Moles

[slowworm]

Point 1 and 3 are related, mole hills are the spoil from mole tunnels. Moles can also create very shallow tunnels and even come out in the open, I think males will do this to find a female.

 

[TeeDee]

Point 1 and 3 are related, mole hills are the spoil from mole tunnels. Moles can also create very shallow tunnels and even come out in the open, I think males will do this to find a female.

But from what I've seen on my own ground there doesn't appear to that much in the way of spoils in a Mole Hill to suggest a Tunnel of any decent size?

Which I why I'm wondering how long a typical (?) mole hill section of Tunnel is.
In my mind It seems the physics of the excavation doesn't seem to work out in comparison to the limited amount of Mole Hills I see.

 

[Broch]

I suggest you read Duncton Wood; then you'll be an expert

 

[slowworm]

I gather they have a mix of tunnels, a permanent network of 100s m that can last years and used by generations of moles and temporary feeding tunnels. If they're repairing the permanent tunnel they may just be small amounts of spoil.

 

[slowworm]

This thread does lead me on to a bit of a related rant.

I'm sure the BBC has produced some decent mole programmes and it's a shame they're not available on iPlayer.

I really think the Beeb should produce more programmes about UK wildlife rather than flying all over the world - we have so much interesting wildlife and it might help the general public appreciate it more.

 

[Scots_Charles_River]

An outdoor centre I worked at had a gardener who used to tell me to get kids to play football on any lawn with molehills. He reckoned the running about and bouncing balls scared them off.

 

[Silverclaws2]

Maybe there's some advice to be had here, or at least not what to do ;

 

[Silverclaws2]

An outdoor centre I worked at had a gardener who used to tell me to get kids to play football on any lawn with molehills. He reckoned the running about and bouncing balls scared them off.

An old gardener I used to know that worked out on an estate in Shropshire had some kind of mini spring operated bear trap for moles, to say one didn't need to kill them all, just a few and leave the bodies in the tunnels to sort of persuade other moles here was not a good place to be.

 

[C_Claycomb]

My grandfather, in rural Kentucky, used to have problems with moles in one part of his yard and crayfish in another. If you think mole hills are bad, try crawdad towers!

Anyway, I have a very Elmer Fudd memory of my grandfather, in his eternal war against the moles, shooting into mole hills with his .22 rimfire!!! Don't think it was terribly effective, but it did seem to make him feel better

 

[oldtimer]

This thread prompted me to look out onto the water meadow which adjoins our cottage. There is a plentiful number of mole hills today. This intrigues me, as the water meadow was flooded for long periods over this winter. Although there was some evidence of moles retreating to higher ground, most of them must surely have been drowned. Yet, on today's evidence, the local population is thriving again.

The meadow was put to sheep grazing for a couple of weeks last month and I noticed no signs of moles while they were in residence. I wonder if this is significant?

 

[Broch]

The local farmers attack moles with a vengeance because they claim the mole hills bring Listeria to the surface that will affect the cattle. I actually think this is a story put out by the pest control business to increase their income. They used to hang the dead moles on the barb wire fences; I've no idea why - just to show off their mole-catching prowess I suspect.

 

[C_Claycomb]

Moles are good swimmers.

 

[TeeDee]

My grandfather, in rural Kentucky, used to have problems with moles in one part of his yard and crayfish in another. If you think mole hills are bad, try crawdad towers!

Anyway, I have a very Elmer Fudd memory of my grandfather, in his eternal war against the moles, shooting into mole hills with his .22 rimfire!!! Don't think it was terribly effective, but it did seem to make him feel better
View attachment 65769

Crawdad tower???

 

[DaveAC]

The local farmers attack moles with a vengeance because they claim the mole hills bring Listeria to the surface that will affect the cattle. I actually think this is a story put out by the pest control business to increase their income. They used to hang the dead moles on the barb wire fences; I've no idea why - just to show off their mole-catching prowess I suspect.

Used to be called a game keeper's gibbet. It was a way of showing the landowner that you were doing your job properly.
Cheers
Dave

Sent from my FIG-LX1 using Tapatalk

 

[C_Claycomb]

Crawdad tower???

Crayfish = crawfish = crawdad...American slang. Towers can be 20cm tall and bake hard in the sun. They just need damp ground near water.

 

[TeeDee]

Crayfish = crawfish = crawdad...American slang. Towers can be 20cm tall and bake hard in the sun. They just need damp ground near water.

And these are made by Crayfish ? What do they do with the towers?

 

[C_Claycomb]

Live in them, or rather in the tunnel below them. Look up crayfish burrows.
crawfish mud towers by Shelby Townsend, on Flickr

 

[TeeDee]

Live in them, or rather in the tunnel below them. Look up crayfish burrows.
crawfish mud towers by Shelby Townsend, on Flickr

Moles need to pick up some structural tips and engineering schematics from these Crustacean types.

Underground amateurs!!!

 

[baggins]

Teedee, know anyone with ferrets? putting ferret droppings into a couple of holes and they then go and bother your neighbours instead.

 

[TeeDee]

Teedee, know anyone with ferrets? putting ferret droppings into a couple of holes and they then go and bother your neighbours instead.

Cheers Baggins. I will give that a Go.