Mole Trapping at Walcote Farm

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Many thanks for the emails that I have received. I have published some of them here because it is a great help for people to see what is being achieved by following the advice on this website. J.F.

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Received 22/07/2013 North Yorkshire

Have had a mole round the garden for a while now which didn't cause too much trouble. However this weekend I finally got cheesed off with it so decided to act. 

I already had a trap but discovered on your website it was a Defender. So it was straight to the garage to modify. Finding the run was easy because it was very near the surface. Followed your instructions in setting the trap (compaction, legs in grooves at the side of the run, grass, soil and a plant pot and brick to keep next doors cat away) and 24hrs later one dead mole. 

Cheers

JGS

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Received 14/07/2013

John,

Just read your web site re setting mole traps and printed down your step by step instructions. Went straight out and set the trap as per. Five minutes later I had my first mole. This after 2 days of trying!  Many many thanks.

David B

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Received 17/06/2013 Normandy, France

Good evening John,

 

Just wanted to thank you for your web site information on catching moles, we live in Normandy France and have a large garden, we have had a mole problem for a few years now but this year it has got out of hand with many molehills everywhere! I purchased two mole traps (straight legs) and modified them to your specification. I am very glad to report that i have caught my first mole although I am sure that there will be more to catch.

 

My wife wanted to get a man in to catch them but I like to do most things myself! Your site was very helpful, without it I am sure that I would still be waiting to catch my first mole! I cannot believe that they sell straight leg traps!

 

Many thanks,

 

 T. & S. M

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Received 05/06/2013
Hi John

Just a note to let you know that, following your advice & instructions, I have caught 22 moles in the last 3 months.

 

They were causing a mess to the turfed areas in a walled kitchen garden-4 acres.

 

Mowing is now much easier; there is less subsidence & machinery is not being damaged.

 

Thanks for the advice!!

 

B.D

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Received 14/01/2013 Nottingham
Hi, just short note. I had mole hills for about two months, tried with no success  using  scissor traps. Then I read your instruction and set the traps to your method, I caught the mole within 3 hours. Many thanks,
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Received 17/12/2012
Hi John
 
Thanks for your e-mail.  My other half couldnt wait for me to order the 1402 trap online as molehills are springing up all over the place.  We bought the defender in its place simply for quickness, locally, yesterday afternoon but adapted it to look like those shown on your website.  Extremely pleased to say we caught our first mole overnight!!  Amazing.  We have used many traps before all to no avail.  I am still going to buy the 1402 for the many other runs we have in our front and back garden.  Thank you for your great advice on your website.
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Received 19/11/2012

Many thanks for the good advice on your site. Did it your way. Set the trap; caught the mole! 

Cheers

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Received 21/09/2012

We have had a troublesome mole in our garden for a few weeks and all efforts with a trap failed.  I then went on to Google for help and found your site.

Dennis, my husband, promoted me to Chief Moler, and I carefully read your web pages and prepared the trap.  First time I was unlucky with the site chosen (a extinct run) but then I went to a very active area.  Second attempt obviously not correct as the mole bye-passed the trap.  However, last evening I spent a considerable time preparing the location for the trap along an active run and when I looked this morning, the trap had gone off in the night.  Too timid to look, Dennis removed the trap and disposed of the body for me.

 

So John, many thanks for your excellent site and instructions.

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Received 20/09/2012

Just to say thank you. Your site has helped me so much. Like most men I never read instructions. But I looked at your site and followed it to the letter. I recon I had bought the trap you feel is the worst of all. But I took it in the workshop and shaped the straight legs into a nice curve. Followed all your words of wisdom and after a couple of days caught the offending mole. He had been turning the tunnel traps upside down, running over and under them for about 3 weeks.  But with your help and the modified scissor traps. Success. Thank you again.

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Received 11/09/2012

Firstly, a big thank you. I stumbled across your website after trawling through many websites and Youtube etc failing to ever catch a thing. As soon as I followed your advice on setting the traps I caught 3 moles on consecutive days from the same location! The first one was huge....never realised they could get so big! .............

Thanks again for the very informative website and frankly by far the best.

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Received 17/07/2012 Norfolk

I have been trapping moles for years but always with variable results and sometimes without success at all when the conditions have not been in my favour. This wet summer has been such a time with high levels of mole activity and little results with moles bypassing traps or setting them off without getting caught.

With a little scepticism (I have to admit) I modified two traps and set them according to your instructions and within 12 hours I had caught two of the worst offenders and I have not looked back since; my success rate is 100% on traps sprung so far.

