As we walked out of our drive a month or two ago, we noticed an odd hole. There are no rabbits here and cats rarely make holes, just a smelly dump. We knew it was odd but thought no more about it. Then, when we returned off holiday, I saw the mounds of soil. It was a moment of realisation. That hole was the entry point for our mole. He or she simply walked up our drive and dived into bed. All that soft, compost rich soil must be a little mole heaven. However, Ann levelled and trod down many of the soil piles. That clearly irritated the mole and by the following morning, all the piles had erupted again. Our neighbours told us that garden moles are ever present in houses further down.

The farming view

I called at the Mill, our local farming suppliers. They have everything a farmer might need, but with an edge to it. I asked if they had a mole trap, adding, a humane one! The young woman looked at me with a measure of disbelief. She didn’t say it but was thinking, why would anybody want a live mole? I resorted to the internet and found a suitable trap, which is awaited. I say suitable knowing that the RSPCA consider live trapping as cruel. However, is it cruel considering that the alternative is death? I also need to decide where to place a live mole. Putting it on a farmers field would not be the way forward. I need some wild woodland.

Garden moles

The humane trap arrived. It is a rather flimsy plastic tube with metal flaps at either end. Before I use it, I will try some other options. Lion poo is difficult to come by but human urine much easier. Some pee down the holes is worth trying, and more stamping down. However, if it abandons our garden, where will it walk to? A neighbours garden is not ideal. However, the mole disappeared. I reckon it was the local cats, all intrigued by it and watching every day. Somebody then saw a dead mole nearby. The mole is no longer down the hole!