Inundated!

[earth-thrower 494]

 

 

This spring has been absolutely dire. We've barely had a dry week and it is currently persisting it down and forecast to continue for at least the next four days. As a result of the mild, wet conditions that have dominated since the last frosts in early March the moles have run riot. I'm inundated with rain and moling jobs! And rats! It seems that the country is suffering a rat population explosion. My neighbours who have chickens counted 16 rats at the feed bowl the other evening. I've loaned them four traps and my air rifle and I've got another two traps across the road in another neighbour's chicken run.

 

By this time of year I would expect the moling to slow down as they move out of the lawned gardens and into shady or wetter areas. Normally I'll do 5 or 6 visits per day. Last week it was 12 to 14 and today I ran out of time due to re-infestations on jobs I should have completed and the contract work. I'm having to do jobs on my day off tomorrow just to keep up.

 

On a positive note the new stainless steel Putanges have had a good work out in the wet conditions and are catching well. I've worked out one or two tweaks to get less false activations. There aren't many compared with Duffus, but a couple of little changes has made a difference. I use these far more than the Duffus traps these days. Because of the unusually high numbers of re-infestations I'm leaving a few behind on some jobs to mop up stragglers and save time in re-siting the traps after getting called back.

 

The last hatch of moles came out in April and are well established now and the next lot will be kicked out around the middle of July. The females are chucking up nests all over the place. If we don't get a dry spell soon I might have to do a five day week.

 

What's it like back in Blighty? You've been a bit quiet on here.

 

 

Am i correct in thinking, the weather conditions you describe, are in total contrast, to what you had to contend with, this time last year ?

 

 

Yep. Last year we were in shorts by the end of March and didn't see any rain until after Christmas. There is usually a second spring in October that brings rain, but by November we hadn't seen any and the reservoirs were at their lowest levels for many years. This year the spring is the wettest on record and people were still lighting fires on an evening up until last weekend. Last Christmas Day (2015) we were eating outdoors. Four days later it was minus 10C

 

The other difference is that last year the phone stopped ringing in early June and didn't start ringing again until well after Christmas. This spring I've already done double what I did in the same Apr - June quarter last year.

 

It is a strange year to be sure. I'm just about to break open the summer wardrobe and get my shorts out

 

See,..i pay attention,....lol

[earth-thrower 494]

 

Mole trapping,not long after the silage/hay cuts, can sometimes be productive. (especially, if moles are numerous), only worthwhile in a wet summer, (ive found) though ?,......prolonged hot, dry summer, however, very little, to have a go at ,...

 

Depends on the garden. I still get calls to deal with moles just venturing short distances into gardens from more overgrown areas bordering the customer's gardens. At the moment the females are making nests ready for the second brood of the year and because it has been so mild and wet they are venturing into the open areas to make them. Last year it was much drier and hotter so many nests were in shady or more moist areas away from open grassed areas. I've been thinking of renaming my business 'Desperate Housewives' given the nature of the calls I've been getting recently

 

Aye, gardens, can be different,....i was talking about my experience, on farmland ?

[Nicepix 5,650]

 

 

 

This spring has been absolutely dire. We've barely had a dry week and it is currently persisting it down and forecast to continue for at least the next four days. As a result of the mild, wet conditions that have dominated since the last frosts in early March the moles have run riot. I'm inundated with rain and moling jobs! And rats! It seems that the country is suffering a rat population explosion. My neighbours who have chickens counted 16 rats at the feed bowl the other evening. I've loaned them four traps and my air rifle and I've got another two traps across the road in another neighbour's chicken run.

 

By this time of year I would expect the moling to slow down as they move out of the lawned gardens and into shady or wetter areas. Normally I'll do 5 or 6 visits per day. Last week it was 12 to 14 and today I ran out of time due to re-infestations on jobs I should have completed and the contract work. I'm having to do jobs on my day off tomorrow just to keep up.

 

On a positive note the new stainless steel Putanges have had a good work out in the wet conditions and are catching well. I've worked out one or two tweaks to get less false activations. There aren't many compared with Duffus, but a couple of little changes has made a difference. I use these far more than the Duffus traps these days. Because of the unusually high numbers of re-infestations I'm leaving a few behind on some jobs to mop up stragglers and save time in re-siting the traps after getting called back.

 

The last hatch of moles came out in April and are well established now and the next lot will be kicked out around the middle of July. The females are chucking up nests all over the place. If we don't get a dry spell soon I might have to do a five day week.

 

What's it like back in Blighty? You've been a bit quiet on here.

 

 

Am i correct in thinking, the weather conditions you describe, are in total contrast, to what you had to contend with, this time last year ?

 

 

Yep. Last year we were in shorts by the end of March and didn't see any rain until after Christmas. There is usually a second spring in October that brings rain, but by November we hadn't seen any and the reservoirs were at their lowest levels for many years. This year the spring is the wettest on record and people were still lighting fires on an evening up until last weekend. Last Christmas Day (2015) we were eating outdoors. Four days later it was minus 10C

 

The other difference is that last year the phone stopped ringing in early June and didn't start ringing again until well after Christmas. This spring I've already done double what I did in the same Apr - June quarter last year.

 

It is a strange year to be sure. I'm just about to break open the summer wardrobe and get my shorts out

 

See,..i pay attention,....lol

 

 

Oh God! I've got a stalker. Watch out for the restraining order dropping through the letter box.

[Chicken_man 1,651]

 

 

 

 

Do you do a lot of pesty work Phil also? Moles,rats and other species?

It's something I've often thought about doing.

I know a couple of lads who do it full time and seem to do ok.

Maybe one day eh

Atb

Hi,.yes, I used to treat ALL the common nuicence pests,..Cockroaches, Bed Bugs, Rats, Mice,..etc, etc...

I did thirty years , servicing Restaurants , Pubs,Leisure Centres,..Nudist Camps,..you fecking name it...

Then,..I sold off all my Pest Control contracts and went full time,. on the rabbits...

I did this for many years, until my situation and health changed,.then I went mole trapping...

Nowadays, I treat several hundred Wasp nests, plus catch a fair few Moles,.. the rabbit jobs are now a small part of the business..

Thanks,

Sounds like busy times.

I'm gonna talk to the lads more on it and see how things pan out.

Atb