Talkback: Moles and molehills

Gardeners' World Web User

I sympathise. I have recently been visited by a mole. He surfaced at the edge of my son's 8 foot diameter plastic pool and tunnelled all the way round it! I plan to dig this area over and turn it into a veg/plant bed so maybe he has done me a favour! I have taken the live and let live attititude and he has migrated under the beds along one side of my garden, causing bulges under my gravelled area and in the beds. When I re-levelled this area I was quite impressed at his abilities. He has not ventured out into the lawn, apart from a few short deviations and no hills have appeared. I have put a few mothballs in the tunnels, and I think (fingers crossed!!) that he has moved on to pastures new. I haven't heard my neighbours cursing, so hopefully he has found his way back to the fields at the back of my garden. My only disappointment is that I never witnessed him popping his head out of a hole. The only mole I have ever seen was a dead one on the road. I actively encourage birds and other wildlife into my garden and love to watch them, so I accept I have to take the rough with the smooth. Que sera!!

Gardeners' World Web User

Well, it may not get rid of the moles, but the neighbours will be entertained!

Gardeners' World Web User

A friend's father used to put his dog's 'doings' down mole hills - based on some kind 'fear of larger predator' type theory. Not sure it worked but he was remarkable cheerful while doing it...

Gardeners' World Web User

I have had similar problems. Built our house 19 years ago, surrounded by farmland, but no previous problems with moles. He uddenly appeared in the spring, & made several molehills all around our pond. I kept flattening them only for him to keep renewing them. He is now venturing right across vast areas of the lawn by digging tunnels everywhere. He is lifting the turf but not breaking the surface. I don't mind too much, but one of these days I'm doing to fall into the garden, so will have to keep an eye on things. I haven't tried getting rid of him, as I'm hoping he'll go & join the cattle next door.

Gardeners' World Web User

Having moved in to our house, whichis surrounded by fields, we saw our first mole hill on our rear lawn some 14 years ago and innocently thought how wonderful that we had a mole to add to our wildlife list for the garden! A year or two later I was counting the No. of mole hills just in one area of the back garden and lost count at 75 and I was only 2/3 of the way across. The lawn, was non-existent by the time the moles had finished and looked like the craters on the moon. Finally, after two years we plucked up the courage and we did set traps. We were mole free for a good year, having laid a new turfed lawn, but they have returned, both at the back and front of the property now. It's a difficult decision to make but we will reset the traps, as we have found it the only effective way of dealing with them.

Gardeners' World Web User

You could try loads of rounders, cricket and such on the lawn with the grandkids(if you have them - if not borrow a neghbours). The moles don't like vibration. If there are cattle in the field next to you chances are the moles come into your garden for a quieter life! Good luck!

Gardeners' World Web User

i have also heard that they don't like vibrations and was told that if you stick one of those kids windmills on a stick into the ground it will deter them.

Gardeners' World Web User

We are being plagued with Moles. 3 Sonic repellants have been installed but ignored by molee. I think they soon get used to regular noise or vibrations. Neighbour has even tried burying speakers attached to his radio.Moles also dig around traps we set, so it looks like more drastic action is needed. Pest Controllers quote gassing is the only thing that really works. Obviously an expensive route to take but maybe the only answer.

Gardeners' World Web User

Can someone tell me an environmentally friendly alternative to carbendazim to cure the chocolate spot on my broad beans, please?

Gardeners' World Web User

I too have had moles invading the garden but was pretty impressed with the mothballs idea. They worked. The windmills didnt but the granddaughters loved them. The sonic repellers worked for a short while but now their noise is driving me potty!!!

Gardeners' World Web User

There are methods which I have used to get rid of moles:
1) Putting a hose down the highest molehill and flooding them out.
2) Attaching a hose to the exhaust of your petrol lawnmower and gassing them out
or
3) buying mole smokes ( still legal in France) and popping them down the holes.

I was overrun by moles and used the above solutions and have been mole-free for over 6 years.