Vagueness and the Aftermath - A sporadic diary

[The_duke]

Home made zapper, mix one-cup of Oil Soap (The stuff you clean wooden floors with) with a small bit of castor oil (approx table spoon full) and a quarter cup cayenne pepper. Mix these three ingredients with three cups of water. Pour this mixutre into the mole's tunnel and zap the little feckers.

[themisery]

Apologies. Quick digression.

As my figures will suggest, I am, thus far, a reader of posts and not a contributor to. That may have to change.

Around an hour ago I was browsing and came across this thread. Red, in the 18 months since the post I've reached you may have had something published. If not, you must. I get through a couple of books a week minimum, some of them supposed comedy. I honestly don't think I can remember laughing out loud for as long as I just have at your 'roof fixing exploits' of Jan 2008. Your writing and recounting of stories is superb. Brightened up my evening. I will return for my next instalment now.

Different gravy....

The Misery.

[RED-DOG]

Apologies. Quick digression.

As my figures will suggest, I am, thus far, a reader of posts and not a contributor to. That may have to change.

Around an hour ago I was browsing and came across this thread. Red, in the 18 months since the post I've reached you may have had something published. If not, you must. I get through a couple of books a week minimum, some of them supposed comedy. I honestly don't think I can remember laughing out loud for as long as I just have at your 'roof fixing exploits' of Jan 2008. Your writing and recounting of stories is superb. Brightened up my evening. I will return for my next instalment now.

Different gravy....

The Misery.

  Well thank you very much indeed. I really appreciate that, but what do you think about these moles? 

[EvilPie]

If I were you Tom I'd risk upsetting TK and kill the little bleeders.

Think of how many worms you'll be saving.

[pokefast]

Is there a humane way of catching and removing the moles?

If not i think you have any alternative really, you must see them off!

[RED-DOG]

Is there a humane way of catching and removing the moles?

If not i think you have any alternative really, you must see them off!

Unfortunately not. Moles are extremely difficult to deal with.

I've been on the case since early this morning. I'm just having my brekkie, then I will post a few pics and explain in a bit more detail.

[tikay]

1) How did you get that stunning photo of that Mole Tom? Was it from google images?

2) Please explain - I need technical evidence on this - what a "shebang" is, & why are shebangs usually whole?

According to Wiki

Shebang is a slang term for the matter at hand, as in the phrase, "the whole shebang". The word is also slang for a party, gathering or event, such as "I'm throwing a little shebang at the barn tonight".

The origin of the word is the American Civil War. A shebang was a tent-like hovel made from clothes and blankets that Union prisoners of war made and lived in inside the Andersonville prison camp in the Confederate state of Georgia. The camp officials provided no shelter at all for the prisoners of this notorious open-air camp.


Google provided the mole pic. The fabulous one of the damaged thumb is my own. (And subject to copyright).

PS- I hope to be able to post pictures of deceased moles in the very near future.

Please don't kill the moles.
 

FMP

[RED-DOG]

In the old days, when animals didn’t matter, the tool of choice for mole eradication was strychnine. I’ve seen it used many times, and it’s uber effective.

Method: Pour about a quarter of a teaspoon (Enough to kill the population of a small city) of strychnine crystals into an old jam jar, add a dozen or so earth worms (The worms die instantly on contact with the strychnine) and then drop them into the mole tunnels at various intervals.

Mr Mole comes along and eats one of the worms, and voila! He’s dead. End of.

But, as Shakespeare once said, Therein lies the rub.

You see, it’s not end of. With strychnine, it’s never end of. The poison doesn’t degrade, so eventually, some unsuspecting creature, (a fox perhaps) comes strolling across the meadow. He stops in mid jog. His sensitive nose has detected the heady scent of decaying mole two inches below the ground. Within moments, the mole corpse is exhumed and eaten. Not long after that, Mr Fox is himself a corpse.

A couple of days later, a carrion crow stumbles upon the dead fox and…..   Well, I needn’t go on, I’m sure you get the picture.

The use of strychnine as a method of pest control was outlawed many years ago. (Although some of the farmers that I know still have the odd pound or two sitting on a shelf in a rotting paper bag, ready to use when no one is looking).

These days, the rest of us have to rely on more humane methods.

[Dingdell]

In the old days, when animals didn’t matter, the tool of choice for mole eradication was strychnine. I’ve seen it used many times, and it’s uber effective.

Method: Pour about a quarter of a teaspoon (Enough to kill the population of a small city) of strychnine crystals into an old jam jar, add a dozen or so earth worms (The worms die instantly on contact with the strychnine) and then drop them into the mole tunnels at various intervals.

Mr Mole comes along and eats one of the worms, and voila! He’s dead. End of.

But, as Shakespeare once said, Therein lies the rub.

You see, it’s not end of. With strychnine, it’s never end of. The poison doesn’t degrade, so eventually, some unsuspecting creature, (a fox perhaps) comes strolling across the meadow. He stops in mid jog. His sensitive nose has detected the heady scent of decaying mole two inches below the ground. Within moments, the mole corpse is exhumed and eaten. Not long after that, Mr Fox is himself a corpse.

A couple of days later, a carrion crow stumbles upon the dead fox and…..   Well, I needn’t go on, I’m sure you get the picture.

The use of strychnine as a method of pest control was outlawed many years ago. (Although some of the farmers that I know still have the odd pound or two sitting on a shelf in a rotting paper bag, ready to use when no one is looking).

These days, the rest of us have to rely on more humane methods.

My friends dog died under these circumstances. They were on a walk across some local fields and the dog had a sniff and a lick at a dead badger killed by a local farmer using poison, my friend walked round the corner and stopped him before he could do any more not realising the danger. Shortly afterwards the dog became unwell and within the day was dead. Autopsy revealed poison which the rspcs then traced back to the badger which was still there. V sad.

[RED-DOG]

Please don't kill the moles.
 

At this juncture, I have to point out that Tony lives in that wonderful Utopian world where chickens hatch from the egg already dead, plucked, eviscerated, quartered, coated with 11 different herbs and spices and deep fried.

[gatso]

why don't you pave the bits around the caravans that you walk on when it's dark?

[Dingdell]

why don't you pave the bits around the caravans that you walk on when it's dark?

I'm no handyman but suggest you do it while it's light - paving when it's dark will make it more difficult imo. 

[gatso]

tom probs has a torch, he's the type

[RED-DOG]

why don't you pave the bits around the caravans that you walk on when it's dark?

Yesterday, before I went to DTD I cleared rthe mole hills away. This is what I found this morning.  (Note: They have chucked the soil on to the paving)

Click to see full-size image.

Click to see full-size image.

Click to see full-size image.

[gatso]

ahh, I see. didn't realise the hills were so big or actually spread so far onto the paving