[juliem]

I paid a local mole catcher to catch moles in a 4 acre field over 1 week in April .He caught 8 moles....it cost me £100 which I begrudged .I  also have moles in some of my other fields..been using the soil for containers etc in the garden and raking them flat. but getting a bit fed up of that now.I have noticed the moles seem to be moving in the direction of the ditches/hedges. Should I hold on and hope we have a hard winter? I have 12 acres all rented out for sheep.
Alternatively does anyone have any suggestions how I can move them along to someone elses fields.

[Fleecewife]

You could try the reverse of what happens here - pour earthworm killer all over your land, so there are no worms to attract the moles -( that's a joke).  Here, it's the farms round about us that have no earthworms, so the moles all run to us for sanctuary.

Every few years the numbers build back up and we get the mole catcher in again.  Ours doesn't cost as much as yours did.  We noticed he always left one behind, to make sure there was work for the future 

In fact your best plan is to learn how to catch them yourself - it's a skill but shouldn't be too difficult.

I would never use poison on the land.  They used to use I think strychnine, but I would hate to contaminate my pastures that way.

[Me]

It can be easy to catch them or really bloody hard! On the rented land they are shallow 3-4" and easy to kill, at home the are deep, really deep, and difficult to catch

[juliem]

The  catcher actually left one of the traps in a hole in the field which I found together with dead mole.It was an unusual american trap...quite complicated but found out how to set it online.I think he used a range of different traps when he caught the 8.What I most begrudged  was that he drove his vehicle all over my field when he checked them each day.

[AndynJ]

Try trapping yourself or you can buy sandcastle windmills and put them in the mole hills the vibration drives them away, I shoot an air rifle down the hole always in the same direction so as to drive them off my field = it works.

[Foobar]

£100 seems like way too much.  I thought the usual price was £5 per mole.


Try trapping yourself - read this page and its links: http://walcotefarm.fernhillsolutions.net/molecatching/mole_catching.htm

[Greenerlife]

£100 seems like way too much.  I thought the usual price was £5 per mole.


Try trapping yourself - read this page and its links: http://walcotefarm.fernhillsolutions.net/molecatching/mole_catching.htm

Depends where you are.  In Surrey it can cost £60 just for one mole.  (I have bought my own traps!)

[Me]

£30 to set up then £10 a mole here

[shygirl]

my cats catch them and leave them to bloat in the sun. 

[Fleecewife]

my cats catch them and leave them to bloat in the sun. 

My dogs dig them out, but make a far bigger mess of the ground than the moles themselves do   

[Me]

my cats catch them and leave them to bloat in the sun. 

Can your cats do it for less than £30 and £10 a mole? If so can I borrow them

[Foobar]

Depends where you are.  In Surrey it can cost £60 just for one mole.  (I have bought my own traps!)

Geez, perhaps I need to give up my day job and become a pro mole catcher then!!

[Womble]

IME it depends on where the mole is!  If he's easy to catch, £5. Hard to catch, £10. In the middle of your tennis court / bowling green, maybe a little more 

I have a friend who makes a part time living at this. He used to charge £5 per mole, but has now had to up this to £8 on his two original farms, as the moles are fewer and further between. This year he averaged £9 / hr for his efforts, so though not a bad rate for going for a walk with a spade, it's not a path to vast riches either!

[clydesdaleclopper]

my cats catch them and leave them to bloat in the sun. 

Can your cats do it for less than £30 and £10 a mole? If so can I borrow them

Just get yourself an Egyptian Mau they are great at catching moles (and rats, weasels, rabbits etc) and they do a good line in cuddles too 

[juliem]

Well I've compromised and found another mole catcher who is coming out tomorrow morning..he charges £10 for each mole caught.( I  think his interest was sparked when I told him that the previous mole catcher had caught 8....)
I am hoping this is not going to have to be a regular yearly expenditure!!.