Help!!!!!!!!!! Moles

[Jan]

We are being visited by a mole/s from next door, he does not want to do anything about them but we have a nice lawn!!

I have called the ole man in who has laid humane traps but apparantly the moles feed on worms. I am not bothered about worms in the garden, is there a way we can get rid of them please?

Jan

[Muddypause]

Getting the mole man in is probably the answer.

My dad used to pour TCP down the holes, but it's effect was rather unconvincing. I've also heard that sticking an empty bottle in the hole, so that the wind whistles across the top, will drive them away, as will the sound of a child's windmill, fluttering in the breeze. But I can't vouch for personal experience of it.

Apparently, moles will not tolerate another mole in the same run (fight to the death), so there may be fewer there than you think.

[Shirley]

Hi Jan

Welcome to the site. Moles are a nuisance on a lawn that's for sure... maybe this will help...


http://www.organicgardening.org.uk/factsheets/pc5.php

We had them earlier in the year but they seem to have disappeared...our soil is very stony though so that could put them off.

[Jan]

I had to laugh as before I got the mole man I had poured some bleach down the hole and also a whole bottle of vinegar!!!!!!!!! Ugh TCP, I hate that smell!!!

We now have five humane traps that will be inspected every day for the next five days so I will let you know if we have any success. Apparantly the mole man says that they breed in may/june and have between one to 5 babies and then after a few weeks the parent chucks them out and that is probably why we have evidence of mole residency now as our "lot" was vacant!!!! Grrrrrrrrr

Also when it rains the vibrations bring the worms to the surface and the moles follow for the satisfaction of their appetites.

Any ideas for humane traps for worms/ how to get rid etc then the moles will go else where or starve!

Jan

[Jan]

why have apicture of margo next to my posts - I look nothing like her!!!

Jan

[Jan]

Gotten the schnauzer which we use to have but still have the Liz Taylor lookalikey!!

[Chickpea]

Everyone gets a Good Life character according to how many posts they have made. You start out with Margo and progress through to the more self-sufficient characters as you make more posts. Stick around and you'll be Jerry in no time.

[Shirley]

worms are your friends - I wouldn't want to get rid of them myself... if you do decide to collect them up I suppose you could make yourself a wormery.

Enjoy your progression through the good life cast

[Millymollymandy]

I don't care about the millions of moles we have under the lawn, but I am really really p*ssed off with the ones who are running amok in my veggie patch this year! That's despite the fact that it is planted up all the way around with the mole repelling euphorbia!

[Jan]

Of course - the Good Life - it all makes sense now.

I really must pay more attention - I was jsut the same at school, hence no qualifications to speak of!!

Does anyone know of a DIY site as I need to rack a few brains on that topic.

Jan

[Shirley]

You could try asking on here Jan - DIY is completely relevant here too.

[Muddypause]

Try here.

Or if yuou have access to Usenet, there's uk.d-i-y which, come to think of it, you should also be able to access via Google groups.

[Jan]

Woodchip wallpaper!!!!!!!!!! Ohhhhhhhhhhh did I hear you all groan!!!

We are hopefully oving hosue in three weeks and it is covered in it. I wondered if anyone may hav einvented a miraculous way yet of getting rid of the dreaded stuff!


Jan

[Shirley]

ahhhh lovely!!!!

Learn to like it??? LOL... that's the easy option.

Use a steamer? Score the paper all over first to allow the steam to penetrate...

Cover with tongue & groove or wood panelling... not the cheapest option but it could look good.

http://www.wallwik.co.uk/ has a range of products that might be of interest... not sure how eco-friendly they are though.

[Muddypause]

Scrape it off. That is the only way.

I did hear on one of those interminable TV makeover programmes that someone had invented some kind of covering that would disguise it, but even if that was true, it won't be the real answer.

Getting rid of it is really only a problem if it has lots of paint over it - particularly vinyl or gloss paint. Otherwise just soak the paper with a bucket of water and detergent and a sponge, leave it for 5 minutes, wet it again and scrape it off with a scraper. Any that doesn't come straight off, keep soaking. A steam stripper really won't make things much easier than that, and they use tons of electricity.

If it is thick with paint, so that the water doesn't really wet the paper underneath, you will need to perforate the surface so that the paper can be soaked. The DIY store of your choice will sell you a little tool to help with this. Sometimes it is possible to carefully peel away the dry top surface with the paint on it, leaving behind a surface that will soak up the water. It's a bit of a chore, but it's got to be done.

But before you start - be aware that woodchip is very often used to cover over a multitude of sins. Cracked, and flaking plaster, poor repairs, holes... It may turn into a bigger job than you had hoped.