Kitchen Garden Forum

Any advice on how to get rid of moles, or a very active mole? I have tried vibrating spikes driven into the ground. This wasn't successful. I've reluctantly placed traps, but the mole remains elusive. The beds are covered in runs and walking on the lawn is like walking on shag-pile. I rolled the entire lawn last w/e and now have 6 fresh, pristine mole hills.

Can anyone suggest an alternative. Posion would be a real last resort.

Cheers

Give up! They are impossible to remove/deter/exterminate completely. Although I did like the story told on the cricket commentary about a man who decided to get rid of his dad's moles by filling the runs with LPG and then igniting it, and suceeded in blowing up his dad's lawn, shrubbery, hedge, shed and most of the neighbour's patch too! And yes the moles did come back.

Being as you can't get rid of them,take advantage of them and gather the soil they throw up as hills and use it for potting up..wouldn't recomend it for seedlings because of the weed seed content but fine for tubs.
Anyone else remember Jasper Carrott's routine for mole deliverance? I seem to remember it included a shotgun,a torch and a swivel chair!!

I have one too - just the one I believe but god forbid I get anymore - they are a menace!! Someone suggested to me that putting Jeyes Fluid down the hole would see them off but I havent put this to the test - cant imagine it does much for the soil. I also have a neighbour who has a Jack Russell that he swears can get the buggers but I suspect it would make more mess than the damm mole. It does seem however that it avoids any ground the chicken run has been on.

Moles don't go in the pig pen either! I wonder why not!I know they're a nuisance, but I like seeing them - variety of nature etc.

Maybe Moles have a keen sense of smell

This is useful
http://museum.nhm.uga.edu/gawildlife/mammals/

Note the 2 sorts of tunnel, also the fact that they don't inhabit gravelly soil. It seems to me that I shall invest in some sacks of gravel or similar gritty substance and every time I find a surface run I shall insert gravel, then see who wins. I have no objection at all to the deep tunnels, they must be good for land drainage.
I wouldn't use the molehills for potting soil, its texture is deceptive as it is predominately subsoil and behaves as such when packed down and I would suspect it weedwise.

One further point, From my rather expensive experiments with vibrating molechasers I concluded that they are a total waste of money, don't buy any. I am surprised that they are so widely advertised. Gardening Which gave them the thumbs down many years ago. I would like to see a court case where it is demonstrated that they are not fit for the purpose for which they are sold and therefore are a breach of trading standards.

Sorry, it appears that we have talpa europaea, but it seems to be very similar in habit. Here is a website for talpa europaea

http://www.gardenadvice.co.uk/howto/pests/moles/

I wounder if any more can be done in terms of exploiting the mole's solitary habit, such as making the local mole think that there is another mole around. Other than that it looks as if gravel or Jeye's fluid will have to be tried.

Thats an intresting page Allan. Maybe I'm being too harsh (but then maybe not) I can see the uses of drainaige and insect eating but thay certainly dont seem to be doing much for my drainage - I have a heavy clay soil which they are not supposed to like anyway and after all this rain their hills turn into slimmy mud piles and the ground is absolutly sodden at the moment. Think I'll stick with the chickens for keeping the 'larval incects' at bay. Now, where'd I put the Jayes.....

I hope your joking.
I don't think its legal to put Jeyes fluid down - I hope its your garden and not an allotment.
Also, have you thought how that might affect the soil and/or any other wildlife?

Yes, it was a tongue in cheek comment , however - yes it is my garden - the advice I was given was to put just a drop with a pipet as far into the hole as possible so other mamals or birds are unlikely to suffer. Unfortunatly the damage the bloody moles are doing to my garden far exceeds the damage done by pigeons, rabbits or even the neighbours dog put together.

I think that it should be pointed out that Jeyes is pretty nasty stuff, and in any strong concentration could do serious damage to wildlife / soil etc.

I understand that the method was mentioned because in a mild concentration, the smell will drive the moles away (see the link to gardenadvice.co.uk above) - Does anyone have any suggestions for strong, foul-smelling substances that won't hurt, but may drive the olfactorally (?) sensitive creatures away?

Perhaps some kind of smelly, vibrating, gravel might prove effective?

Hi Mr PH,
The way to get rid of Moles and Rabbits is by using Weasel Crap down there respective holes.
The drawback. First catch your Weasel!
It is said that if you can catch a Weasel and keep it in a cage for about a week it will use one part as a latrine and you can release it to the wild and just so long as you keep putting food into the cage he/she will come back and leave you the required deposit!
As I say first catch your Weasel!

Nice one,Johnboy,you'll have us catching up lions next!