Curiosity, How The Hell Did Moles Get There?

[Tiercel 6,986]

I enjoy reading this forum, I have no aspirations to become a pest controller, (personally I think you all need you heads read.) Joke !

 

I have had the same job for the last ten years and travelled the same route every week. Around about the same time every year molehills start appearing on the grass verges, although they do seem to be a bit earlier this year. But there is one part of a dual carriageway a grassed central island that has never had a mole hill on until last week, when I seen three on there.

 

How the hell did that / those mole / that moles get there? To my mind there is only one way, he / they tunnelled there? But it takes some believing that a mole can tunnel under a dual carriageway with the depth of foundation of the road.

 

Or can they travel overland / road to reach new ground, or dig deep enough to get under the footings of the road?

 

TC

Edited December 22, 2014 by tiercel

[moxy 617]

:laugh: you wouldn't believe the places they get to.

 

Both of what you mentioned

 

And in some instances I've often thought they have had a nice flight and a lucky escape.

[Tiercel 6,986]

If they can travel overland then that would explain it. As I remember this road being built about 30 years ago. and even though it has islands now the footings go the complete width of the two roads. So for it to tunnel there it would have to tunnel up though the footings. is this possible for them?

 

TC

[nod 285]

i had a call few years back a guy had i lake with an island in the middle he said it was full of mole hills, i wanted to go there just to have a look but it was in essex and im in cambs so bit too far, but they are good swimmers as well, most likely the ones your on about went over top

[stubby 175]

they can swim too

[Neal 1,853]

While on holiday in Devon several years ago, my wife and I went to the Dartington Cider Press and saw one wandering around above ground on the grass verge near the car park. In this case it was still on grass and near its original hole but it was out for ages. It ended up with a ring of about three dozen people standing watching it bimble around for at least a quarter of an hour. Wonderful sight.

[air gun ant 1,666]

they are bloody fast above ground also

[shropshire mole 190]

As said, moles can run at 2.2mph, swim and tunnel.

 

I was told by an old mole catcher: sometimes you find moles/hills in the middle of a field and no hills anywhere in the rest of field or fields.

 

Go back to middle ages, the field was probably many little paddocks each belonging to individuals. They may had moles and their runs, over time the paddocks have gone and reverted back to one big field.

 

There may be an old mole run, which went to some of the old paddocks, deep enough not to be bothered by the plough that goes from the edge to the middle, moles use these runs and come up in the middle.

 

or of course, they parachuted in under the cover of darkness

[bunny tickler 876]

over the years i have picked up 2 moles in broad daylight ,both was near streams on warm sunny days ?

[davedavedave 69]

I also have a theory that cats catch them and then drop them without killing them - we all know how quickly they can bury themselves when the cat is distracted. A friend saw this happen and it would explain how they end up in some strange domestic situations.

[IanB 0]

Travelled above ground.

[Rowan 308]

had a lady ask me if I spread them using mole seed

[walshie 2,804]

Mole bus.

[earth-thrower 493]

Its fairly common for moles to travel, field/land drains, & buried pipes (drainage,etc).In them,or along side,etc.Old or new,.....

[Squirrel_Basher 17,100]

Dont they ever scream when picked up and bite if you let them .Dogs had one on top ratting Saturday