Moles in cultivated sandy soil

[Le Braconnier 49]

I've been passing a bit of time trapping moles for my landlord who farms about 600 acres. He bought the traps and I've been setting them in pasture with a degree of success. Initially I only had four horrible French scissor traps. They were hopeless and whilst I had six moles in them it was hard work. More recently he bought me some Duffus traps and a couple of Talpex traps and these have been a lot better.

 

Now I've been asked to clear some moles from a recently drilled maize field. Previously I was trapping on pasure with dense soil and a good root base. It was ideal for Duffus traps. The new field is very loose, dry and sandy. It has been ploughed and harrowed so the soil is very loose and there is little root growth to bind it. I was thinking of using the Talpex traps, but I'm a bit confused as to how they should be used. Many years ago when my old mate showed me how to set traps he used to put Talpex in with a light covering of turf over the axis bar. That is what I've been doing in the pasture. I've read recently that some prefer to fill the void with loose soil. That is totally against the way I was shown how to trap by my old mate. He cleared and polished the runs so they were cleaner than his front room

 

What would you guys recommend for the situation descried above.

 

Thanks in anticpation.

[longnetter 32]

For a lot of people using Talpex type traps is a massive leap of faith....it goes against everything you've learned......you've got to back fill the trap site......that's why they're so good in light sandy soils

[nod 285]

i dont bryn, never have backfilled the holes i have dug out,

[Rolfe 2]

For a lot of people using Talpex type traps is a massive leap of faith....it goes against everything you've learned......you've got to back fill the trap site......that's why they're so good in light sandy soils

 

As has been said..........the Talpex is a very powerful trap and will slice through back-filled light soils with ease........provided it is stone free. locate the runs in the conventional way and firm the bottom of the run, set the Taplex with the trigger plate just less than an inch from the bottom of the run and gently trickle loose soil around the trap intil all you can see are the top jaws of the trap. When infilling with soil ALWAYS fill the side opposite the holding pin first, otherwise the weight of soil can often cause the trap to fire if you do it the other way round......hope this helps a bit.....ATB Rolfe.

[trappa 518]

In soil like that with no root system, talpex is the way to go.

[Le Braconnier 49]

Looks like I'm going to have to get him to buy me some more. Can't see two going very far in his three 50 acre fields

 

Thanks for the replies. I will set then tonight with infill and see what occurs. I managed to coax one out in a Duffus overnight though so I will continue to set them too. Every little helps.

[Le Braconnier 49]

i dont bryn, never have backfilled the holes i have dug out,

 

Out of interest; do you leave the void open or put something over the top of the jaws?

[torchey 1,328]

All i do is expose the run and then fill it with fine soil maybe from a nearby mole hill,and with my finger under the trigger so it doesn,t go off push it into the run...works for me

[nod 285]

when using talpex i just use the sod of earth thay i cut out to put over the trap, in shallow runs i use flat pack

[logun 91]

shallow runs no need to open tunnel in light soil . just push the lid in a little and push trap in the ground... the best advise you ever get is from trial, land error.. try different traps ,locations and settings and you soon learn .. don't always listen to others on sites like this.. good reference must say but not every one has the same results as other on different ground etc.. try different things see what works best for you .

[Le Braconnier 49]

when using talpex i just use the sod of earth thay i cut out to put over the trap, in shallow runs i use flat pack

 

Can't do that in the maize field as it is bare loose earth. I've been covering the traps with plastic sheets weighted down with a wooden board and soil round the edges.

 

I've had the Talpex in two days now with no activations despite mole activity being evident around the traps. If they aren't triggered by tomorrow morning I'll re-set them elsewhere and leave the void open. The way they fill in my Duffus traps it might work better that way. I can't work the damn things out. One day last week I had five in seven traps. Then for three days nothing but soil filled traps and I was doing nothing different.

[Le Braconnier 49]

Well, I moved the Talpex and re-sited them in the same runs, but with the void rather than filled in. Tonight I went out to plant some Duffus traps I'd brought in for maintainance. I noticed that one of the Talpex had triggered. Nothing in it except soil though. I'm rubbish at this game

 

BTW; I daren't leave traps exposed on the surface.i.e pushed into shallow runs. If the buzzards, kites or eagles don't take them the foxes, martens, boar or badgers will. I've already had one attempt at digging a buried trap out.