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Moles in my compost bins.

PosyPosy Posts: 3,601
in Talkback

Can anyone suggest ways of keeping moles out of compost bins? I have tried standing the bins on slabs but the little dears just pop up beside the slab and leg it across to the bin. A year or two ago I took the dastardly step of bringing in a mole catcher with some success but it was very expensive and new moles quickly spotted the vacancy and came in from the field next to us. I cannot afford sealed bins and I haven't found any material, scent or noise that does the trick. 

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  • nutcutletnutcutlet Posts: 27,444

    Are they causing a problem?

    Better thee than in the lawnimage



    In the sticks near Peterborough
  • Steve 309Steve 309 Posts: 2,753

    Quite - why not leave them there?  You really don't want them elsewhere in the garden - and they WILL go elsewhere nearby if they're disturbed.  I have voles in mine - again, better than them digging tunnels under the veg and eating the roots, except that they do that as well....

  • WelshonionWelshonion Posts: 3,114
    Are you absolutely sure they are not rats? Moles are usually solitary except in the mating season.
  • granmagranma Posts: 1,931

    I've never heard of moles in the compost bin, but I have known of rats in the compost bin.

    I also thought that moles habit was tunnelling and traveling around - not much room for tunnelling in compost bins I'd have thoughtimage

    But then again I could be wrongimage

  • PosyPosy Posts: 3,601

    I am absolutely sure they are moles - or probably one in the compost. The rest of the garden is affected too and when the damage becomes too great I shall have to get the mole catcher back.

    The problem is that it or they eat all the worms: last time I turned my compost I found just three worms. This really slows down the process. There is loads of room to tunnel in a compost bin, I am afraid, mine are about 3' square and 4' high. There are three compost bins and each one has a labyrinth of runs going through. Once I found a nest of three baby moles in the leaf mould maker. Did I have the guts to kill them? No! I am probably paying for it now.

  • DovefromaboveDovefromabove Posts: 88,136

    Keep turning the compost - poke a stick in it and jiggle it around thoroughly every day.  It'll help to deter them, whoever they are.


    Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.





  • artjakartjak Posts: 4,167

    I agree with Dove, turn the compost and every time you pass by hit the bin with a cane. Are they plastic bins (Daleks) or timber bays with carpet on top?

    If you can get hold of one of those irritating birthday cards that whines 'Happy Birthday' for ages, put that in the bin, I believe they last for about 3 weeks before the battery runs out.

    A shovel of horse manure will help replace the worms and also may be disliked by the moles. My neighbour swears by a mechanical mole catcher, but that does involve killing them.image

  • WelshonionWelshonion Posts: 3,114
    You may have a mole in the garden, but it definitely sounds like rats in the compost.



    Double trouble!
  • WelshonionWelshonion Posts: 3,114
    Round here mole catchers are only paid by results, though they are usually dealing with canny farmers; that's why the 'blowing them up in the tunnels' method (moles, not farmers or mole catchers) failed to attract many customers.



    Incidentally, has anybody seen a mole run above ground? They go very, very fast!
  • Bubba RayBubba Ray Posts: 83

    To get rid of moles you need to follow Jasper Carrott's advice imageimageimage

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