Kitchen Garden Forum

Well at first I thought it was ratty ... but the heaps have been burrowed from below and prodigeous quantities of lovely mole hill crumbly earth appeared to one side ! Evidence of droppings in the bins ... maybe they are going for the writhing worms that do such a good job of munching their way through our compostable waste. Although do moles eat apples as there are a few semi rotten apples that have been put in the compost from a few going off in store that have visible teeth marks in them .. hmmm...

Not sure how to discourage them ... happy for them to be there if they are moles ... but don't really want them tunneling under my asparagus beds which are next door !!

Have turned the 'heaps' hoping to move them on.

The 'heaps' are those plastic perforated plastic cyclinders that are put on the ground with no bottom and we use black plastic for lids ..

thanks !

Dear Yummy V, you really do need to move this black velvety coated fiend on as soon as possible.
If it's female you will be plagued by visiting males, then having the youngsters moving home to find their own plot of ground.

You could put plastic at the bottom of the compost bin, just making sure you pierce it with great gusto.

Don't know about the nibbled apples though.

Thanks OH ... mmm... I am not 100% convinced the plastic bottom will do the trick as on closer inpsection they seem also to have made a molesize hole in the side of the one next door.

do moles read ? and will they move on with a well worded eviction note if not ... how do you persuade them that the compost bin is not theirs to inhabit - nor a place to bring up babies

Dear Yummy V, I had problems with moles in my compost heaps, so i cut empty compost bags open, and layed them on the ground.
The moles down here seemed unable to push up through it.
You don't think you may have a mole and a rat do you.
I think the only way you will evict it, will be when you empty your bins, as i have heard from a reliable source moles are illiterate.

Dear OH .. I had rather suspected that moles were illiterate .. after all they do have rather small eyes !! I did wonder if I had two visitors .. mr Rat and Mr Mole ... will try the plastic lining trick on the one I am about to empty .. and refill with new season's waste.
thanks