Many thanks for your help and advice.

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Received 14/04/2012 Berkshire

I just wanted to say thank you for the helpful information on your website.   For the past few years, I have been plagued by moles in my extensive vegetable garden, and have used the services of a couple of

local mole-catchers.   However, it wasn't always easy to get them to come promptly, and I decided this year that I wanted to be in a position to deal with problems as they arose.   By the middle of March the whole

vegetable garden was a sea of molehills and I looked online to see where I could obtain tunnel traps of the type used by the mole-catchers.  

Having chanced on your website, I modified one of the two scissor traps I had bought when we came here in the 1980s, with which I had never caught anything, and within 24 hours had caught a large mole.   Since

then there have been no molehills - wonderful!

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Received 09/04/2012

I have been trying to catch moles in my paddock for months now with no success , last week I took your advice and tips ! and Bingo two moles caught in the last four days !  Thank you so much !

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Received 07/01/2012 Scotland

Well, I have never tried to catch moles until 4 days ago when, (on the small Scottish Estate I work on) I set out to do just that. I realise now it was almost all in vain, I caught nothing but the holes I dug were filled back in so I can at least take away the knowledge that they are active runs. I decided to look on the web and came across your site which having visited a few others I warmed to your experience and the fence pole probe and finally the plastic bag for kneeling on sold me you right away. I can tell you that today at 9am I set five scissor traps and  upon inspection at 3pm discovered I had trapped 2...my delight was great especially as it was a clean fast catch. I find your knowledge and experience fantastic and any moles I catch are really all inspired by you as I would be still struggling...my very limited experience on mole behavior is that I have scooped up all mole hills on the estate lawns to find the little moles soon show where they are active and will be trying this again on small sections of the lawns,,,, I am a person whom is always learning so thank you so much for your effort in your web site.

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Received 24/12/2011 Northumberland

We moved into our lovely new house with stunning views of Northumberland and our back garden backs onto open farmland. Having noticed mole hills in the fields it was not long before they started appearing in my garden. Knowing nothing about catching moles I consulted the internet and tried various deterrents, such as, vibrating probes, human traps, jeyes fluid and everything in between, all to no avail. My garden was becoming more like the Somme by the day and I was beside myself as to what to do.

I was fortunate in that I saw your web site and having bought a "Defender" mole trap set about following your instructions. Being an Engineer it was evident that what you were saying about the design of the traps was correct, therefore I modified the trap as per your instructions. I assembled the tools as instructed and placed the trap yesterday afternoon and was over the moon this morning to find the trap had been tripped and the mole caught. 

I am sure it will not be the last mole to enter my garden but I now feel able to effectively deal with them and although only an apprentice in mole catching I will hone my skills following your guidance. 

Thanks ever so much for explaining the art of mole catching as it is clear that the trap manufacturers are not interested in actually catching anything. 

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Received 19/12/2011 Normandy, France

Just to let you know that I have caught my first mole this week after studying in detail your website. I live in Normandy France and we have two and a halve acres of land which is alive with moles but until now I had not bothered nor had the time to do anything about them until one some how got into my lawn.

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Received 03/12/2011 Wiltshire

Our garden is about 1/3 acre with quite a few moles! Using your instructions I successfully caught my first mole on my first outing!! Your instructions were so clear and made so much sense. The locals around here have so many methods and all at odds with your instructions!

Received 10/12/2011

..................when I went out to check the second trap I found I'd caught another mole - not three yards from the first one. This is 100% success and I feel I must be one of your star pupils!!

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Received 31/03/2011

Hi John, thanks for the great web-site, your advice has been a great help. Within a couple of days after setting my first traps I was catching moles. The tip about compacting the run is very helpful. The only time I struggle is when the little blighters push a pile of soil into the trap and set it off. Also in one big field with no obvious water supply, its difficult to find a main run. Even so, my catch rate has improved no end. many thanks, David.

My Reply 31/03/2011

Many thanks for your email and I hope you are learning that if the moles are filling the trap up with soil then you have not compacted the run enough. Lower the mole run to get a firmer compaction. Always make sure that you have actually made the run firm. If there is no obvious water supply, I would expect a good main run in the fence line which would lead to water. Moles can travel many hundreds of yards for water. Finding the main run is not essential but it does help to catch the moles quicker if found.

