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talpa

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Everything posted by talpa

  1. talpa
    I have had the traplines since 2009 and find them a great trap. |I do use half barrel and Talpex but rely on the traplines as my mainstay. Foul catches and filled traps are most often due to mis alignment either hoizontally or vertically in the tunnel due to changes in gradients, bends in the tunnel or where a tunnel changes width/diameter. I have had a few foul catches and have looked into why they occured. Caught by a front paw because the mole had gone over or around the first trap and bumbled into the second trap firing it as it straddled the frame. Caught by the belly because soft lo
  2. talpa
    Matt I hear you, I too catch in flooded and water logged runs but It may be on a slope the 'running' water will gather or take away soil/debris in some situations like water causing runnels on the surface of sloping fields particularly arable or reseeded. I haven't noticed more blocked traps in heavy rain but soil types will also make a difference
  3. talpa
    just athought re water flowing in mole tunnels, if the water is flowing there is a gradient so therefore you would expect the duffus to be set at a similar gradient, could the bed of the tunnel be erodingby running water to expose the trap loops or cause a deformation that alerts the mole to the trap.
  4. talpa
    I wouldn't want to carry 2 x spades, a big bit of board and a heavy stone as well as a bucket of traps, markers and setter. I rarely set at a mole hill but with this style of trap aswell as traplines it could reduce what I carry as I wouldn't need a dibber, I will do a couple on next job to see how I get on with traplines. Its good to see how others go about the jobs we do.
  5. talpa
    For attaching the trigger the wire and ferrules used for bird spring wire proofing would be ideal, set at the correct length for humane catch it would speed setting and help reliable firing and catch cleanly around chest behind shoulders. The setting tool shouldn't be too much of a pain if you work out your system for setting and have it on a short wire/string from you bucket/bag/belt(which ever works for you) then it is always to hand as you kneel to set. I would be interested in getting some to try out too. T
  6. talpa
    Just found them for 9.95? Still seems a bit steep?https://www.tuinierdier.nl/webshop/ongedierte--plagen/mollen-bestrijden/mollenklemmen/detail/732/mollenklem-podal-mini-.html And you will need a pair, and that makes them about 3 times the bulk and 4 times the weight of any thing else you might choose to use except the plastic monster from Bell. You also have a loose plate that is bound to get misplaced or disappear to the bottom of a bag/bucket every time you want to place them meaning you have to tip everything out to find it, you could drill the plate and secure it with (bird spring wir
  7. talpa
    Follow the instructions, they make several models for different Canines and the one sold in the uk is for Red Fox so the info is what you need to do.
  8. talpa
    You can have both treadle and pull cord operation in the one trap. The treadle can be attached to the trigger cord so that the treadle is pulled up against a stop and a loop on the same wire can be used for attaching your bait so either a pull or step on the treadle can fire the trap. I modified a trap a few years ago, never sure which action triggered, it was just an experiment and the trap caught well. Now I suppose this could be verified by trail cams that are now widely available.
  9. talpa
    OK, whats done is done. If the grains have just gone and you have no remnants to judge whether rats or mice have eaten it thenit is likely they have been carried to a cache , you could use your survey/inspection skills to look in the likely places that you would find rodent activity and you may find the cache,. Caches are likely to be in places where the animal feels comfortable and therefore will get robbed by other rodents, which is why we find wood mice covering up bait in boxes with all manner of debris. I would do my best to satisfy my own mind I had done what I can to prevent an non
  10. talpa
    I use them, work well if you take your time to follow the instructions. You need to set so the fox has to take the bite+pull bait from directly in front of the trap base or you miss when the trap fires.
  11. talpa
    yes
  12. talpa
    Just another snippet of advice - keep an eye on those bait points, if there wasn't much left was there signs of rats eating it, if not it is likely that rats or mice could have gathered the loose grains and relocated it to a cache elsewhere and you may not see a drop in rat activity. See how any grains have been eaten to tell what was feeding at the bait sites. Loose grain is undoubtedly best for rural situations but it does have limitations/complications. I would do as already suggested, block up the old rabbit warren entrances then if no signs of rabbits bait any that are opened by rats, you
  13. talpa
    Also the advice from Matt will keep the bait from spoiling due to damp from the bare soil.
