I sat on the clematis bench in the veg garden the other day, sunbathing, reading and smoking. My eyes were taken by something moving under the soil, causing the surface to crack. I was fascinated by this for about an hour as the cracks moved about across the garden, under the planted rows, loosening seedlings and lifting some right out.
This is causing a serious nuisance. I looked up moletraps; found some that kill, which I don't want to do; and some which catch the mole in a tube inserted into the mole's tunnel. The mole is then transferred somewhere else. However, though this catcher initially sounds like a good, humane idea, further research reveals that it isn't necessarily so. A lot of distress is caused to the trapped mole; possibly thirst and starvation if it's not released soon enough, and it might face a territorial fight when it's released on another mole's turf.
Right now, I'm trying a battery-operated deterrent which pushes into the ground and vibrates every thirty seconds, annoying moles. I've also found a site recommending Jeye's Fluid, a disinfectant that I've long used and respected. A solution of 1:20 Jeye's Fluid to water is poured down the highest hole. This is kept up for 10 days. The moles have a highly-developed sense of smell and are discouraged by the disinfectant. A barrier to drive the moles away in the desired direction can be made by pouring a 1:40 solution across the area.
This site tells all about it:
Garden Advice.