 
Received 30/03/2011

Many thanks for putting your experiences on the internet. After 5 years of mole activity on our couple of fields despite smokes and all the other so-called easy remedies, I think you have given me the answer. I read your pages, bought 5 traps, modified them as you show and set them between 11 and 12 this morning. At 4.30 I had caught my first mole! Thanks for all this helpful and above all practical advice. Best wishes Tim

My Reply 30/03/2011

Thanks for your email on your experiences of catching your first mole.  I don't know how large your 2 fields are but I was surprised that you  bought 5 traps. Do you really need 5 traps? I hope you are going to find mole catching so easy.

Please let me know how you get on, in catching the next mole. If the mole fills the trap with soil, you have not got the consolidation of  the run right.

Received 31/03/2011

Thanks for the rapid reply. We have about 8 acres in all and 5 traps cost less each than 3 and so on. I was tempted to buy more, but I will hold off.

I had another one this morning in a different trap and it did make me wonder about how long you leave a trap in place if it does not catch anything? None of the runs had furry roots in them but if after 3-4 days nothing happens, should I move it? Or is there some longer time you go for?

My Reply 31/03/2011

I see you are well on your way in getting rid of your mole problem.

As for the time to leave a trap in a mole run without catching anything would be about two days if you have mole activity elsewhere and you need the trap. Traps can be removed at anytime and they can always be reset if mole activity returns.

Received 02/04/2011

Another one this morning John and it looks like you are spot on about where to set as the ones I have caught were near the edge of the field so I'll move 3 of the traps to other affected areas.

Received 09/04/2011

Just a quick update. This morning's catch takes the total to 12 and a dramatic reduction in damage to the fields. It is even becoming hard to find good places to set the traps.

I also agree with you on trap quality. The ones I bought were not welded and I will have to do that as some of the crimped joins are getting loose. But all in all a huge success. And actually rather satisfying.

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Received 21/03/2011 Cornwall

Hi John, I have just found your website and have found it very interesting and informative. I was shown how to catch moles in scissor traps by my father when I was a boy in the 1950's.

When he was a schoolboy in the 1930's he caught enough moles and sold their skins to buy a new bicycle. Strychnine poisoning then came in and I used to do this for our local Rabbit Clearance Society. It was very effective and economical but as you know it has been banned so we are back to trapping again. I now trap moles for friends and relatives who have farms in Cornwall.

My father's method was similar to yours in fitting trap to hole and checking closing action but covering was with turf and no compaction of soil.

I have tried different traps and have arrived at same conclusion as you referring to new scissor traps on sale. I bend mine with a large pair of "mole "grips ( ha ha) and  it will be useful that you have calculated that the correct gap between tips of legs should be just over 2 inches. I had not yet decided on this as some of the old traps I have seen were quite narrow.

I have had very good results with tunnel traps but you need good ones and "tune" them up. Occasionally I have caught 2 moles in the same trap. They are particularly good for deep runs when setting scissors can be awkward. You mention Talpex traps and I have tried different ways to set these some times successful, sometimes not. I tend to choose a trap according to the situation.

Thank you for all this useful information and it has been reassuring that you have reached many of the same conclusions as  me.

My Reply 22/03/2011

Thank you for your very interesting email. The person who showed me how to catch moles also said that in the 1930’s, he had caught enough moles and sold the skins in one year to buy himself a suit. There was a man, who went around the villages with a horse and cart, selling fruit and vegetables and it was he who would buy the moleskins to sell on. I was talking to someone recently about skinning moles in the past and he said that some dealers wanted the moleskins opened up from the belly and other dealers wanted them opened up from the backbone. 

I was interested in your use of mole grips to bend the legs of the trap. I am assuming you would have to put the trap in a vice in order to use the mole grips. 

I want to mention about the distance between the tips of the legs. Before I made the website, I had no idea what measurements that I was using. I would bent the legs outwards on most traps but it was never a set measurement. Since reading your email, I have measured the distance between the tips of my traps and I find they are between 1¾ inches and 2¼ inches. The widest part of the jaw being up to 2½ inches. 

I find the shape of the old scissor traps are simple to use and can be set in all locations and at any depth because I am compacting the ground and not using turf. 

I have only found 3 moles on the farm this year and they were caught within 2 days.

Received 24/03/2011

Hi John, Thank you for your prompt reply to my e mail.  Thank you also for sending me measurements of your traps. I do not have access to a vice at the moment so I clamp the trap on to a piece of 2" x 1" timber then bend the legs of the trap with the mole grips. A vice would be better.

