Mole Traps In The Frost

[Mr Muddy 141]

 

 

 

 

This type of simple wire trap has been used for a long time in France, nearly a hundred years, and were colloquially known as 'Aurouze' traps after the Paris manufacturers of that time. I have not used them, but I have handled many different versions over the years and find that the temper leaves the copper ones faster than the iron ones, and that they can be improved in use by the addition of a flat round washer with small cut outs at the edge in place of the wire square 'setter'. This can be attached by means of a small string or wire to the trap so it is not lost.

 

Don't follow the photo in a certain Mole Trapping book where the author mistakenly :whistling:places the setter in the entirely wrong way either ... ... they are meant to be set flat or longways along the run - the curved-up parts kill the mole not the long legs

could they not be made from say 3mm high tensilesteel wire?

I have use of a machine at a relatives work place that bends tensile steel wire to any size/shape if i could get hold of one of these traps i am sure he could make them here.????

Cheers

IWM.

It would be very interesting to see what price he could produce them for .......

 

I will talk to him this weekend but he will need a profile to work from. It must be the sameprice as the ones from france or no one will buy them??

iwm

 

I'll post you one if you promise to send me a few of the new ones you make back.

P.M. me your address.

[iwm 71]

 

 

 

 

 

This type of simple wire trap has been used for a long time in France, nearly a hundred years, and were colloquially known as 'Aurouze' traps after the Paris manufacturers of that time. I have not used them, but I have handled many different versions over the years and find that the temper leaves the copper ones faster than the iron ones, and that they can be improved in use by the addition of a flat round washer with small cut outs at the edge in place of the wire square 'setter'. This can be attached by means of a small string or wire to the trap so it is not lost.

 

Don't follow the photo in a certain Mole Trapping book where the author mistakenly :whistling:places the setter in the entirely wrong way either ... ... they are meant to be set flat or longways along the run - the curved-up parts kill the mole not the long legs

could they not be made from say 3mm high tensilesteel wire?

I have use of a machine at a relatives work place that bends tensile steel wire to any size/shape if i could get hold of one of these traps i am sure he could make them here.????

Cheers

IWM.

It would be very interesting to see what price he could produce them for .......

 

I will talk to him this weekend but he will need a profile to work from. It must be the sameprice as the ones from france or no one will buy them??

iwm

 

I'll post you one if you promise to send me a few of the new ones you make back.

P.M. me your address.

 

 

P.M. sent

Thank you

iwm

[3175darren 1,093]

Its about time some one had a go at making some,would be nice to see the results,this country just rips people off with its prices / import tax / vat/ its not our fault most of the manufacturing is done abroad, because the industrial climate over here wont support the small manufacturers,good luck lads crack on.

[Nicepix 5,650]

I've been watching this thread for a few days. I am based in France and was on here previously under a different name.

 

Just be aware that the Putange traps are like any other type in that the quality differs dependent on the manufacturer. I have bought and used quite a few over the last two years and some are frankly useless. The spring loses its strength and they rust quite quickly. Rust means that the triggers don't slide freely and can prevent the the traps from operating. It is a pain to keep having to rub them down with an abrasive paper or file. I got some from a local hardware shop that are if anything overly strong and do not rust. However, the usual (non-pro) customers complained about them being hard to set and the shop stopped doing them. Bah!

 

If you are serious about making them I would suggest that you forget trying to make them as cheap as here in France which is currently €3.95 (just over three quid) for a pair including triggers and a setting tool, and instead make a more durable product out of tempered stainless wire.

 

As others have said; these are very useful traps and in my opinion knock Traplines into a cocked hat. You can use them under patios, in stony soil, slipped down a molehill shaft like those Dutch traps (I caught one yesterday in that manner) and are great for those surface runs where the mole has just pushed up the turf. If you are getting traps nicked or want to prevent tampering these are just the job. Cut out the clod, lift it out intact, place the traps, replace the clod and mark with spray paint or a bit of plastic pushed into the turf. The downside is that they are more fiddly to set in deeper tunnels. Best thing is that they are light and compact to carry and are as cheap as chips.

[BRY 79]

I'd be interested in buying as well

[Rowan 308]

this all sounds interesting .

I must admit I use the duffus traps and always cover them with a board about 1" thick and the dug out turf as well , never suffer with the frost then.

[Mr Muddy 141]

this all sounds interesting .

I must admit I use the duffus traps and always cover them with a board about 1" thick and the dug out turf as well , never suffer with the frost then.

 

Why the 1"board, don't the springs just smack into it on a shallow run?

[Nicepix 5,650]

It has been -7C overnight and barely above freezing in the day out here. I've been insulating my tunnel traps with pieces of bubble wrap or pieces cut from those car windscreen sun shields to stop the soil covering freezing up and preventing the trapping loops from activating. Its OK suggesting finding some soft soil to cover the traps if there is any to find. But in some areas where the soil is claggy and mostly clay I have to grub round under bushes or nick soil from compost heaps if I want to cover the traps without the heavy stuff. Even then, at -5C or less the soil will freeze if there is any amount of moisture in it. The bubble wrap or car sun screen is soft enough to give when the trap goes off but keeps the frost off.

[mole trapper 1,646]

Been out all day setting, digging down through the first inch of frozen turf with the knife was a bitch after the first hour or so, wasn't sure the moles were really going to be that active, but I walked past a trap I'd set ten minutes before and there was one in there.

