On the moles

[tank34 2,178]

4 hours ago, big napper said:

Nice one tank, il be doing it for the first time at the weekend, hope i get a result,

Good luck on your outing with the trapline traps Don.

Try fine runs from fence line's and wall's going out in field pal

[big napper 3,559]

Will do, cheers pal

[Mr Wilkes 2,915]

Looks like you’ve plenty to go at Tank34 ..... Kerr-ching

[Nicepix 5,650]

The phone always used to go mental at this time of year. People venture out into their gardens after the long winter and discover all the new mole activity. And the moles are busy moving back from their winter quarters into more open places. Add to that, the new hatch of moles arrives in March and it used to be full on until after June. One year it was September before I got through the work, just in time for the second peak in October.

These days I leave traps in permanently and regularly check them twice a month. I might have to go back to a few if they have new problems, but generally 90% of the time the customers don't get molehills as the new moles are trapped before they cause any problems.

[Nicepix 5,650]

1 hour ago, W. Katchum said:

It’s getting to point I got customers asking me to leave couple each end a property or where ever they entering. Calling me to come empty them, or I jist have a drive round checking them  when the missus annoying me long live the mole

That is basically all I do now. I don't do the clearance jobs unless they agree at least a six month contract and I've only ever had one that didn't convert to a full time contract after six months and only then because she had sold the house. I have three routes with around 15 calls on each route. Each customer pays the same monthly fee and I check the gardens every two weeks. 90% of the time that is enough, but if somebody has a new mole that has come in a different route to where the traps are I'll call back in the week between my regular routes. In practice, by the second year all the traps are in the boundaries, not in the middle of the garden and by the third year some gardens of an acre or more only have two traps in them.

Last week, in over 40 calls I only had about 12 moles caught, and only two customers had new molehills. I can be in and out of a 1 acre garden in ten minutes. I haven't advertised for over two years and have a waiting list for any vacancies. It's a doddle. 

[Tickletrytohunt 0]

22 hours ago, W. Katchum said:

Phone going mental

I have just started trapping and use the same duffus style traps, problem is the moles keep back filling them!!!!

Any tips or ideas what I might be doing wrong? 

[bunnyboiler 1,050]

As above try talpex and have you tweaked your duffas traps to go of easier  

[Nicepix 5,650]

Like Katchum has said; you can't diagnose problems unless you are there. But one of the biggest problems newcomers do (based on the failed mole trappers who have then paid me to do it) is to place traps near to new molehills. 

When a mole makes or repairs a tunnel there can be a long period where the tunnel is subject to subsidence and the mole has to bulldoze soil that has dropped in every time it passes that way. This soil being pushed in front of the mole can cause the trap to go off, or cause a blockage with soil lodged against the trigger. In either case the mole then digs under the blockage and fills the space above, i.e. the trap, with soil to form a new roof.

It is better to find out where the mole tunnel leads to a clean stretch with few or no molehills. If the mole back fills the trap set there then it is down to the trapper's bad technique. Usually civil engineering rather than keyhole surgery.

Also, when setting a Dufus trap always make sure there isn't a side tunnel coming in as invariably the mole will enter the trap from the side and dig a new route through.