Moles

[IanP]

Is it just me noticing for the first time, or has there been an explosion in the mole population? They seem to be everywhere this winter.

[JB9302]

Just been ouy this morning and commented on the vast amount of molehills in a local park , really made a mess of the grassed area , almost too many to count.
I can remember when I was a young lad my dad setting mole traps to control the moles in his garden , only ever seen a couple of live ones.

[Dogghound]

In winter they become more grouped up on dry raised ground, so this is likely to be the reason there seems more.

[Phoebe]

I noticed a narrow grass enbankment yesterday that was absolutely full of mole hills. I had some in my garden last year too and they were all along the lane. I thought there was something about stopping trapping them for a while, not sure though.

[Teal]

Yep thousands of them! The fact that most of the UK had frozen ground for almost a fortnight (and longer in some places) has kept the moles deeper. Now it has all thawed they can get active nearer the surface. I have also observed that even when the is frozen ground, roadsides are often covered in long rows of mole hills right up to the tarmac. I have always assumed that this is because the salt from griting lorries keeps the soil there unfrozen.

[Mungo]

I have notice hundreds of them too - I'm forever tripping up them

[Pippa]

We have recently had a thread on Moles on WAB and like a lot of people we have seen more mole hills than ever.

[Phoebe]

Originally Posted by Phoebe

I noticed a narrow grass enbankment yesterday that was absolutely full of mole hills. I had some in my garden last year too and they were all along the lane. I thought there was something about stopping trapping them for a while, not sure though.

It was strychnine that was banned, apparently that's how most of them were killed

[IanP]

Plenty of examples but no explanation. I wondered if it was because we've had such a wet year and the moles are suffering more frequent tunnel collapses.

[JB9302]

Spoke to my brother about it and he reckoned its because they are getting sexually active Know the Foxes are at it cos I saw them courting the other night , dont know about Moles tho.