Moles!!!!!!!!!

setterlover

setterlover

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Anyone else got a problem .
We have always had the odd few mole hills but this year we have area of mole hills in each field .
Not huge areas but patches in each field and very very unsightly.it will result in mounds making haylege making difficult.
I don't particularly want to get the mole catcher in as my dogs run loose in the fields and would dig (potential getting injured.)
I read somewhere that harrowing the areas help .
Once I can get on the land I can try that but not possible at the moment plus I have the most horrendous head cold so don't feel up to it.
Really fed up with it.
 
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Yep, they've taken over here. Like you usually only have a few which I don't bother with but this time they are everywhere . Had traps down in empty paddocks and caught 6 so far but my 6 acre winter grazing/hay field is covered and can't put traps as ponies would just set them off. Plan is to hopefully harrow in spring (when I will have moved ponies ) , if it ever dries out and then attack where they are active then.
 
Miss_Millie said:
Moles are actually good for the soil, they help to aerate it - I'm grateful for them on my heavy clay. I just kick the soil over the land or use a garden rake to spread it evenly over the grass.

These little creatures have to live somewhere.
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I am happy to live and let live if there are just a few, but to give you an idea, I raked the hills flat in a corner of a one acre paddock, the soil covers all the grass ! Plus with frosty ground, frozen mole hills could be lethal to the 2 geriatric ponies in the field, serious trip hazard.
 
I am perfectly happy to accommodate a few but this year is ridiculous.Far too many to kick over and will cause big soil bumps in the field we cut for haylege which makes a BIG risk of soil getting into the haylege when it is cut with the risk of botulinum for the horses .
Once I feel well enough I will get the harrow out but this heavy cold has really laid me low ,( and hubby is worse)It exhausts me just doing the basics of horse care at present.
It always seems to be something with horse and land management!! 😞 😞
 
Yes they started in the back garden and then to the front and now making their way across the field! Cats spent hours sat watching for them but didn't manage to catch any!
 
setterlover said:
I am perfectly happy to accommodate a few but this year is ridiculous.😞
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Yes!! I'm so glad I'm not the only one. The horses' 7 acres is one third mole hills, and the top half acre of our sheep paddock is worse. Normally I'm grateful for the soil turnover but there'll be no grass left for the sheep if they keep going at this rate.
 
MurphysMinder said:
I am happy to live and let live if there are just a few, but to give you an idea, I raked the hills flat in a corner of a one acre paddock, the soil covers all the grass ! Plus with frosty ground, frozen mole hills could be lethal to the 2 geriatric ponies in the field, serious trip hazard.
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King William’s horse fell thru a mole hill and broke the monarch’s neck....toast the little gentleman in black velvet.....
Apocryphal maybe, but livestock can break their own legs when tunnels give way. If your field is for haylage or silage, mole hills in the swath risk contamination with botulism, which is usually fatal.
 
setterlover said:
I am perfectly happy to accommodate a few but this year is ridiculous.Far too many to kick over and will cause big soil bumps in the field we cut for haylege which makes a BIG risk of soil getting into the haylege when it is cut with the risk of botulinum for the horses .
Once I feel well enough I will get the harrow out but this heavy cold has really laid me low ,( and hubby is worse)It exhausts me just doing the basics of horse care at present.
It always seems to be something with horse and land management!! 😞 😞
Click to expand...
Between harrowing and cropping, plenty of opportunity for more mole activity. Adjust the mower higher, taking less actual swath into the bales, botulism not worth the risk.
 
One of my neighbours soaks spent teabags in creosote and puts them down the holes. I'm told it makes them clear out as they don't like the smell. Never done it myself to know if it works but sounds a cheap trial if nothing else.
 
Exasperated said:
Between harrowing and cropping, plenty of opportunity for more mole activity. Adjust the mower higher, taking less actual swath into the bales, botulism not worth the risk.
Click to expand...
I was actually planning to harrow that area multiple times probably every couple of days for a few weeks. Will roll after the first harrow to flatten it down a bit as well.
We generally mow high when we cut haylege anyway as it's for our own use so not looking to make masses to sell.
 
