Mole Apocalypse
I recently mentioned in passing that the rodent control executive whose services I had cause to call on told me that most of his time these days is taken up with controlling an epidemic of moles whose activities are annoying the hell out of local people, especially those with lawns. On the way to work the other day I took a couple of pictures near the River Taff in Bute Park which show how severe the problem is…
If all this is the work of one critter he or she’s been very busy indeed!
Now, what was that line again?
“The houses are blind as moles (though moles see fine to-night in the snouting, velvet dingles)..”
In the Dark 
February 1, 2011 at 9:22 pm
A year ago I had moles digging up my garden so I went to the local garden shop for some smoke bombs that would kill them, but was told that the general public could now buy only non-lethal anti-mole smoke bombs. I pointed out that these would presumably just drive the moles next door, to wreck my neighbour’s garden, until he did the same thing… there is TOO MUCH LEGISLATION (and too many moles). Thankfully a local countryman educated me what to do.
February 1, 2011 at 9:51 pm
I never asked the guy how he deals with moles, but it was clear that it involves a large shovel.
February 1, 2011 at 10:25 pm
If shovels are involved at all then they will be using two of them to isolate the mole in a specific segment of tunnel; they then dig the mole out with a third. Capital punishment of moles being out, it is then presumably given its own accommodation and allowance courtesy of the Welfare State.
February 1, 2011 at 10:02 pm
My parents had huge problems with moles in the garden but you can now buy these sonic repellers. They are an aluminium stick that goes in the ground and emits high frequencies that moles and other rodents dislike.
They say they’ve not had another molehill since the moment they put it in the ground over a year ago.
As always with such interventions in ecosystems one doesn’t fully understand you wonder what the knock-on effects might be – Earthworm Apocalypse in 2012 perhaps.
February 1, 2011 at 10:27 pm
Your parents’ neighbours might be in a position to inform you of the knock-on effects…
February 2, 2011 at 7:01 pm
I think they’ve all got one now – with the added benefit that everyone has something to chat about over the garden fence.
February 1, 2011 at 10:51 pm
Come to think of it, maybe it’s not moles at all. Those pics look remarkably like bits of comet Shoemaker-Levy plunging into Jupiter; alternatively, evidence for Bigfoot…
February 2, 2011 at 9:17 am
You should move to Ireland – no moles (or snakes).
February 3, 2011 at 8:41 am
In my opinion, moles are fascinating little creatures, and while I would definitely try to evict them from my garden, I don’t see why anyone would value an unbroken expanse of grass over a mole colony, unless you need a pitch for sport.
February 3, 2011 at 9:18 am
Not In My Back Yard….