I have started using your method of compacting soil and using more grass when setting traps. Compacting soil makes sense because I have noticed, as you have, that moles seem easier to catch crossing gateways etc. where the ground has been naturally compacted. I have recently caught 7 moles in the same spot on a main run. I noticed that the ground here was quite hard. This has been my best score for number of moles in 1 run. My previous best was 5. The 7 moles were caught in a scissors trap which had been covered with 2 thin pieces of grassy turf  then covered with a little soil to keep out light. The 5 moles were caught in a tunnel trap so there's not much to choose between the two.

I do find moles easier to catch in hard ground.  If I get problems it is usually where the soil is soft and peaty or sandy, "plummy" as we call it in Cornwall.  I am hoping that compacting soil will help in these situations.

 
Received 08/02/2011
Hi John, 
Thank you for your website it has been an enormous help. I am very much into recycling and cant help but think the mole skins could be useful for boot lining or gloves etc. Do you have any experience skinning or tanning mole skins? If so I would be grateful of the advice.
 Kind regards Jeremy

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Received 08/02/2011

Dear John, I have been trying to catch moles on my lawn for about a year with no success. Often, the trap is sprung, but there is no mole, and the trap is buried in mole diggings. I found your website, followed your instructions, and caught a mole with the first setting! Many thanks. I hope it is not beginners' luck! Yours, Mike

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Received 05/02/2011 U.S.A.
Hi John
Where are you located? I live in the state of Washington Between Portland and Seattle and the ground is verry wet here and the moles are working, but I can't compact the ground. Any ideas.

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Received 22/11/2010
John
Have been trying since last spring to catch moles  with 3 types of traps but gave up in the summer having reach the conclusion that the blighter was trap shy. With my garden looking like the aftermath of the battle of the Somme this Autumn I came across your site, read it carefully and followed your instructions yesterday.  My first mole this morning !!. John I'm so grateful that you have taken the trouble of passing on your experience. Many thanks.
David

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How to set a Talpex mole trap and get a 100% catching rate.

Received 21/07/2010  The Netherlands

I really think you helped me on trapping moles.

Occasionally I trapped a mole in my garden around my home, enough to get rid of them. But now I bought a small farm with a lot of moles around the yard, and the trapping will be more important.

Already I caught one within a day. But your compacting advise looks very helpful.

 

Received 29/07/2010  The Netherlands

We are 8 days further now and I trapped another three moles. I did set three traps and inspected or replaced the 3 times now.

Your website gave me confidence in what I have learned myself in the occasional trapping the last 10 years. Especially to look for the better places to set a trap.
Thus far (for only 4 catches) every time a trap went off, it caught a mole. The soil of my farm in the wetlands is peat and bog with ground water at 1 meter depth at the most.
 
Your website provides by far the best knowledge I could find on the web. Many thanks
 

Received 22/09/2010  The Netherlands

hello John,

 
The mole trapping count on my one acre plot has reached 30 today and I still suspect one or more diggers left.
I made an article of my trapping experience which I send to you in the attachments.
I think it could be a useful extension for your (excellent) instructions because I use Talpex traps and the trapping is done on moor land

Attachments

 Just for fun I want to share my experience in mole trapping with you. All trapping is done on an area of one acre with Talpex design traps of which you say you have no experience with.

 In July 2010 I bought a small  farm in a wetland reserve in The Netherlands. Really low land with a lot of water around. The whole place was infested with mole activity.

 The surrounding area consists of wet grass land and reed land. The surface level is at about +30 cm (12 inch) above groundwater. After heavy rain these surrounding lands have a groundwater depth of almost zero. So the moles cannot dig deep and after heavy rain have to retreat to the elevated places. I suppose they concentrate resting/nesting etc. in the elevated area’s.

 In 2 months I have trapped 30 moles which were living and digging on an area of about 4000 square meter (3400 square yard). A much higher mole density than you describe on your website. I suppose wet moor land has a very high number of worms per square meter, much higher than sand or clay soil. Mostly I see worms coming up indeed when hammering on the T-handle to prepare a hole.

By compacting the mole run, as shown on this website, this Dutchman has been able to catch 30 moles with a 100% success rate. Note the T-handle and mallet which is used to consolidate the mole run.

I use the Talpex design scissor trap. I suppose less easy to set but giving me excellent results provided you place a clump of soil underneath the trigger lever. Also you have to take care that the pin which holds the scissor open can swing outside when the lever is triggered. So no grass must be put there, loose soil only.

