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Post by Mumsey on Oct 28, 2018 3:23:08 GMT -5
desertwoman, Must have been moles or voles. They were smallish tunnels.
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Post by martywny on Nov 1, 2018 8:35:52 GMT -5
I use other people's cats! My neighbor has two that wander through my property plus we also have a good assortment of foxes and hawks on patrol. I will be adding mesh to the bottoms of my raised beds as I go through them over the next few weeks.
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Post by binnylou on Nov 1, 2018 9:00:17 GMT -5
I see that I have a mole in the veggie garden again...there was a tunnel around the outer edge of a raised bed. Luckily it was one that has mesh on the bottom. I think he's lookin' for my worms. A gopher has moved into my flower garden. I assume he will find my tulips and daffodils? And somebody is digging out in the south yard. Not burrowing, not tunneling. I think it's deer. I have a pile of dirt out on the south part that I have been harvesting from. The last time I used from it, I left shoveling marks in the dirt. Then I noticed yesterday, it was all smoothed out and crumbly. I think deer have been taking a dust bath on top of it. Does that sound feasible? I can't think of any other reason for the dirt surface to change.
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Post by tom 🕊 on Nov 1, 2018 9:33:38 GMT -5
I see that I have a mole in the veggie garden again. Harpoon traps work good for moles. Set it and leave it for a few weeks. If children are about, cover it with a bucket. I have gotten some with a pitch fork. Go down the tunnel jabbing every few inches. My problem is shrews. They make a mole hill like a mole but are much smaller. I can catch them in plastic mouse traps placed in the ground and across their tunnels, but it's tedious. I have been after one for a year. |
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Post by binnylou on Nov 1, 2018 9:40:32 GMT -5
Shrews are so tiny and fast, I can't imagine anything that would catch them. |
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Post by tom 🕊 on Nov 1, 2018 10:10:59 GMT -5
Shrews are so tiny and fast, I can't imagine anything that would catch them. The kind I have here are different from yours. They are bigger than a mouse and smaller than a mole. They come in different colors -- brown, black, and blue grey. They have beautiful fur and are venomous. I never touch a live one. Internet advice on controlling shrews is poor. |
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Post by binnylou on Nov 1, 2018 10:19:36 GMT -5
I will be adding mesh to the bottoms of my raised beds as I go through them Sounds like a lot of work, martywny. How many beds will you be changing over to mesh bottoms. If you are doing that, it's a good time to put leaves and other goodies at the bottom of the beds. |
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Post by martywny on Nov 1, 2018 10:58:19 GMT -5
Sounds like a lot of work Yep, it is a lot of work binnylou but it needs to be done and I need the exercise plus it feels so good to go from the cold, wet outside into the hot tub when I'm done. I also want to add some reinforcement to the beds that will help keep them from bowing out. |
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Post by Mumsey on Nov 2, 2018 3:36:46 GMT -5
Dachshunds are great shrew hunters. Years ago when we lived in the big city we had shrews and a doxie. She could get them.
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Post by tom 🕊 on Nov 2, 2018 13:09:35 GMT -5
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Post by binnylou on May 26, 2020 16:05:10 GMT -5
When going to the garden shed this afternoon, right there on the step to the shed was a dead mole. Laid out nice and flat.
So now the question of who brought it in. Mama fox leaving it for a kit? The feral cat that hangs around, just leaving a gift? Well, whoever caught it, I’m most appreciative. I doubt if Kitty did this. She usually brings her presents to the front steps or to the deck door. And she’s getting lazy.
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Post by binnylou on Dec 1, 2023 12:12:53 GMT -5
Moles have been really busy. They’ve moved in to the area between the veggie garden and the big oak tree. Huge piles of dirt connected by tunnels. And the flower bed, which is on the opposite side of our property. The word “explosives” has been wandering through my mind…  |
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Post by pondgardener on Dec 1, 2023 19:32:21 GMT -5
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Post by binnylou on Dec 1, 2023 19:37:13 GMT -5
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Post by binnylou on Dec 2, 2023 9:45:29 GMT -5
pondgardener, hubby did remind me that he has some “supplies “ left from his muzzleloading days. I’m not sure I can move fast enough for such activities.
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