I have a mole in my garden who will not take the hint and leave. He has gone from the back to the front - via the flower borders, and he is driving me mad. I have tried burying bottles, windmills, battery operated mole chasers - the works. This morning I woke up to two huge molehills right in the middle of the front lawn. He has to go. I really don't want to exterminate him but I am at my wits end. Can anybody give me advice on getting rid of him humanely please?
Hi Squirrel - I will have a look at these sites when I get home - fingers crossed - many thanks for taking the time to reply.
Hi Lucky Bustard - I get your point and normally any wildlife is welcomed and encouraged - but this guy - well he is taking the mick - for a while he stuck to one patch at the back and we let him get on with it - but I think he is training for the Mole Olympics - you can actually stand on the lawn and watch him moving like a dervish across it. Thanks for taking the time to reply.
Yes I am trying to avoid the extermination route, I have some good suggestions and will try them in the hope that something moves him on - I am very keen he moves back to the farm he has tunnelled in from! Many thanks for taking the time to reply.
Hi Sunflower - regardless of whether you get your little gentleman to move on, I hope you're taking the opportunity to use that lovely fine grade molehill soil in your flower beds!
Make the boy interested in natural history if you can; it is better than games [Robert Falcon Scott]
Moles are tricky to get rid of humanely, if you do get yours to move on another will soon move into its tunnels. The problem with gardens is they will be full of worms and will be like a McDonalds for moles.
You may find that you actually have two moles, one in your front garden and one in your back.
The only successful way to rid your garden of moles is to call the experts in, unfortunately they will destroy the mole/s once they have been caught.
I had a mole in my garden, the mole hills I could live with but the tunnels it made under the grass kept collapsing and after twisting my ankle a couple of times I called the experts in. It turned out I didn’t have one mole but about 14. I couldn’t justify signing a death warrant on 14 moles because they were an inconvenience so I have learnt to live with them.
Mole numbers are on the decrease so I feel proud I am doing my bit to help them.
I am lucky, I have enough room to accommodate them but can fully sympathise with Sunflower wanting to get rid of hers.
Build it and they will come.
Hi Cartimandua - indeed I am - in fact he is doing so well, I will probably be able to sow potatoes without even having to dig the trenches - he could keep up with a couple of Shires and a plough!
Hi Wildlife Friendly
14 moles!!! Oh boy - I am now sure I have more than one because he is moving around so fast, he either is loving the remidies I am trying or he must have company - drat!
I don't like the sound of moving him out and another moving in. However I cannot bring myself to kill him - will try and catch him and co and release them in the hills. Is this legal if it is common land?
Take care of your ankles and thanks for the reply.
I've been having a look around and found this website - a tried and tested method it seems, albeit a tad tricky, to catch a mole.
It is legal to relocate a mole - meadows or fields away from areas where there may be conflict with other gardens (and gardeners!) would be ideal
All the best!
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If you catch a mole you can’t let it go where there are other moles and you must make sure that where you do let it go it will have a plentiful food supply.
"Abandonment of Animals Act 1960 section 1 makes it an offence to release an animal into an environment if it does not have a reasonable chance of survival. So if you release your live mole where they are other moles, or where food is not sufficient, the above act is broken."