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Moles

mrmhfmrmhf Posts: 37
in Problem solving
At the tail end of summer, we saw mole activity in our vegetable garden, especially in our raised beds that are teeming with earthworms. The activity has not stopped and surface visits have disrupted seedlings in autumn.

What should we do? Leave them be or do we get one of those electric oscillating gadgets that’ll prompt them to move on? There’s acres of fields they can move on to.

Advise and comments welcome.

Our country living, smallholding and sustainability journey: https://myhomefarm.co.uk
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Posts

  • nick615nick615 Posts: 1,487
    Try anything, but shooting them can be a permanent solution if you're in an area where discharging a 12-bore will be legal?
  • PosyPosy Posts: 3,601
    Professional mole catcher. Nothing on earth will persuade them to abandon your lovely tilled ground with all those worms. That's why they left the fields in the first place.
  • LynLyn Posts: 23,190
    I priced a professional mole catcher once, £70.00 per mole plus set up fee,  if you look on you tube you can get some tuition and get the traps from amazon,  it takes practice but you can learn. 
    Gardening on the wild, windy west side of Dartmoor. 

  • PosyPosy Posts: 3,601
    We didn't have much (any) success with a trap. It IS expensive,  but nothing like the heartbreak of watching your garden destroyed. 
  • PosyPosy Posts: 3,601
    Mind you, it wasn't as expensive as that, we waited years before we employed the catcher and he did get four!
  • LynLyn Posts: 23,190
    It takes practice, everything must be scrupulously clean, wear gloves, find the run, put the trap to exactly the right depth,  my other half couldn’t do it but my dad was expert so taught him. 
    Some good tuition on you tube. 
    Gardening on the wild, windy west side of Dartmoor. 

  • CloggieCloggie Posts: 1,457
    Our local mole catcher is a lady.  Not a titled one but a female one.  Not sure if this is the same gal advertised in our local chippy but she seems knowledgeable https://www.ladymolecatcher.co.uk 
  • CloggieCloggie Posts: 1,457
    I have holes in a raised bed and lovely fine tilth alongside that I thought MUST be moles but my neighbour says they don't look right and he's a born n bred country person but I'm a townie really so thus far I've been living with it (ignoring it) and haven't called in the "lady".  Might be different next year if the b****r eats my garlic!
  • ButtercupdaysButtercupdays Posts: 4,546
    Moles don't eat garlic, they eat worms. Rats however, eat just about anything and they also dig holes and leave a fine tilth. You might find yourself wishing it is a mole!
  • LynLyn Posts: 23,190
    If you google mole hills you’ll see the runs from the hill,  the trap need to go down along the tunnels. 
    My cat has caught a couple,  he just sits and listens, when they make a hill and pop out, he grabs them. 
    Gardening on the wild, windy west side of Dartmoor. 

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