John, I think the scissor trap used by you is easier to set and less prone to setting faults. I looked at them in the shop and found out that the spring has much less power. Being a stubborn Dutchman and already having four of these Talpex traps I stick to them.  I am confident any mole passing the run will enter the trap only once in his lifetime. Not a single misfiring or digging around thus far.

 Prodding around with an electric fence pole to find a mole run is not useful in moor land, because it is too soft to feel the difference between soil and run.  I make a guess and then dig a rectangular hole with a small shovel, and then feel if I have found the run. (I have suggested that he uses a probe with a wider tip on the end. He is now going to make one.) All the other tricks you describe are applied by me, but creative as I am, I added one myself. I use a small old milking stool to sit on while setting the trap. This gives me the comfort to take ample time to prepare the hole, set the trap and cover it up. I always deepen the run at least an inch with the T-handle. I mark the place with two small wooden sticks and a piece of tape.

 One hole delivered 8 moles, Three others delivered 3 moles.  All multiple catch holes were along a hardened and slightly elevated path. Setting a trap is easy enough but finding an active mole run is for me the challenging part of the trade. Also one has to look in very detail where activity is going on, because of the shallow depth of digging –due to the high groundwater level- very few and very small mole heaps are showing. There are ‘tell tale’ small pieces of soil which are to be seen. My guess is also that after removing some 30 moles from this site a lot of unused tunnels are free to move in, so that is another reason for the few digging signs. After the 30th mole I still notice that a couple of moles are still to be trapped.

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Received 21/07/2010
John, we have been struggling with Moles over last 3 months after having a new lawn laid, we tried gassing, setting tunnel & scissor traps to no avail.

After studying & implementing your advice caught our first mole this week. Your explanations & rationale are the most comprehensive we have been able to locate.

We are certain that this is not the last of our friends but we will keep to your instructions.

Many Thanks

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Received 15/07/2010

Thank you for all the excellent mole catching information on your website, I have caught 9 moles in the last 8 weeks following your methods. However, there now seems to be a change in the moles habits, in that they are no longer producing runs and molehills, but burrowing along barely beneath the surface leaving haphazard raised furrows in the lawn. There isn't a proper tunnel in which to set the traps. Is this a common situation and have you any advice please.

My Reply

Moles burrowing just below the surface is very common, especially at this time of year as the ground becomes too hard for digging. 

The problem you have is similar to a friend that I helped recently. I went to his garden and found that moles had been working in the flower borders and vegetable patch, just below the surface. The moles just push their way through the soil leaving long raised humps.

After viewing the problem, my next thought is, I do not want to set any traps where there is mole activity. Where are the moles going for water? There was a small pond in the garden.  I want to set a trap in a main run. Now this garden has had moles for several years and the moles have put up heaps of soil in the lawn. The soil has been removed and now the ground is too hard for mole activity, but some of the mole runs are still there under the lawn where the moles can get between the flower beds and back to the pond. I look for a slight dip in the lawn, the width of a mole run which I found going towards the pond. I prodded the ground and found a mole run, where I set a trap. I then decided that it was still not the ideal spot as the trap was not near the boundary of the garden. I then went even farther away from where the moles were working and found a post and railed fence, 30 yards the other side of the pond and prodded the ground next to a fencing post and found a main run, where moles would come from the neighbouring field to the pond and garden. A trap set here in a main run where you do not see any mole heaps because the run has been there for years, soon caught 2 moles and has probably caught more by now.

Moles often have main runs along fence lines which is the ideal place to catch moles. 

My advice is, when you see mole activity, never think that you have to set a trap where they are working, but find a place where they are going back for water or out of the area.

Received 17/07/2010

Thank you for your prompt response. I did as you suggested and looked for signs of an existing main mole run, and could just make out the traces of an old line of molehills coming into the garden from our adjacent field, close against one of the stone gateposts. I prodded until I found the run and set a trap. When I checked a few hours later I had caught a mole. Since then there has been no evidence of mole activity in the garden. Thanks ever so much for your good advice.

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Received 31/05/2010  Scotland

My garden of circa 1.5 acres appears to defy the rule that only 5 moles live in an area of 1 acre, I had many more and reluctantly I became a mole catcher.  Looking at the various sites on the web I can only agree with your comments, many sellers looking to sell useless traps as well as their advice on a CD.  Your tips certainly concur with my trial and error experiences and I would suggest to any one plagued with moles to heed your advice. 

It is a shame though they are cute little creatures, but having spent many hundreds of pounds on ultrasonic devices, ‘humane mole smokes’ and other so called humane solutions, as well as many hours repairing damage, unfortunately there is no other option.  Thanks for your advice.

