I have always trapped moles, but recently I came across an advert for a
solar powered electronic repeller that "taps" the ground periodically at
a sub soil level. I am very skeptical about there potential efficacy,
but am open to persuasion to part with cash if the things work... Anyone
got any experience of them please? The moles here in north Shropshire
seem to be working overtime at the moment and are a challenge to
eradicate off our lawn.


--
Best regards,
Chris.

".............The moles here in north Shropshire seem to be working overtime
at the moment and are a challenge to eradicate off our lawn.
..............."

This Autumn, between the moles and the foxes looking for the moles they have
totally demolished what was my lawn.
So much for nice fury animals.


--
David Hill
Abacus nurseries
www.abacus-nurseries.co.uk
***2004 catalogue now available***

I have a battery operated one that works very well. Takes 4 "D" cells. Just
push it into to soil and leave it there and you can just barely hear an
irritating noise if you listen carefully and it does cause the moles to move
away--maybe to the neighbours lawn.

Try GOOGLE for "Molechaser"

"Chris Wilson" wrote in message
...
I have always trapped moles, but recently I came across an advert for a
solar powered electronic repeller that "taps" the ground periodically at
a sub soil level. I am very skeptical about there potential efficacy,
but am open to persuasion to part with cash if the things work... Anyone
got any experience of them please? The moles here in north Shropshire
seem to be working overtime at the moment and are a challenge to
eradicate off our lawn.


--
Best regards,
Chris.

It wasn't till I got mine home and opened the pack that I read that it
doesn't work so well on sandy soils - apparently clay is best. And it
doesn't do a large area - seems to be less than 10m or so radius of the
thing on my sandy loam.

I was pleased not to have the lawn trashed this autumn by badgers but the
number of moles are making up for it. Every where I tread I seem to sink
several inches. The tunnels seem more like huge rooms than corridoors. I've
given up with humane traps, and the smell deterrent just moves them
elsewhere in the garden. So it's the chopper for the sweet furry pests. But
I've only caught one so far. Has anyone suggestions for how best to use the
traps please?

Regards
Jay

On Mon, 8 Dec 2003 14:47:15 -0000, "Jay"
wrote:


"Chris Wilson" wrote in message
m...
I have always trapped moles, but recently I came across an advert for a
solar powered electronic repeller that "taps" the ground periodically at
a sub soil level. I am very skeptical about there potential efficacy,
but am open to persuasion to part with cash if the things work... Anyone
got any experience of them please? The moles here in north Shropshire
seem to be working overtime at the moment and are a challenge to
eradicate off our lawn.


--
Best regards,
Chris.

It wasn't till I got mine home and opened the pack that I read that it
doesn't work so well on sandy soils - apparently clay is best. And it
doesn't do a large area - seems to be less than 10m or so radius of the
thing on my sandy loam.

I was pleased not to have the lawn trashed this autumn by badgers but the
number of moles are making up for it. Every where I tread I seem to sink
several inches. The tunnels seem more like huge rooms than corridoors. I've
given up with humane traps, and the smell deterrent just moves them
elsewhere in the garden. So it's the chopper for the sweet furry pests. But
I've only caught one so far. Has anyone suggestions for how best to use the
traps please?

which reminds me of
http://www.private-eye.co.uk/images/cartoons/20.gif
If you are over sensitive don't look
--
Martin

Jay8/12/03 2:47

"Chris Wilson" wrote in message
...
I have always trapped moles, but recently I came across an advert for a
solar powered electronic repeller that "taps" the ground periodically at
a sub soil level. I am very skeptical about there potential efficacy,
but am open to persuasion to part with cash if the things work... Anyone
got any experience of them please? The moles here in north Shropshire
seem to be working overtime at the moment and are a challenge to
eradicate off our lawn.


--
Best regards,
Chris.

It wasn't till I got mine home and opened the pack that I read that it
doesn't work so well on sandy soils - apparently clay is best. And it
doesn't do a large area - seems to be less than 10m or so radius of the
thing on my sandy loam.

I was pleased not to have the lawn trashed this autumn by badgers but the
number of moles are making up for it. Every where I tread I seem to sink
several inches. The tunnels seem more like huge rooms than corridoors. I've
given up with humane traps, and the smell deterrent just moves them
elsewhere in the garden. So it's the chopper for the sweet furry pests. But
I've only caught one so far. Has anyone suggestions for how best to use the
traps please?

Jay, when things get too bad even for traps here, we resort to 'the mole
man'. He puts strychnine worms down the holes and keep us clear for a
while. We're surrounded by fields and our neighbour is the churchyard, so
it sometimes seems as if our garden is a sort of M25 for moles! The strange
thing is that this is badger country, too but although we get the odd one in
the garden, I don't think they've caused any damage that I know of. Perhaps
they get enough from the fields around us.
--

Sacha
(remove the 'x' to email me)

In article ,
(martin) wrote:

I've only caught one so far. Has anyone suggestions for how best to
use the traps please?

I'm sure somebody will be along shortly to suggest your local Mole Hunt.
So much kinder, discrete and colourful :-)

Steve Harris - Cheltenham - Real address steve AT netservs DOT com

The message
from martin contains these words:

I was pleased not to have the lawn trashed this autumn by badgers but the
number of moles are making up for it. Every where I tread I seem to sink
several inches. The tunnels seem more like huge rooms than corridoors. I've
given up with humane traps, and the smell deterrent just moves them
elsewhere in the garden. So it's the chopper for the sweet furry pests. But
I've only caught one so far. Has anyone suggestions for how best to use the
traps please?