I've neer seen anything like the mole activity i've got this year , it's unbelievable, and whilst I don't mind a certain amount i've kicked over approx 50 today in one small paddock and have counted 30+ just around the house. I don't even want to walk the rest of the land as It will just pee me off even more.They are everywhere. It looks like a sodding war zone, and as adorable as they are , If I don't get rid of some i'll have no grass or garden left at this rate:mad:
 
When i was a wee kid, we had lots of moles in our rural garden, which the adults decided needed gassing-out with jeyes fluid.
Considering the fact that i recall spending most of my childhood sifting through the hills to find the holes, the j. Fluid method evidently didnt work a jot!
As an adult now, i cant believe such a method was used, but folk try anything, regardless of ecological consequences.

We had a siamese that was a good hunter of them, the other breed cats never caught one.

Dont they say if you have moles you have good soil?

I can understand how annoying they’d be in a paddock and have no idea how to prevent them. Would some type of audio electrical signal work, similar to what’s used to scare-off rats and mice…i’ve no idea if that would work for moles. They dont work for deer, despite advertising. The deer get used to them. But moles being blind, might react moreso to high-pitch frequencies?
Although bass frequencies can travel through dense materials, fast-wave high frequencies might be blocked by the insulating soil density. It’s worth researching.

As suggested, set mower/rake/tedder height to well above mole hill height would be necessary to not get soil in haylage. Not much loss, the gain would be a faster regenerating swath if it’s not cut down below the first node.
Although, depending on severity of mole hill numbers, if the crop is laying on tilled loose mole-hill soil, it’s got the potential to pick up dirt from those, especially if there’s rain before cutting the crop.
If they’re that severe, and you get a good hay-making window, you might be best to choose to make hay, than haylage. Safer forage choice if loose dirt on crop could be an issue.
 
To everyone merrily trapping and killing moles - do you support trapping and killing foxes & wolves?

Because moles are essentially the wolves & foxes of the soil ecosystems.

Like foxes they are territorial and move around, so you might have loads today but in a few weeks they will have moved on.

In the age of biodiversity decline that we live in be greatful that something is thriving and doing well!

Live and let live.

As others have mentioned they are an indicator of healthy soils, they help with drainage by aerating your soil.

The the old stories of horses putting their feet down mole holes are utter nonsense, their holes are way too small.
Same for horses falling over them. If that was the case they'd constantly be stacking it in winter in any churned up ground.

As for their mounds they might be a bit unsightly, but as most of you who seem to be having the mole man in or trapping are planning on harrowing in spring leave them be for now and harrow in spring no need to slaughter wildlife to meet your aesthetics.

Once they are no longer freshly created they will start to erode/flattern by themselves very quickly, and come spring you won't have much to harrow.

Horses will also knock them flat if turned out, any that arent provide vital habitat to various insects who's young spend some of their life in the soil.

Oh and there is no such thing as humane trapping. Moles need to eat and move almost constantly to suppor their metabolism. Being caught in a non-leathal trap if not checked frequently is a slow death sentence

The lethal mole traps are THE most barbaric traps I've ever had to review for work.

There are audio-deterrents that are used round archaeological sites where moles could potentially damage important remains.

They are moderately effective, but the only vaguely humane option.
 
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On soil in hay & haylage, yes soil is a risk because it can introduce bacteria, which may (but not definitely, and not always) cause issues.

Greater risk in haylage as it'd made wetter and wrapped so soil likely to stick.

Much lower risk in hay as its made drier and turned so often that the soil will fall out (heavier than grass, even dry) before bailing.

But if you harrow in spring to get rid of current molehills you are unlikely to have as any issues from current mole hills as they will probably have moved on. If nothing else leave them be for now and see what the situation is in a month or so nearer the time you will harrow.
 
