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Mole query


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I have a place up the Dales where the soil is poor and shallow.  Have had a mole (s) making a mess with a load of shallow runs on the lawn, and I mean very shallow runs.  Have had a mole catcher out but have lifted their traps after 4 days and said no point putting them back down as the runs are too shallow.  
First question is can it or they be caught, second is it reasonable for the catcher to invoice me for failing to catch ?

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14 minutes ago, W. Katchum said:

Yes an tell him him to fcuk off, I got some traps here if ye wanna pick some up an have a bash yaself, nowt difficult about it, might take you but longer but he needs be lucky all time you only need be lucky once ?

Cheers Don, I got some scissor traps here and caught the odd one but these are real shallow runs on stony ground.  She reckoned she had a a good few traps down but nothing caught......it’s a Holliday let so I can’t leave them down for any longer than a few days as do you want traps down when people are in...

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It depends on the original agreement if you pay him or not.

Many  Mole-catchers  charge per mole caught and operate a "No mole, no charge "policy.

Others bill you by the hour plus travelling time ,whatever the result. This should be made clear before the job is undertaken.  

Someone on a regular contract to control moles  is paid an appearance fee for their time but for one -off jobs generally "No mole ,no fee" is quite normal and fair.

After-all ,if payment doesn't depend on results the most unlucky or incompetant mole-catcher will make as much money as a a good one!

And ,yes; shallow runs are very trappable!

 

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3 minutes ago, comanche said:

It depends on the original agreement if you pay him or not.

Many  Mole-catchers  charge per mole caught and operate a "No mole, no charge "policy.

Others bill you by the hour plus travelling time ,whatever the result. This should be made clear before the job is undertaken.  

Someone on a regular contract to control moles  is paid an appearance fee for their time but for one -off jobs generally "No mole ,no fee" is quite normal and fair.

After-all ,if payment doesn't depend on results the most unlucky or incompetant mole-catcher will make as much money as a a good one!

And ,yes; shallow runs are very trappable!

 

Mmmm, £25 to put down the traps and a fiver a mole.....doesn’t seem interested in solving my problem, only one mole I reckon so can see why ....

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If the mole trapper put some traps down and didn't catch then that is their problem not yours. No mole - no fee. If that one mole had been caught then you would have had a bargain ?

As others have said. Putanges are perfect for that sort of shallow tunnel, but you could also use Duffus traps if you are sure that they will not get disturbed by kids, dogs, etc.

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9 minutes ago, W. Katchum said:

I had some that shallow when I was spooning it out an sliding the putange in the turf was lifting ? in end I had him with a putange on its side ? found the entry point an none got past it an back into garden yet ??

these were similar mate, the top of the run was sinking, it was basically just grass.

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The trouble with trapping in shallow runs is foxes and badgers nicking the mole, and the trap ?

The mole has to get to the shallow run from somewhere so if possible try and trace the tunnel back to where it is a little deeper.

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1 hour ago, Nicepix said:

The trouble with trapping in shallow runs is foxes and badgers nicking the mole, and the trap ?

The mole has to get to the shallow run from somewhere so if possible try and trace the tunnel back to where it is a little deeper.

thank you, something i have been thinking about. Got asked to trap a small holding, badgers visit a lot, the fields are ripped up with them and latrines everywhere. Kind of bothered i might loose some traps. thinking about knocking some stakes up out of some 1"x1" angle i have. tie a bit of drawcord to trap and stake and hopefully if dug up it will just pull the dead mole out and not take the trap. Thinking of using putanges on this bit because they are more robust and should not get damaged as easy,  Its a friends place so i will make a good effort to catch them for him. Am i on the right tracks ?? ATB.

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I've never staked traps out like that so I don't know whether it would work or not. Usually the trap isn't far away. My old spaniel used to find them for me and this week my current dog, a Fox Terrier x JRT located a missing trap all by herself about 20 metres from the trap site. With Duffus traps often they would be left with the mole still intact. I reckon that the second side will have gone off while the fox or badger was examining it and that activation scared it off. The Putange that Lily found had fur around the prongs so whatever had taken it had removed the mole. No mean feat with stainless Putanges.

If you re trapping on a mate's allotment you could cover the trap sites with something like a large roof tile or large plant pot filled with soil over the site. I do that in gardens where dogs are a nuisance and it usually works.

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