Mole Catchers

Bald Rick

Moderator
Livestock Farmer
Location
Anglesey
Thank you, but how are they rated.
Anyone can say their the best at anything these days, so I'm trying to understand how they are rated before taking the plunge?

Not sure you can implicitly trust anything you find on the net but it is a goodish starting point. Word of mouth from someone you trust perhaps best though.

Or have a go yourself. Just remember to disguise your human smell when handling the traps as moles have acute smell. A good rub does the trick ..
 
Some decades ago you could buy stryctnene from a chemist. I have a vague memory of going on a course on how to use it for mole control. I bought some from Boots. The method was to put some in a jam jar and add some worms, they wriggle a lot so I guess it's an unpleasant experience for them! I only did it once it's extreemly dangerous stuff. Banned now of course ang quite rightly so.
 

neilo

Member
Mixed Farmer
Location
Montgomeryshire
@Ukjay are you officially an ag holding, with a Welsh CPH number? If you are then you can register with Farming Connect, who facilitate heavily (80-100%) subsidised training. Amongst many other things, you can do various pest control courses, including mole control.

tbh it’s not hard to teach yourself with a bit of internet research and talking to a few that catch (including on here), but a heavily subsidised course might be of interest?
As above, tunnel traps are £5-10 and there’s no harm in having a try. Be aware that it can be quite time consuming, and an addictive hobby once you get into it.

I have to admit that I gave in on one over run block last year, after clearing 120 elsewhere myself. My mole catcher had another 250 away (@£6 each!), then I cleared another 20 ‘misses’ from the same block in the summer.
I swear they’re breeding or something.:scratchhead:
 

Ukjay

Member
Location
Wales!
@Ukjay are you officially an ag holding, with a Welsh CPH number? If you are then you can register with Farming Connect, who facilitate heavily (80-100%) subsidised training. Amongst many other things, you can do various pest control courses, including mole control.

tbh it’s not hard to teach yourself with a bit of internet research and talking to a few that catch (including on here), but a heavily subsidised course might be of interest?
As above, tunnel traps are £5-10 and there’s no harm in having a try. Be aware that it can be quite time consuming, and an addictive hobby once you get into it.

I have to admit that I gave in on one over run block last year, after clearing 120 elsewhere myself. My mole catcher had another 250 away (@£6 each!), then I cleared another 20 ‘misses’ from the same block in the summer.
I swear they’re breeding or something.:scratchhead:

Yes, I'm registered and have a Welsh CPH number, but not sure a course will be available under the current sh!t storm, plus I'm already in a queue to complete some other training, which is having delay after delay unfortunately.

May just buy some traps and see what happens. If it goes Pete Tong, can always get the pros in.
 

Ukjay

Member
Location
Wales!
Traps cost a fiver, mole catchers £8 a mole, have a go ,you might be a natural. You’ll never know unless you try.

Not sure about being a natural, but willing to try anything, just like some insight first.

Only fools rush in as they say 👍

Currently picking these heavyweights up...

IMG_20201219_210956.jpg
 

Bald Rick

Moderator
Livestock Farmer
Location
Anglesey
Some decades ago you could buy stryctnene from a chemist. I have a vague memory of going on a course on how to use it for mole control. I bought some from Boots. The method was to put some in a jam jar and add some worms, they wriggle a lot so I guess it's an unpleasant experience for them! I only did it once it's extreemly dangerous stuff. Banned now of course ang quite rightly so.

Hence it’s name ... a corruption of “strike nine” ie it has the ability to kill nine times
 

Tubbylew

Member
Location
Herefordshire
Yes, I'm registered and have a Welsh CPH number, but not sure a course will be available under the current sh!t storm, plus I'm already in a queue to complete some other training, which is having delay after delay unfortunately.

May just buy some traps and see what happens. If it goes Pete Tong, can always get the pros in.
Thats the spirit.
 

Bald Rick

Moderator
Livestock Farmer
Location
Anglesey
Hmm, a rub on what 😂

1608495874368.gif


Make sure your not perfumed with anything like aftershave, deodorant or soaps and rub your hands in a mole hill to disguise scent.
Also make sure there are no light holes when setting the trap.

Alternatively, if you see them moving along just under the surface, you can stamp a heel just in front of the run then lift the mole our for dispatch. Cousin caught enough by that method to make himself genuine moleskin trousers
 

penntor

Member
Livestock Farmer
Location
sw devon
If mole catchers charge per mole caught how do you know he caught them on your ground and not just taking dead moles from farm to farm. Not saying all mole catchers are dishonest but years ago I used to go lamping with someone who would catch a couple of foxes and take them from farm to farm claiming he had caught them on that farmers ground!!.
 

neilo

Member
Mixed Farmer
Location
Montgomeryshire
If mole catchers charge per mole caught how do you know he caught them on your ground and not just taking dead moles from farm to farm. Not saying all mole catchers are dishonest but years ago I used to go lamping with someone who would catch a couple of foxes and take them from farm to farm claiming he had caught them on that farmers ground!!.

Don’t all mole catchers leave them on the farm where they were caught (either in a bucket or hung on the fence), as proof?
 

Ukjay

Member
Location
Wales!
Any one else struggling to get them due to this wet weather? Struggling I think to keep the tunnel intact and firm enough around the traps. Each one of them full of soil :banghead::banghead::banghead::banghead:

I have to admit, the mole hills look like cow pats with all this rain, but there are quite a few now and moving on up to what will become the garden.
 

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