General Chat

Nope, no moles in Ireland!.

Chris... I thought there were no snakes in Ireland... not moles ;) lol Actually... seriously - are there no moles in Ireland?

Ah ha, I knew that if I waited long enough this tip would be usefull to someone........ I read this about 10 years ago in a magazine. A lady had this tip.......Electronic greetings cards, you know the annoying ones you open up and they play tunes etc.......all you need to do is use these little devices (Cut to size and place inside a plastic bag or bottle so they dont get wet ) and put them in the mole holes, its something to do with the vibrations that drive the little pests away............There you go, usless information that may be usefull to somebody!!! Good Luck Rosi

After reading the response from Bill, the moth balls might not have done it, we have a family of weasels in the garden. Jo

I had to find this and add a little something (again)... I know it is a bit funny (sorry, Kaye... but it really is - especially the way you write about it), and I know moles are portrayed as cutsie little critters in cartoons and suchlike... but the truth is a bit more sinister. Moe hills aren't a problem - they look unsightly, but they aren't dangerous... the tunnels, however, can be extremely dangerous. Moles can shift their own bodyweight of earth every minute! Think of alls those tunnels under the ground... and although a sunken garden ain't pretty, disturbing house foundations is a danger. There are more moles in britain today than ever before... the mild weather, and mad-cow-disease have had a profound effect on the population of the mole.... and it is rumoured to be getting worse. Moles are quite dangerous creatures... corner one (if you can) and see its reaction. The only known natural danger to a mole is the weasel/stoat - but from what I have read, it isn't something anyone likes to do (shoving a stoat down a mole-tunnel), as it can be quite horrific to see and hear. I (like Kaye) am NOT advocating killing the mole in her garden - I'd probably try to make it move to next door (lol)... but with the mole-population increasing, its quite likely that the minute she removes her mole, another will come into her garden, unless she can protect her garden immediately from another intruder. Piddling near the entrance of the tunnel is a good idea (seriously... best anti-mole device there is apparently).... and then sealing the entrances, caving them in - but this can't be done unless the mole is sure to be away safely. It's a hard decision for anyone to make. And for anyone who still thinks moles are cuddly and cute... read Duncton Wood. :) Okay, so I did read Duncton Wood and still think (some) moles are cute... but only cos they aren't in my garden (I hope).

Make sure you have caper spurge growing in your garden.It keeps ours away.Before our caper spurge took we had a session of the whole family stamping in the garden.The mole left and came up in the beautifully manicured lawn of the cottage two doors up,whoops.

Pop him in the post and send him to me, I promise I will give him a good home!! Please dont hurt the poor little mole! :o( Maz x

kaye, Get a mole chaser windmill. Moles are very sensitive to sounds and the vibrations of the windmill keep them away. Don't use mothballs. They are highly toxic to animals, the environment and the water supply. Crista

Kaye... wwhat area do you live in... the vegan society lists many 'mole catchers'. I can check to see if there are any in your locality if you like? Scrap that... no mole catchers. Looking at other pestsBUT... vegan society suggests: The Natural Collection sell a Natural Mole Repellent made from essential oils and vegetable oils - it doesn't do them any harm, they just don't like the smell so they leave. Available from www.naturalcollection(.)com tel: 01225 404010 The HDRA have a whole range of suggested deterrents - some more strange than others )e.g marking the garden as your territory... the same way dogs do... see what I mean?) Anyways... HDRA website (mole page) here: http://www.hdra(.)org(.)uk/factsheets/pc5.htm remove ()