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Received 20/05/2010  France

Your words of wisdom are of immense value to an international audience. If I may preface further comment by noting that , in order to get in touch with you, the request entered into Google has to be rather specific as I have trawled through endless other "information" and trade outlets attempting to sell traps by the barrow load -

When I moved to France several years ago I brought with me one new "welded" scissors trap. We have a large garden - about 100 yards x50 yards - which is constantly inhabited by mole(s,) probably because adjacent land is the site of a lake? My sporadic and incompetent efforts at eradication proved absolutely hopeless. 

Eventually I found your excellent web site a few days ago, I thorougly enjoyed reading your superbly illustrated comments. You are too kind! The others seem to SELL such information on dvd... and only in conjunction with their DIY equipment kit.

I modified my trap as you instruct and carried out your siting recommendations to the letter. The following morning, I ( more accurately, you) had caught our first mole. My French neighbour was mightily impressed! 

The trap has been re-set without result and I note there is no present evidence "of further activity." Thank you for your brilliant description of  technique and making it possible for the amateur to succeed. I will be delighted to recommend you others. I'm not sure that the scissors trap is available over here. I have seen only one French device which resembled wire knitting in a hopeless tangle.

Received 28/05/2010  France
............. I have now apprehended the jungle dweller from the next door wilderness at the first attempt. You are an absolute genius!
Received 14/07/2010  France
As a result of your excellent instruction I have now "apprehended" four moles on my garden. What used to be a damned nuisance is now reduced to an occasional molehill. I actually have to go out looking for trouble!

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Received 12/05/2010  Cornwall

Having been plagued with moles in my garden, orchard and veg plot and having tried trapping them with what i now realize was a hopeless technique cobbled from other advice i had been given I cannot thank you enough for the superb tuition you have provided with excellent photography which clearly shows how to set traps properly. The advice on modifying the modern traps is also invaluable and has produced instant results with 2 moles caught in the space of 2 weeks !!  

John i will probably never meet you but you are a gentleman and i would imagine a true countryman who has shared knowledge without the thought of charging for it which as someone else commented is all to rare nowadays.

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Received 22/04/2010 Hampshire

Hi John,...just viewed your most interesting and informative website...I would have to agree with you regarding today's abysmal mole traps..In short..they are total rubbish!

 
Only today , I visited our local farm supplies shop, XXXXX,.and I could not even set the traps that were on offer...
 
They were imported traps from China,..and really badly made,..nothing seemed to fit
God knows how they catch?
 
Anyway,.once again,..a nice site,.....
 
All the best,.and good trapping....

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Received 18/03/2010

Could not wait to break the news, 2 traps set set on the 17/3/10 at 1400HR checked this morning at 0900HR and 1 mole caught, the traps were altered as your web page and set as such, one on a main run along side a fence and one set on a run out into the field between the last to mole hills, this was the one to bear the fruit. John you are the man, thank you yet again for the help and advice and keep spreading the gospel.

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Received 17/03/2010 Wales

many thanks again for your time and effort, and the priceless information you have given me.
As it happens i finally managed to catch a Mole yesterday evening, in a run that was so deep the trap handles barely stuck out of the ground. This trap was set only 10yards from the hedge  and in line with some mole hills a further 20yards out in the field.

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Received 03/02/2010 North Wales

Thank you sincerely for your excellent page concerning mole trapping, most informative and an inspiration to me.

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Received 13/09/2009 Hampshire

Thank you for producing a very informative web page on setting traps and catching moles - one of the best pages I have come across. It is a pleasant surprise to see someone who is willing to divulge information without wanting something in return - a rarity in today's society. In particular, I found your comments on catching moles easier on compacted ground, around gateways interesting. I would always shy away from compacted ground and this has changed my attitude. I also appreciated the time and effort you must have taken in producing the photographs and the use of grass in supporting the waste soil when setting the traps.

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Received 01/06/2009 Lincolnshire

We have had a mole problem for a couple of years at our local junior football club field and many people have come up with many weird and wonderful ideas of how to rid us of these pretty little pests from our peat soil on the edge of the fens. This is the most interesting and informative article I have yet found and have forwarded it to our chairman (chief mole catcher) who is equally optimistic that we will now improve on our very poor success rate. Chairman quoted; "Like the mole catching instructions, several very good points that we/I haven't followed before : i.e. compacting of the mole run and modifying the traps."

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Webpage designed and produced by
John Finnemore, Walcote Farm, Warwickshire.

 www.walcotefarm.co.uk