Widgeon said:
Yes!! I'm so glad I'm not the only one. The horses' 7 acres is one third mole hills, and the top half acre of our sheep paddock is worse. Normally I'm grateful for the soil turnover but there'll be no grass left for the sheep if they keep going at this rate.
Click to expand...
It's the middle of winter there isn't much grass anywhere. Come spring it will all grow over.
 
Exasperated said:
King William’s horse fell thru a mole hill and broke the monarch’s neck....toast the little gentleman in black velvet.....
Apocryphal maybe, but livestock can break their own legs when tunnels give way. If your field is for haylage or silage, mole hills in the swath risk contamination with botulism, which is usually fatal.
Click to expand...
The stories or horses putting their legs down holes are utter nonsense. Moles are tiny things! There is no way anything other than a new born foal is putting its foot down a mole hole. And them its fairly unlikely as they don't leave networks of hollow tunnels, they tend to backfill behind themselves to and extent with only a fraction of the soil they move being shoved up into molehills.

Hoof down a rabbit hole maybe.
 
YourValentine said:
The stories or horses putting their legs down holes are utter nonsense. Moles are tiny things! There is no way anything other than a new born foal is putting its foot down a mole hole. And them its fairly unlikely as they don't leave networks of hollow tunnels, they tend to backfill behind themselves to and extent with only a fraction of the soil they move being shoved up into molehills.

Hoof down a rabbit hole maybe.
Click to expand...
Not utter nonsense, I had a Shetland break it's leg in a mole run that collapsed. My late mother and I saw it happen and have waged war since.
I've seen the tunnels collapse in the more wet areas, ones that were tunneled through months earlier in better weather.

As to the 'they then move on', I had a mole free year in 22 for 13 months, the 1st in owning my yard since the 70s, please explain why year in and year out that I have them, this year more than ever.
 
Miss_Millie said:
Moles are actually good for the soil, they help to aerate it - I'm grateful for them on my heavy clay. I just kick the soil over the land or use a garden rake to spread it evenly over the grass.

These little creatures have to live somewhere.
Click to expand...
Yes, but in mowing grass molehills can result in botulism in the hay so in that situation they really do need to be dealt with. Natural predators are very unlikely to reliably deal with all the moles in mowing grass so what do you do then? Moles are excellent but not in excess or in some places.
 
YourValentine said:
To everyone merrily trapping and killing moles - do you support trapping and killing foxes & wolves?

Because moles are essentially the wolves & foxes of the soil ecosystems.

Like foxes they are territorial and move around, so you might have loads today but in a few weeks they will have moved on.

In the age of biodiversity decline that we live in be greatful that something is thriving and doing well!

Live and let live.

As others have mentioned they are an indicator of healthy soils, they help with drainage by aerating your soil.

The the old stories of horses putting their feet down mole holes are utter nonsense, their holes are way too small.
Same for horses falling over them. If that was the case they'd constantly be stacking it in winter in any churned up ground.

As for their mounds they might be a bit unsightly, but as most of you who seem to be having the mole man in or trapping are planning on harrowing in spring leave them be for now and harrow in spring no need to slaughter wildlife to meet your aesthetics.

Once they are no longer freshly created they will start to erode/flattern by themselves very quickly, and come spring you won't have much to harrow.

Horses will also knock them flat if turned out, any that arent provide vital habitat to various insects who's young spend some of their life in the soil.

Oh and there is no such thing as humane trapping. Moles need to eat and move almost constantly to suppor their metabolism. Being caught in a non-leathal trap if not checked frequently is a slow death sentence

The lethal mole traps are THE most barbaric traps I've ever had to review for work.

There are audio-deterrents that are used round archaeological sites where moles could potentially damage important remains.

They are moderately effective, but the only vaguely humane option.
Click to expand...
Come and stay for a few days, love, bit of hands-on experience and observation, you need educating.
 
The Fuzzy Furry said:
Not utter nonsense, I had a Shetland break it's leg in a mole run that collapsed. My late mother and I saw it happen and have waged war since.
I've seen the tunnels collapse in the more wet areas, ones that were tunneled through months earlier in better weather.