  14. talpa
    The box design was to prevent Kiwi's accessing traps and to put the animal in the optimum spot when it puts weight on and triggers the trap which is made to strike and crush the head for a quick humane death. As I recall the stao mentions the box has to be used as specified by the manufacturer, so you can make the box as long as it is identical, altering tthe size of the entrance would be iffy in the eyes of the law. I have'nt had one in the hand so am suprised and there again not surprised that they may not be an appropriate tool for the job listed on the stao. T.
  15. talpa
    I have no experience of bird free, but the crows territorial reaction to attacking their reflections is going to over ride any visual or audio deterrants. I think shooting may open you up to scrutiny as which licence would you operate under - some-one could pull you up. The only thing I can think may work is avi shock tracks but it would be difficult if the crows are attacking g/floor windows due to h+s of guests. Any way to stop reflections on the windows, temporary gauze covers for the nesting period with info in guest book and take a small hit on fees for that time; it may be unpopular wit
  16. talpa
    I would advise against trialing mouse traps for the capture of moles. You could very well fall foul of the Animal welfare act. Mouse traps - even the best made have relatively weak springs that are fit for purpose on mice, but have a look at a mole its physique is completely different with a very powerful neck and shoulders. A mouse trap is not going to be 'man enough' to humanely kill a mole.( I have had good size wood mice not killed on a couple of occasions by quality traps on occasion when caught over the shoulders so there is no way a mole will be killed. The kill bar is also going to be
  17. talpa
    You seem to have your bases covered, without wishing to teach you to suck eggs - a detailed risk and env statement including what steps you take to mitigate wvole catches would give you extra back up in case you need to explain/justify things. I'd be wary of the 5m from waterways guideance, as you say you see them at 10m so survey with risk/env statement would mean you keep spring traps even further away - which means they would not be in the location of the rat activity in all likelihood. I don't know of any way of keeping water voles out of traps I'm afraid but if I needed to do any rat co
  18. talpa
    As already mentioned, reduce the access for Hedgehogs, but if you even think you have water voles you should not be setting killing traps and even live catch traps will see you in bother if you are found to catch one. Because of their decline many places are getting surveys to monitor numbers and correlating mink activity so your trapping activities may come under scrutiny. Take care and work out how to tacle the issue appropriately T
  19. talpa
    In general birds have far fewer taste receptors than mammals, as I recall Sweet is missing completely and bitter has few receptors. Taste being for nutrient sensing mainly hence you get food preferences for high nutritional foods, the situation varies greatly between species depending on what they have evolved to eat. This is why a chilli based additive for bird food repels Squirrels but does not affect feeding by your favourite garden birds on the nut feeder. The birds tongue make up is very different to mammals being more or less a flap of grissle and small in comparisson to mammals so not
  20. talpa
    I often see snail shells in external perimeter boxes that have been predated by rats, so may be worth trying as a bait (if you know they take them already).
  21. talpa
    So much of the information about Moles is supposition and or made up by Biologists of the past, shown by the belief still maintained that the mole is solitary. I have no proof of my theories but I believe that the mole has a breeding cycle like its close relative insectivores in the UK the shrew. (Shrews are much easier to study because they don't hide their habits and family life underground) Shrews have a breeding period typically from April - September during which they will have about 3 litters + or - like most things dependent on weather, food body condition. Moles have a much more stabl
  22. talpa
    Good tips already given for you to try. I will often place peanut butter under the trigger plate on the frame of the trap, make sure you dont pile it up so the trigger plate is held above firing point. I often use this method for squirrels in lofts but also occasionally with rats in stable yard where they are sometimes slow to enter tunnels and boxes. T
  23. talpa
    If you are getting vertical shafts coming up between the seams of rock so that you don't find runs use one of Steve's Trapline traps vertically, where a hill is over a vertical spoil shaft. Had a couple of tricky ones like this recently. Talpa
  24. talpa
    Get some diatoaceous earth (DE)and ust the birds, dust the chook house and if you can make a dust bath to put some dry soil in and add the DE to it so in the future they self medicate when the carry out natural behaviour. It will work on all lice, ticks and mites. It is also non toxic as it works works in a physical way abrading the exoskeleton of the beasties causing them to dessicate, so is perfectly safe for all livestock. I would avoid using frontline as its not cleared for birds.
  25. talpa
    Put the peanut butter on the frame under the trigger plate. T
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