From the RHS: Control Several steps can be taken to control moles or encourage them to move elsewhere: Mole traps are inexpensive and available from garden centres and hardware stores. They are humane but need careful placement in a tunnel, but not directly under a molehill. The secret is to open up a tunnel with the minimum of disturbance and align the trap with the direction and depth of the tunnel. No bait is required. Handle the trap with gloves as moles are sensitive to human scent. Once the trap is set, gently cover it with an upturned bucket to exclude light and draughts. Check the trap daily. With a bit of luck, the mole will be caught but sometimes the mole pushes soil into the trap. If this happens, clear the tunnel of soil and reset the trap. If this continues to occur, reset the trap in a different part of the tunnel system. Vacant tunnel systems may be taken over by another mole from nearby areas so further trapping may be needed to keep a garden mole free. Electronic devices are more costly and available from garden centres and mail order firms. Their buzzing noise is said to drive the mole away; however it may only be to another part of the garden. Caper spurge, the biennial Euphorbia lathyris, has its adherents who claim the root exudates repel moles. It is worth a try, but remove most of the flower heads before seeding occurs or a weed problem may result. Mole smokes are no longer on sale to amateur gardeners. Professional contractors can be employed to use pellets that emit toxic gases into the tunnel system. This can be effective but freedom from moles may not last long if there are other infested areas nearby from which moles can soon recolonise the garden.

Marion - They're a complete waste of money. We've already got one and the mole digs along next to it - it doesn't bother him in the slightest! We're going to try the Hose Pipe again this weekend and if that doesn't work we will try some of the other suggestions made here. Thanks anyway. Kaye x

Here you go, what about this.... http://www(.)primroselondon(.)co(.)uk/index(.)php?p=sp0016&r=GOOG if that doesn't work, just tell it to 'BOGOFF' he is not welcome! Marion

Hi Ann (Honey Rum) - yes we did try that by using a hose to flush it out, but it didn't surface - and they are so quick aren't they. The trouble is he was at the back of our garden which backs onto woodland, so he just legged it off down one of the tunnels into the woods! We will try this method again, as I know some people have managed it, and I promise that if we do catch him we will let him have his freedom - we will only kill it if everything else fails. Thanks Kaye x

Have you tried catching it and when caught... put it in a box and take it to the countryside and set it free!!! We did with one we had and never got anymore! Must have told all it's mates that they weren't welcome here!! lol Anne :))

I would just like to say that I am very sorry if I have upset anyone - I know it seems cruel to want to kill the mole, but when it's been tearing up your beautiful garden that you have only recently spent thousand of pounds getting decent, then it becomes a different matter!! I didn't want to kill it to begin with and wouldn't let my Husband use a trap that would kill it, but the Humane methods just haven't worked so far. I will try all the Humane methods suggested here before I try out the non Humane ones - I really would prefer it if he just decided it wasn't worth sticking around anymore. As someone else pointed out - we have this cute, cuddly image of them when they are infact quite vicious. You only get one mole in your garden at a time because they are so territorial and will fight another to the death, they have huge sharp claws and sharp teeth and if you picked one up without protective gloves it would have your fingers off! I have read stories of moles undermining foundations of walls and patios, not just messing up gardens - this is dangerous, not to mention expensive. He has to go. I will keep you updated and let you know what works. Thanks for all the suggestions - I'm going to have a busy weekend. Kaye x

You get a lot of little signs made written in Mole' ese saying 'GO HOME, MOLEY' Bob

Cilla, it is a coloured plastic stick, with something plastic on the top of it, sometimes a big smiley flower. I really am not very good at explaining things, sorry! (doh, why I called it a windmill I don't know!) anyway, having this one in the garden kept the moles from disrupting the garden, so hope it will work for others. :-) Joy

Can someone please explain the windmill thingy as I am thinking all sorts of things. We don't have moles over but I do know that than can cause havoc to your garden so please don't send tham over here like you did the convicts we can do without them Thank you.LOL Love Cilla.

hi my names linda and only just seen yr plea for help my hubby says if you know anyone with a ferrett then if you put it down the hole the ferrett will get it and hopefully problem solved anyway please let us know if it works bye for now linda xxxxx

Hi Jo Jo - I think I've heard that somewhere before, but didn't really think it would work. I will give it a try. I hope I haven't got a mole liike Jasper Carrott had - he tried Garlic and the Mole just ate it and carried on as normal! I would just like to add, before I upset someone, that I never wanted to kill the Mole - not initially - I'm actually very pro Animal Rights and would never condone cruelty. However, this Mole has taken things too far - we've tried the humane methods, but he just won't go - No more Mister Nice Guy from now on! Kaye x