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nostrebor_gw

Moles

nostrebor
16 years ago

IâÂÂve use bait, smoke bombs and traps with no success. Just rolled my yard and plan on baiting with Tomcat poison worms when runs appear. If this doesnâÂÂt work, IâÂÂm loading the 12 gauge! Anyone have any other ideas?

Comments (7)

  • Kimmsr
    16 years ago

    You need to understand what that mole is doing and how it lives to control it. Most often any yard less than 1/4 acre will only have 1 mole, not many moles, and moles eat insects, primarily earthworms but also many other insects. That means the better your soil is, ie. the more earthworms you have, the more mole activity you will have. None of the common control measures used have been found to be effective, except traps and as soon as you trap 1 mole another will move into the vacancy. Research done at Michigan State University found that applications of 1 pint of castor oil mixed in a 1 quart hose end applicator with enough water to fill that and sprayed over 2,500 square feet, no more than that, will deter the mole for about 6 to 8 weeks after which another application is necessary although if done soon enough all that needs to be sprayed is the edges.
    Beyond that learn to live with the wee buggers.

  • shubbach
    16 years ago

    This is what I posted on another question about how to get rid of them.
    =====================================
    Okay, we catch these buggers all the time....last year we got 14 of them!
    And here is the trap that works! it is worth every penny! We have a fleet of 3 we use. Often times we usually catch them within an hour! How is that for fast! I have even given them as gifts for my friends who have bad vole and shrew problems.

    http://www.gemplers.com/product/RMEL/Mole-Eliminator-Trap

    How to use it:
    Okay so you have Moles, Voles, or Shrews...
    These little guys have main tunnels, they are usually straight with their "feeding tunnels" breaking off of them.

    You simply set them on the straightest tunnel you can find, straddling the tunnel..there is instructions with them. Set it and when it has been triggered it pops up so you can tell right away that it is sprung.

    Note: These traps are supper strong and you have to step on them to set them. To unset I step on them again and rock back and forth until you feel it release.

    To remove the mole, vole or shrew: you may need help squeezing the trap open enough to get the little bugger out. If you don't have a lot of hand strength (ie: ladies that means us) you may need another person to help get it open.

    For those who are squeemish: No worries!!! this trap DOES NOT cause any blood but kills them effectively, there will be no survivors in this trap. At least I haven't had one

  • Kimmsr
    16 years ago

    Those traps kill the moles as they catch them which leaves a vacancy for another on to move into which is why many people trap many, like the 14 mentioned above, moles each year. Has anyone that traps moles actually seen a reduction in numbers ? I know people that trap between 10 and 20 moles each year and have for 30 years.
    I have too many other, better, things to do than spend my time and energy trying to eliminate the mole I have.

  • nostrebor
    Original Author
    15 years ago

    I got my first one tonight! Thinking about having him stuffed to display above my fireplace. Used NoMOL brand traps where you dig an 8" hole in the middle of an active tunnel, insert the traps in the tunnels, cover with sod and fill the hole with dirt. Some may say another will come back, I say one bugger gone! I'm also buying several scissor traps mentioned above because I might have found myself a second career, MOLE TRAPPING!

  • nostrebor
    Original Author
    15 years ago

    Two more bite the dust. Check out pictures on URL listed.

    Here is a link that might be useful: Mole Kill Pictures

  • blagoves
    15 years ago

    Wow, nostrebor, you are the first one I know who succeeded with NoMol traps. Do you have any secret how to pre-set those traps placing them in the tunnels? We spent 6 hours trying to get that ring on chain to stick perpendicularly in the tongs so that it would actually stay in there. My husband suggested to make incisions using a file on each side of thongs to make the ring sit and not to fall out.
    I would highly appreciate you comment on this.
    Thanks

  • nostrebor
    Original Author
    15 years ago

    Blagoves:
    To set the trap I use a large pair of channel locks to squeeze, spread the trap and the ring sets easy. Couldn't do it by hand. Test all tunnels by poking a 1 inch hole in them and if the mole fills the whole in 24 hours, trap that tunnel. I had to dig out or expand both tunnels with a spoon so the traps would slide in. Covered each tunnel with sod, filled in with dirt and waited.

    Trapped 3 moles and I am a little worried because no new tunneling has appeared. I'm thinking they are ganging up on me for a major charge!