As for covering, all I do is lift a frozen hill a little way from the trap site, place loose soil on the trap and then stick one of the frozen lids "hills" over the hole, easy job.

[Nicepix 5,650]

Been out all day setting, digging down through the first inch of frozen turf with the knife was a bitch after the first hour or so, wasn't sure the moles were really going to be that active, but I walked past a trap I'd set ten minutes before and there was one in there.

As for covering, all I do is lift a frozen hill a little way from the trap site, place loose soil on the trap and then stick one of the frozen lids "hills" over the hole, easy job.

 

That would work OK if there was no thaw. Get a bit of sunshine on the frozen tump and it might collapse onto the trap and then re-freeze overnight. If it works for you then fine, but I prefer to play safe and I'm only doing garden jobs at the minute so there is no problem carrying enough bits of insulation with me.

[Matt 160]

I've been watching this thread for a few days. I am based in France and was on here previously under a different name.

 

Just be aware that the Putange traps are like any other type in that the quality differs dependent on the manufacturer. I have bought and used quite a few over the last two years and some are frankly useless. The spring loses its strength and they rust quite quickly. Rust means that the triggers don't slide freely and can prevent the the traps from operating. It is a pain to keep having to rub them down with an abrasive paper or file. I got some from a local hardware shop that are if anything overly strong and do not rust. However, the usual (non-pro) customers complained about them being hard to set and the shop stopped doing them. Bah!

 

If you are serious about making them I would suggest that you forget trying to make them as cheap as here in France which is currently €3.95 (just over three quid) for a pair including triggers and a setting tool, and instead make a more durable product out of tempered stainless wire.

 

As others have said; these are very useful traps and in my opinion knock Traplines into a cocked hat. You can use them under patios, in stony soil, slipped down a molehill shaft like those Dutch traps (I caught one yesterday in that manner) and are great for those surface runs where the mole has just pushed up the turf. If you are getting traps nicked or want to prevent tampering these are just the job. Cut out the clod, lift it out intact, place the traps, replace the clod and mark with spray paint or a bit of plastic pushed into the turf. The downside is that they are more fiddly to set in deeper tunnels. Best thing is that they are light and compact to carry and are as cheap as chips.

Welcome back Clive, and thanks for your knowledgeable input

[Nicepix 5,650]

Just as an aside, you can use the Putange mole traps to catch other pests. I've had field mice, lerots (garden dormice), rats and this unexpected capture from a mole tunnel in them..........

 

 

I also put them in any rat holes I find around the customer's garden to good effect. I would imagine some of you creative pesties could make good use of them as they can be set very discretely.

[iwm 71]

I've been watching this thread for a few days. I am based in France and was on here previously under a different name.

 

Just be aware that the Putange traps are like any other type in that the quality differs dependent on the manufacturer. I have bought and used quite a few over the last two years and some are frankly useless. The spring loses its strength and they rust quite quickly. Rust means that the triggers don't slide freely and can prevent the the traps from operating. It is a pain to keep having to rub them down with an abrasive paper or file. I got some from a local hardware shop that are if anything overly strong and do not rust. However, the usual (non-pro) customers complained about them being hard to set and the shop stopped doing them. Bah!

 

If you are serious about making them I would suggest that you forget trying to make them as cheap as here in France which is currently €3.95 (just over three quid) for a pair including triggers and a setting tool, and instead make a more durable product out of tempered stainless wire.

 

As others have said; these are very useful traps and in my opinion knock Traplines into a cocked hat. You can use them under patios, in stony soil, slipped down a molehill shaft like those Dutch traps (I caught one yesterday in that manner) and are great for those surface runs where the mole has just pushed up the turf. If you are getting traps nicked or want to prevent tampering these are just the job. Cut out the clod, lift it out intact, place the traps, replace the clod and mark with spray paint or a bit of plastic pushed into the turf. The downside is that they are more fiddly to set in deeper tunnels. Best thing is that they are light and compact to carry and are as cheap as chips.

 

Trap on its way to me so we can take a look at quaility etc (thanks mr muddy) but we are trying a high tensile steel wire made in sheffield (my home city) so it should withstand a little harsh weather,also a galvenised high strengh wire and see which will work best. We are going to look at the washer for the trigger ( thanks old trap collector) connected with a fine wire so not to loose it. As for the setting tool that could be work in progress but we have several small tool makers locally that will be able to help.

 

iwm

[Nicepix 5,650]

Good news. But, I'd advise against using any metal for the connection between trigger and trap unless you can fix it central on a short link. I've had a few different types of Putange including one with a long metal chain link and it was useless. The problem is that if the trap misfires as in when setting the prongs coming together can cut the chain or link. It happened several times and believe me, finding the trigger that has fired itself up a mole tunnel isn't easy. I also tried electrical tie wraps with the same result. I now use 80lb braid fishing line but builder's twine as recommended earlier is just as good.

 

I'm from Barnsley so the Yorkshire connection is going strong!

[Tiercel 6,986]

Just a thought, is there a reason that the French use the square of round bar as a trigger? It could be that it gives better firing of the trap, as there is less friction where two round surfaces meet compared to a round and flat surface so even if a washer was used it may pay to put a radius on the edge of the washer there-by maintaining a minimum point of contact between the trigger and the trap arms.

 

TC