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Mole control

Tired of moles digging up your garden? Fed up with voles burrowing up your plants? Then you’ve probably tried all types of remedies that range from the moderately useful to totally useless – in the form of pellets, solar mole repellers, camphor blocks, garlic cloves … and still the moles return.

I’ve given up with trying to control or get rid of them. Nothing I’ve tried has worked. Until …

The best mole deterrent I’ve had so far …

On Mole Control

Unfortunately said “mole controller” does a fair amount of damage in her eagerness to get the job done …

Mole Control

Mole Control

But it works!!

I have no idea what happened to the mole, but there were no new mole-piles this morning so it seems her two hour barking and digging session paid off.

What have you found to be effective against moles?

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Bugs & Pests Christine's garden Gardening

Bug Day

Is there a ‘Garden Bloggers Bug Day’? Just kidding, I couldn’t actually cope with another ‘gardening meme‘ – there are so many great ones and simply not enough time to join in with all of them, but as I always seem to be posting about bugs and know of at least two other bloggers that do it too, it got me wondering whether it’s just the few of us that are so fascinated by the bugs we encounter in the garden or are there more of us out there? If anyone did start one I’d certainly have plenty of material to contribute. Sometimes I seem to have more bugs than blooms 🙂

Look who’s back! I could cry!

Mole damage, Again!

Then we have a good guy … I love photographing them especially when I see them on lovely blooms

Lovely bees all over the blooms

And then this one looks ordinary enough and I leave them be even though they cause lots of damage to foliage. At this time of year it hardly seems to matter because everything is going to be getting a jolly good cut back one of these days. So I just let them eat!

bugsCaterpillar

I read somewhere that these markings are supposed to scare predators into thinking they are big and scary … I think they are remarkable (and kinda scary)!

Caterpillar "face"I suspect the caterpillar will morph into this …

Big moth

And then look who’s eating whom!

Dragonfly

I don’t have any gloriously exotic bugs to show. But hey, they’re mine!

Who’s been eating your garden lately?

xxx

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Bugs & Pests Christine's garden Gardening Home page features Products

A Solar Mole Repeller – Did they see me coming?

I have a problem with Moles! They burrow up my garden in search of earthworms and grubs (the former of which I have plenty, the latter, hopefully a few less). I’m fed up with their relentless pursuit of my earthworms and the never ending mounds of soil they kick up in search of them. I’ve tried organic control with some pungent smelling garlic liquid formulation you are supposed to pour down the holes – problem is I can never find the holes and when I do … well, it didn’t work! They keep coming and keep messing up my garden.

I have big plans to plant spring flowering bulbs in my garden – this weekend being the big “Bulb Planting Weekend”. I believe moles eat the bulbs. As I have no intention of allowing the moles to eat all my precious bulbs it was time to get serious about mole-prevention. Yes I’ve bought bulb planting trays to protect the bulbs and yes, I will continue to use the organic garlic mole repellent liquid as and when I see their “holes”, but what else can I do to stop them entering my garden? After all, I’m sure my neighbours have quite enough earthworms and grubs for them so … go to # 15 Moles!! They serve better grubs than we do here at #13!

Enter the Solar Mole Repeller (made in China!). Right – I’m not convinced this is going to work but I’m so fed up with the moles that I’m willing to try anything at this stage, so I purchased two of these devices and they’ve just been “planted” in the garden! The first one went in, no sound or vibrations but when I put the second one into it’s designated spot it started making a strange vibrating sort of sound – irritating enough for Dexter to bark at it! Had to calm him down and convince him we need this thing in the garden – lets hope he doesn’t dig it up!

[one_half]The Mole heapsThe Mole heaps[/one_half]

[one_half_last]Mole Repeller openedMole Repeller opened[/one_half_last]

[one_half]Connect the wiresConnect the wires[/one_half]

[one_half_last]Mole repeller in situMole repeller in situ[/one_half_last]

I really hope this works!

Happy gardening
xxx

PS: The blurb on the box says (spelling and grammar unaltered!): A kind of solar energy device making use of ultrasonic to expel moles. To expel rodents (applicable to such animals as moles and shrews), operated on solar energy. Transmitting ultrasonic via vibration, Garden Solar Pest Repeller is used to affect the acute hearing of underground rodents, with very effective preventive effect. The ultrasonic will deceive them, making them feel endangered, so as to force them away from the vibrating area. Transmitting ultrasonic every 30 seconds, Garden Solar Pest Repeller has an effective range of 650 square meters. Garden Solar Pest Repeller radiates in all directions. During radiation, there shall be no any obstruction to tamper with the ultrasonic. To achieve the best performance, we strongly recommend that 2 devices be installed every 30 meters for those areas frequented by rodents. Garden Solar Pest Repeller works on a solar cell, while the other rechargeable cell is charged for nocturnal use. When a cell is fully charged, it can supply power when light is unable to drive Garden Solar Pest Repeller, so as to ensure continuous 48-hour operation.

PPSS: “Did they see me coming?” in my post title refers to the people who sell these things. I’m not convinced these will work, sounds to good to be true but time will tell!