I would ask as to whether they have the right to do that.

I wish at times I was an RSPCA Officer. But humans kill lots of animals on account of human stupidity.

You can have all of mine in your garden and see what you think then! I grow all my own veg, moles wreck three quarters of it meaning I have to buy in, it's heart breaking, they undermine my steps in a steep garden meaning I have to use concrete, yuck, they make the ground dangerously unstable. I bet you live in a town.... I'm not complaining, I love living here but I accept that some animals need culling to reduce numbers, we have been doing it since the Stone Age, I suppose you are a grey squirrel lover too!

E

 

[Luminos]

I tend to agree with Enrico - moles unearth and upend new plantings, both in the veg patch and the flowerbeds, and if they're not discovered fairly quickly and replanted, that's the end of them.
A complete waste of time, money and effort.
However, my cats just love to catch moles, so it isn't a problem for me for long - they do the dirty work for me

 

[Cazza]

One man's meat

I have moles all through my wildflower meadow-to-be and in the orchard. They seem to make no difference at all to the trees. Infact, I might take the opportunity of the newly tilled earth to plant wildflowers atop every mound
I honestly think they must make little difference to earthworm populations.

I might have to stand by the asparagus bed with a gun though

I have the same in my orchard and meadow. No problems caused here and they are happily tolerated but if one strays into the veggies then it's war.

Cazza

 

[Bryang]

So, tell me. Why would any allotment holder feel the need to kill a mole on his allotment? I can only think of a single reason why someone would do this ... stupidity.

Before any allotment holder gets setting traps in order to kill wild animals on his or her Local Authority run allotment, I would ask as to whether they have the right to do that.

I wish at times I was an RSPCA Officer. But humans kill lots of animals on account of human stupidity.

Nice rant MB! Rather personal inferring I'm stupid, perhaps a bit of thought about the problems the moles are causing for me in my veggie patch would not have been amiss! My veggies are important to me to offset my low income, the moles which I consider to be vermin are nothing but an annoying pest!!

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

the moles which I consider to be vermin are nothing but an annoying pest!!

Bit like RSPCA 'officers' really - strutting around in their pretend uniforms thinking they have some kind of legal powers - should stick to what they were formed for: protecting pet dogs

 

[Oandy]

Bit like RSPCA 'officers' really - strutting around in their pretend uniforms thinking they have some kind of legal powers - should stick to what they were formed for: protecting pet dogs

Yes i don't give to them anymore. They a have moved from what they were set up to do shame