As to the 'they then move on', I had a mole free year in 22 for 13 months, the 1st in owning my yard since the 70s, please explain why year in and year out that I have them, this year more than ever.
Click to expand...
Oh it certainly happens, not personally lost a horse to moles, but some calves over the years.
As for the ‘moving on’, perhaps mole’s friends and relations are perpetually following him around?
 
The two fields that are made for haylege one of which I am currently using as winter grazing ( will be off 1st March) have 1 distinct area each of mole hills I will harrow thoroughly several times and then if needed will rope those areas off when cutting the haylege and it does have to be haylege not hay as the my 26 year old Arab has COPD and cannot tolerate hay at all .We make the haylege very dry almost like wrapped hay and he eats that with absolutely no coughing .
 
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PurBee said:
When i was a wee kid, we had lots of moles in our rural garden, which the adults decided needed gassing-out with jeyes fluid.
Considering the fact that i recall spending most of my childhood sifting through the hills to find the holes, the j. Fluid method evidently didnt work a jot!
As an adult now, i cant believe such a method was used, but folk try anything, regardless of ecological consequences.

We had a siamese that was a good hunter of them, the other breed cats never caught one.

Dont they say if you have moles you have good soil?

I can understand how annoying they’d be in a paddock and have no idea how to prevent them. Would some type of audio electrical signal work, similar to what’s used to scare-off rats and mice…i’ve no idea if that would work for moles. They dont work for deer, despite advertising. The deer get used to them. But moles being blind, might react moreso to high-pitch frequencies?
Although bass frequencies can travel through dense materials, fast-wave high frequencies might be blocked by the insulating soil density. It’s worth researching.

As suggested, set mower/rake/tedder height to well above mole hill height would be necessary to not get soil in haylage. Not much loss, the gain would be a faster regenerating swath if it’s not cut down below the first node.
Although, depending on severity of mole hill numbers, if the crop is laying on tilled loose mole-hill soil, it’s got the potential to pick up dirt from those, especially if there’s rain before cutting the crop.
If they’re that severe, and you get a good hay-making window, you might be best to choose to make hay, than haylage. Safer forage choice if loose dirt on crop could be an issue.
Click to expand...
Back in the nineties, I used to go to the main chemists with the Licence, and sign the official Poisons Register for strychnine.
My money on a cracking good cat, today.
 
I also have a surfeit of moles this winter. I generally live and let live, but have just had a couple of moles trapped in the garden. They bring up so many stones and and although we don’t have a posh velvety lawn, you couldn’t just rake it and leave it, it would be horrendous. To look at, to walk on, muddy, messy and stony for the mower. We have stony ground, so when it dries up the moles usually make themselves scarce. I just harrow in the field. But they have gone crazy in the garden this year.
In previous years I had some success with cutting large leafy sprays of bay tree, and shoving them down the holes. You have to do every molehill. You have to repeat it a couple of times, but it does get rid of them. This year I had too many molehills to tackle by this more humane method.
 
yes we’ve got some traps on the lawn at the moment because they seem to have reappeared. I’ve noticed whilst out driving there seems to be a problem in quite a lot of fields close by - more than I’ve ever noticed before. My dogs look for them in the fields and actually caught a baby one yesterday in the horse field!
 
I find it interesting those afflicted have said this year is worse than ever. Nature responds to environmental/weather conditions we humans aren’t necessarily aware of. Makes me wonder what the spring/summer season is going to be like if this winters mole activity is frantic.
Miss those old farmers almanacs!
 
I had a Burmese cat that was a manic mole catcher she regularly brought in dead moles she had caught she would catch every few days until there was no evidence of moles on any of our fields ( she caught a pure white albino mole!)
She lived to 23 and was mole catching into her late teens.
Sadly the 3 feral I have now are brilliant catching any rodents as well as magpies crows and rabbits but never a mole.
 
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