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Author Topic: making mountains out of molehills  (Read 16819 times)

doganjo

  • Joined Aug 2012
  • Clackmannanshire
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Re: making mountains out of molehills
« Reply #30 on: December 31, 2010, 02:55:17 pm »
Just been out in the woods with the dogs and spotted this whopper - I reckon it was 2 and a half feet across and about afoot and a half high.  I was amazed at the number of molehills along the track, never saw any in the summer.
Always have been, always will be, a WYSIWYG - black is black, white is white - no grey in my life! But I'm mellowing in my old age

Brucklay

  • Joined Apr 2010
  • Perthshire
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Re: making mountains out of molehills
« Reply #31 on: December 31, 2010, 06:36:05 pm »
Now the snow is away and I was out clearing any waste hay, found we had quite a few mole hills - OH had a wee chat and spelling lesson with Bang Bang the cat (spelling out M O L E) and lo and behold 1 hr later dead mole on doorstep - I'm not joking - we'll continue the lessons ie 2 M O L E S tomorrow and see how we get on - at least one less though
Pygmy Goats, Shetland Sheep, Zip & Indie the Border Collies, BeeBee the cat and a wreak of a building to renovate!!

robert waddell

  • Guest
Re: making mountains out of molehills
« Reply #32 on: December 31, 2010, 07:00:33 pm »
no use catching live moles where are you going to relocate them i belong to the shoot them kill them in-nilate them side (moles starlings magpies crows foxes rats mice (people that think they have a better right to my property than me)  ) i have caught two live moles one shown to my children the other was on a building site showed that one to workmates also on another site dug a hole to bury waste sitting having lunch and three moles fell into the pit not killed

dyedinthewool

  • Joined Jul 2010
  • Orpingtons and assorted Sheep
Re: making mountains out of molehills
« Reply #33 on: December 31, 2010, 07:27:21 pm »
Just been out in the woods with the dogs and spotted this whopper - I reckon it was 2 and a half feet across and about afoot and a half high.  I was amazed at the number of molehills along the track, never saw any in the summer.
Thats the size of the ones in our paddock ::) ::) The first one I thought i'd just kick it flat - OOWWWwwww OUCH!!!! it was frozen the jarring went right up to my neck :o :o. Since the thaw I've raked them all out - certainly got me warm.   So am reading this thread with interest - seems the best thing and quickest is to 'get a man in' as soon as the 'new years day' weekend is over I shall be ringing the local 'mole man'.
You are never to old to learn something new

doganjo

  • Joined Aug 2012
  • Clackmannanshire
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Re: making mountains out of molehills
« Reply #34 on: December 31, 2010, 09:08:00 pm »
Don't rake the mole hills flat - the earth has been superbly tilled and is ideal for potting on - plant pots, hanging baskets etc.
Always have been, always will be, a WYSIWYG - black is black, white is white - no grey in my life! But I'm mellowing in my old age

garden cottage

  • Joined Sep 2008
  • forest of dean
Re: making mountains out of molehills
« Reply #35 on: January 02, 2011, 07:34:17 am »
weve had very mixed success failure with trapping its a real art, as said before soak traps in muck water mix to rid of scent and only use old gloves to set. you can find mole runs easily using an old piece of 15mm copper water pipe by pushing into the ground it will suddenly drop in easily when a tunnel is found. clear away all mole hill soil either use it later for potting or putting back into lawn at later date as you will gets dips in it. moles hate draughts when you clear the spoil away open up the hole so the wind blows across it, moley will come back down this run to seal it up so set a trap in it. Ive used spring traps and barrel traps, spring traps are easy to set but you may need to move the trigger ring one way or the other and experiment with it, i found small moles almost impossible to catch with these but had great success with adults. barrel traps are prob best though fiddly to set, if no success within 2-3 days move your traps, the reason we dont get much activity in the summer is they hate the vibration of the ride on mower and tend to go back into the paddock away from lawn. even a small area can hold large numbers of moles dont assume its 1 or 2. If its bad infestation i would invest in at least 6 traps. best of luck nothing will try your patience more than moles....................neil

dyedinthewool

  • Joined Jul 2010
  • Orpingtons and assorted Sheep
Re: making mountains out of molehills
« Reply #36 on: January 02, 2011, 09:10:00 pm »
Don't rake the mole hills flat - the earth has been superbly tilled and is ideal for potting on - plant pots, hanging baskets etc.
If I kept it all I could start a potting compost business ;D ;D and there would be no soil left in the paddock.

Interesting about moles not like draughts - garden cottage- i'll make sure I expose the hole - thinks I've located someone who will lend me some traps -so will have a go with them - had a further 8 hills to flatten since yesterday - not all in one paddock or together so presume atleast 3 moles...or it's a very speedy gonzales mole ;D ;D
You are never to old to learn something new

oaklandspigs

  • Joined Nov 2009
  • East Sussex
    • OaklandsPigs
Re: making mountains out of molehills
« Reply #37 on: January 04, 2011, 06:21:14 pm »
Don't rake the mole hills flat - the earth has been superbly tilled and is ideal for potting on - plant pots, hanging baskets etc.
We use ours for tomatoes in buckets
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BTMR

  • Joined Feb 2011
  • All over the UK
  • British Traditional Molecatchers Register
    • British Traditional Molecatchers Register
Re: making mountains out of molehills
« Reply #38 on: February 24, 2011, 10:37:46 am »
Hello and good morning,

As this thread is also about Moles and catching them wethougth it may be useful to you if we repeated here an entry we made in another thread recently......

"After the very cold weather and the quick thaw at the start of this year we have been stunned over the last month or so with number of enquiries about moles and molehills.
 
We noticed that this forum thread is asking about catching moles and setting traps as well - we thought you may like to know of our website which helps those with a Mole problem in paddock, field, garden or smallholding to find a TRADITIONAL Molecatcher in their area.    -    Not always easy these days.

www.britishmolecatchers.co.uk

The website contains much background information on Moles and Molecatchers and also details of our Training courses.

There is no charge for using our website and finding a Traditional Molecatcher in your area is easy.   You can, however, be sure that any Molecatcher that is on our register will use only Traditional methods of Molecatching. Any arrangements you come to with them is obviously something you have to discuss directly with that Molecatcher."

Hope this information will be helpful.
Kind regards
BTMR

You will be amused that our motto is "We don't make a Mountain out of a Molehill" as per the title of this thread !!

 
 
www.britishmolecatchers.co.uk
A great place to find a Traditional Mole Catcher in your area.
Traditional Molecatchers are becoming a rare breed themselves these days!!
"We don’t make a Mountain out of a Molehill !!"

Buffy the eggs layer

  • Joined Jun 2010
Re: making mountains out of molehills
« Reply #39 on: February 25, 2011, 11:32:52 am »
Hi BTRM,

       thanks for the information. I will look at the site. Despite my ambition to learn how to trap moles when I started this thread I have been unsuccessful. eventually the combided damage caused by rabbits, moles and pidgions was devastating and I had to call a pest controler in. As I am out at work then he sets his traps I have yet to learn the tricks of the trade so perhaps your site will help.

Buffy

 

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