Yes.

Get one of those split-cane plant supports and trace where the runs go.
DO NOT put the trap in one of the short branches that go to a molehill,
as moley pushes a pile of earth in front of him and that will set off
the trap before he is in it.

Find a run between branches leading to two molehills and cut a square of
turf just big enough to slide the trap into, right down to the run.

Set the trap with the trigger ring between the jaws and place it in the
hole, carefully filling the top with grass roots etc and covering it
with earth so that no light gets in, but making sure you don't obstruct
the free movement of the 'handles'. (If the run is deep, you may have to
allow for their springing out when you dig the hole.)

If the trap is set in tough ground it is as well to mark its position
with a split cane and a bit of white plastic in the top.

HTH

--
Rusty Hinge http://www.users.zetnet.co.uk/hi-fi/tqt.htm

Dark thoughts about the Wumpus concerto played with piano,
iron bar and two sledge hammers. (Wumpus, 15/11/03)

The message
from Jaques d'Alltrades contains these words:

Get one of those split-cane plant supports and trace where the runs go.
DO NOT put the trap in one of the short branches that go to a molehill,
as moley pushes a pile of earth in front of him and that will set off
the trap before he is in it.

Oops! Don't use it as a divining rod - poke it into the ground and
you'll feel it go through the tunnel and stop at the bottom of it.

Leave the ends squared - don't sharpen it to a point.

--
Rusty Hinge http://www.users.zetnet.co.uk/hi-fi/tqt.htm

Dark thoughts about the Wumpus concerto played with piano,
iron bar and two sledge hammers. (Wumpus, 15/11/03)

"Steve Harris" wrote in message
...
In article ,
(martin) wrote:

I've only caught one so far. Has anyone suggestions for how best to
use the traps please?

I'm sure somebody will be along shortly to suggest your local Mole Hunt.
So much kinder, discrete and colourful :-)

Discreet. Have a look at the dictionary.

Franz

On Mon, 8 Dec 2003 20:41:19 +0000 (UTC), "Franz Heymann"
wrote:


"Steve Harris" wrote in message
...
In article ,
(martin) wrote:

I've only caught one so far. Has anyone suggestions for how best to
use the traps please?

I'm sure somebody will be along shortly to suggest your local Mole Hunt.
So much kinder, discrete and colourful :-)

Discreet. Have a look at the dictionary.

discrete or discreet?

Agent International English accepts both.


Besides you have my OED :-)

ODCE makes the difference clear.
--
Martin

On Mon, 8 Dec 2003 20:41:19 +0000 (UTC), "Franz Heymann"
wrote:


"Steve Harris" wrote in message
...
In article ,
(martin) wrote:

I've only caught one so far. Has anyone suggestions for how best to
use the traps please?

I'm sure somebody will be along shortly to suggest your local Mole Hunt.
So much kinder, discrete and colourful :-)

Discreet. Have a look at the dictionary.

discrete or discreet?

Agent International English accepts both.


Besides you have my OED :-)

ODCE makes the difference clear.
--
Martin

On Mon, 8 Dec 2003 20:41:19 +0000 (UTC), "Franz Heymann"
wrote:


"Steve Harris" wrote in message
...
In article ,
(martin) wrote:

I've only caught one so far. Has anyone suggestions for how best to
use the traps please?

I'm sure somebody will be along shortly to suggest your local Mole Hunt.
So much kinder, discrete and colourful :-)

Discreet. Have a look at the dictionary.

discrete or discreet?

Agent International English accepts both.


Besides you have my OED :-)

ODCE makes the difference clear.
--
Martin

"...........
Find a run between branches leading to two molehills and cut a square of
turf just big enough to slide the trap into, right down to the run.

Set the trap with the trigger ring between the jaws and place it in the
hole, carefully filling the top with grass roots etc and covering it with
earth so that no light gets in, but making sure you don't obstruct the free
movement of the 'handles'. (If the run is deep, you may have to allow for
their springing out when you dig the hole.) .................."

This is good advice, but if you have bought a tunnel trap, which I much
prefer, then you need to set it finely and set it into the run making sure
that you haven't dumped a load of loose soil at each end as you do it.

BUT.. that's the easy part, I always dump new traps into a mud solution for
a couple of weeks to try to get rid of ant oil etc smell from manufacturing
then always leave them outside all the year round.
Never wash your hands with soap/ detergent etc before handling a trap, I
will wash with mud, then crush something like sorrel to get rid of any Human
smell.
If they are working close to the surface then tread down the run where you
want to trap a couple of times so that when you come to set the trap the
soil is firmer and less likely to crumble.
Normally I can trap well, but this summer has been really bad,though I did
get one with a spade, saw the little B****r lifting the soil so very slowly
stalked till I was within spade length then when he lifted slammed the spade
in to the run on the back side and lifted fast, and out he popped. Remember
they can move quite fast and dig very fast.


--
David Hill
Abacus nurseries
www.abacus-nurseries.co.uk
***2004 catalogue now available***