Moles are a pain in the neck. They have the whole of France to dig around in, but no, they HAVE to come and dig under my lawn!
Anyone who has a garden will know what devastation Moles can reek overnight. One minute perfect lawn, next minute The Somme.
Try as one will to remove the mounds of earth, the tell-tale signs remain. And sadly there's only one thing to do; get rid of the little blighters.
I've been wise enough to pack an old-fashioned English Mole Trap amongst my gardening paraphernalia It's wonderfully efficient and painless (so the Moles tell me), and it never fails.
Several years ago we had a Mole flash-mob move into the garden, and I killed 19 in a matter of days. I would have thought they'd take that as a hint.
I do actually like Moles, and I apologise to Mole lovers everywhere; but I wish they'd just go and dig somewhere else.
They have been warned!
They have been warned!
What has to be done has to be done.
ReplyDeleteSadly!
DeleteNo moles here in New Zealand thank goodness.
ReplyDeleteThere is an alternative, and it comes in the form of an absolutely fou-smelling liquid which you drop onto a piece of rag and stuffed down the hole. My father used it in our half acre lawn, and it worked then. Meanwhile, I hope you have skinned the others to make a waistcoat - there is no other fur like it!
ReplyDeleteAnd the fur is always so clean. I wonder how they manage it?
DeleteCro, may I introduce you to Bob and Sophie from another blog I read;
ReplyDeletehttp://bobnsophie.blogspot.co.uk/2013/05/everyone-chases-after-happiness-not.html
If you watch the little video which accompanies the blog, you'll hopefully see their mole hunting potential. That said, you might end up with rather more holes in your lawn that is strictly acceptable! Cute though!
Kate (from kit and kaboodle - blogger won't let me sign in there today!)
Sorry, the link didn't work....let me try once again....
Deletehttp://bobnsophie.blogspot.co.uk/
My two dogs try to dig them up too, but they get a good ticking-off. Mole hills are bad enough; but huge holes are even worse!
DeleteWe get black moles here...very tiny little guys smaller than a mouse. You really don't see those bunkers that yours are throwing up....but when the light is right you can see little trails under the grass where the soil has sunk a but because of their tunnels.
ReplyDeleteI heard that moles really hate euphorbia...I had some planted in my old garden and the moles in the playing field next door left me alone...worth a try maybe? :o)
ReplyDeleteI have quite a few Euphorbia plants around. Maybe French Moles think differently.
DeleteI don't have moles here, but my daughter in California is overrun with them. They are destructive little critters and my vegan daughter who loves her gardens, has no qualms in trying to find ways of disposing of them. So far, the moles are winning.
ReplyDeleteOur moles are much smaller. Perhaps the cats don't let them get to Wind in the Willows size.
ReplyDeleteWe have an ongoing battle with the moles. They even have the audacity to poke through the soil and wave at us as we are mowing the grass. (Him indoors has become quite an adept trapper but clearly some of the moles have been attending trap evasion classes.)
ReplyDeleteAfter you left a comment on my blog about killing moles, I responded by saying how "cute" they are. The only moles I've ever seen are quite small, and have the most adorable little pink feet and squinty eyes. But they do NOT wreak the kind of havoc those beastly bulldozers have been doing in your yard. And to have a whole colony of them yet? I don't blame you for getting rid of them.
ReplyDeleteAs is often said Susan, two nations divided by a common language. Your cute Mole, is my monster.
DeleteWe use a two-pronged attack (no pun intended). We have surrounded the gardens with mole-repellent bulbs, which really do seem to work, and we also have our cat Sparky - she is an amazing mole-catcher.
ReplyDeleteI did find a dead Mole on the lawn recently, and wondered if our Freddie had caught it. He's pretty good with Mice.
DeleteI sympathize Cro. Last summer I panicked when I saw mole hills in the garden of the empty house next door. In panic mode I bought 3 spikes which are battery operated and let out some kind of noise which is supposed to deter moles. I placed them at the perimeter hedge between the houses. So far not one episode and I'm not sure if it's the spikes or if I'm just lucky?
ReplyDeleteI've just had to catch a runaway horse. I'm not too confident around horses, so am pleased the wretched thing has now been taken away by its very pleasant owner. The things we have to do!
ReplyDeleteI hate moles and gophers. We get them a lot. Manual traps are the best way, or so I've found. I actually took a class on how to determine if the mounds were moles, voles, or gophers, and how to dig to set the traps, and stuff the dead critter back into the hole because it deters others. Who knew?
ReplyDeleteOur two large dogs keep the moles at bay here in Illinois but when they do catch one they keep it to knaw on for days. I bury it they dig it up, bury it they dig it up. I burned one and they drug around the burned carcass. Maybe they know something wonderful about mole meat I don't !
ReplyDeleteOoh. God. Wow ... dead moles. They are so exotic to me. I guess it must be like you seeing a murdered kangaroo or koala - kind of disturbing.
ReplyDeleteOur dogs have been killing an armadillo a day here!! They make holes too. I don't know where in the heck all these armadillos are coming from! We have small moles, but with the dogs here, they have moved out. Good luck getting rid of them! Your garden looks so great. A great start. We are still waiting for it to dry enough to till. It is raining today. ugh.
ReplyDeleteI've got the same mole problem. Usually I don't mind as they stay in the flower beds, but one has taken to the lawn and I have tried all the usual humane methods to no avail, so with deep regret I set a trap. However, the clever little fellow keeps digging around it. I seem to have made the damage worse by moving the trap a few times, as now the tunnels spider out around multiple mole hills
ReplyDelete