Moles ... and more moles!

[The Mouse]

Hi there.
A question for any mole experts on the forum - how many moles are there likely to be in a family?
We are often told that moles are solitary creatures, but having caught 3 moles in under 3 days (scissor-style traps), all within a few feet of each other, I think I must be dealing with a family.
I will keep setting the traps, but it would be good to know how many more there might be!

It certainly explains the amount of damage that was being done in that section of my garden.

[Ricard with an H]

having caught 3 moles in under 3 days (scissor-style traps), all within a few feet of each other, I think I must be dealing with a family.

Firstly, i'm not a mole-expert in the true sense of the word. If you have caught three moles in scissor traps it's you that is now the expert whilst I can share many years of failure to catch moles.

You're experience proves yet-again that we shouldn't believe everything we read, on the basis of my reading and online research there is only ever one mole in a run/territory.

i've tried tunnel traps and scissor traps, i've read all the tricks or trade and been so obsessed with getting mole people who new me worried about me. The care I took to form the trap in the tunnel and seal it with a carefully crafted sod of grass was nothing short of artistic, the mole just shoved soil into the tunnel-trap or scissor trap.

What did work for a few months each year was a number of those electronic things you push into the ground but they only worked in some areas, not in every situation I used them.

I've had mole in all my raised beds, my fault for not putting ex-mesh or chicken wire down before I filled them.

The only other explanation for your trapping success is that the North Pembrokeshire Mole is an educated species compared to your-average mole.

Well-done and please keep us up to date.

I didn't catch this mole, a local feral cat must have caught it and left in in my drive-way just to taunt me. A lot of people haven't had a close-up with a mole, they have incredible tools.

[The Mouse]

I must admit that I do feel quite pleased with myself - until now, I had only ever trapped two or three in total, over several seasons! And until now, it was always my tunnel traps that did the deed, although I am reluctant to use them now, after one failed to fully kill the mole that it trapped. However, I also have to admit that finding these lovely creatures dead in my traps does take the edge of my pleasure. But all is fair in love and war!

Perhaps it is the fact that these are young, inexperienced moles that is making them less wary?
We shall see. I have re-set the traps, and should be able to tell from the soil around a trap if a mole has been up to it, even if it doesn't trigger it, so I should know soon whether there are still some moles in that section.

[Ricard with an H]

However, I also have to admit that finding these lovely creatures dead in my traps does take the edge of my pleasure. But all is fair in love and war!

Well-yes, and I even felt the same way about rats until one of rats decided to start eating into our car hoses and electrics. That cost us £260 in repairs plus the cost of the TomCat blocks that eradicated all the close-by rats.

I was happy to leave them alone if they didn't bother me, the sight of them bother my lovely lady though I thought that was an unfair reason to trap them or poison them. I shall have to start setting some bait stations again for rats shortly.

I forgot, yes I did catch a mole. It wasn't underground though, it was running along in the grass, sort-of swimming through the grass. In hindsight in was possibly looking for new territory but heading in the direction.

[oldherbaceous]

Dear Bert, i think it is very likely to be a nest of young that are moving about to find their own territory.

Not trying to sound mean, but these youngsters are a lot easier to catch...

I think they have between 3 and 6 young.

I have been catching them all over peoples allotments for them, but the one i can't catch, you've guessed it, is on one of my plots.

[The Mouse]

Well I can confirm that I haven't got them all yet - the one tunnel trap that I am using has been sprung again, but is empty. That's means I now have at least one trap-wary mole down there, so catching it won't be easy!

[peter]

Light relief ftom moles by Jasper Carrot http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fePU5CIHpas

[The Mouse]

Light relief ftom moles by Jasper Carrot http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fePU5CIHpas

Thanks for that, Peter. I'd forgotten how funny Jasper Carrot was back in the early days. That's made my day.


Regarding my own battle against the little blighters, I've now got rid of another - four in four days!. This one was definitely a juvenile, as was the first one I caught, but I'm not so sure about the other two as they were bigger.

The battle goes on.

[Ricard with an H]

The battle goes on.

If I could think of a safe way to ignite the gasses I would use the oxy-propane method of collapsing the tunnels and concussing the mole. Hopefully he'll take his tunnelling into the banks where he's welcome.

At the top corner of our paddock the soil is very-very fertile, grasses grow at four times the rate they grow on most other parts (A perfect site for a quarter-acre allotment) and presumably there are lot's of worms because that is the area that gets infested with mole.

If I had the work in me I would glyphosate the area and use it for potato and other root crops. I couldn't possibly eat it all so I would have to sell it, all to much hard work and right now window frames are asking for attention.

I had even thought of letting the area free to a local enthusiast though I may have planning problems. Even though it's agricultural land there are some very odd restrictions. For-example; i'm not allowed to sit in the grass with a cold beer and admire the view. "Thats domestic" says the jobs-worth planning officer, growing food for my own consumption isn't allowed and growing food to sell causes yet more problems.

[The Mouse]

Even though it's agricultural land there are some very odd restrictions. For-example; i'm not allowed to sit in the grass with a cold beer and admire the view. "Thats domestic" says the jobs-worth planning officer, growing food for my own consumption isn't allowed and growing food to sell causes yet more problems.

Blimey, Richard. There's something wrong when the jobs-worths tell you that you can't sit on your own land with a cold beer. It sounds like moles might be the lesser of two evils!

[Ricard with an H]

I still can't believe that conversation took place, whoever I tell it to stands back in amazement.

It was when we first moved in and asked for planning guidance for my shed, I had to have change of use permission for part of the one-acre.

I think we have a local mole catcher in the area though i've never let the mole get under my skin enough to warrant paying for help, in-fact catching moles became a sport. I didn't catch any so it became an obsession, now i'm resolute that the mole is smarter than I am. If he's smart he'll not bother me enough to resort to the 'Rodenator'.

[oldherbaceous]

The mole has been very busy on my allotment this morning, a couple of big hills and also been along a row of emerging seedlings. He is a troublesome little fellow....

[The Mouse]

OH, it is the damage they have done to rows of seedlings that started this war in my garden!

I should have learnt my lesson by now: to hell with saving water by just watering the rows of plants. Soak the whole area, then the moles don't have a reason to home in on the veg!

Hopefully, the rain will do the job for us today or tomorrow.

[The Mouse]

Just got No. 5.

Can't be that many left!

[Ricard with an H]

Just got No. 5.

You're the Mole-man, pity that Northants is seven hours drive away. You've almost resurrected my resolve to catch moles.

Perhaps, "Catching-moles-weekend" tuition course. Or maybe some online guidance from your experiences.