It Ain't Half Hot Mum!

[Nicepix 5,650]

Just back into it after two weeks off mole trapping and the temps have soared up to the low thirties making the job a bit of grind. The soil in some of the areas I've been working was like dust and just opening up a tunnel results in is collapsing and running away from me so the hole can end up far too long. That's where the Putanges come in handy. In other areas the clay ground has gone like iron and the probe barely goes in. Its been a case of searching out the more moist areas and working out where the commuting runs lead to. Often several moles are travelling into the same damp patch to feed so I've largely been trapping the customer's neighbours moles as well as their own residents. Fortunately most of my jobs are return visits so I haven't had to put in as many traps as when doing the first clearance in a garden.

 

It has forecast to go up to 38C next week though so I've put my jobs back a week. I know when I'm beat

[forest of dean redneck 11,622]

Oh,I thought it was about the old comedy tv program

[Nicepix 5,650]

I look a bit like Lofty when I've got my shorts on.

[shropshire mole 190]

Most of my mole traps have been put away, keep a few out just in case, going to be hot here next week as well Clive

[Frontbum 76]

WInsor Davis now they don't make um like that any more lol.

Im still catching loads at the mo 2s& 3s in small areas which is strange thought the breeding would have eased off by now

Edited June 27, 2015 by Frontbum

[Nicepix 5,650]

It will be the more moist areas Gary. At this time of year more than others I find that moles share feeding areas that have some humidity in the soil. They will commute a long way through dry dusty tunnels to get to the damp areas to feed. I did the grounds of a château last week where the stables and other large outbuildings had no guttering. Quite common out here in old buildings. All the moles were caught coming from neighbouring land into the channel that was still damp under the surface owing to the drainage from those buildings.

 

This year has followed last in the patterns of calls I have been getting. In another week or so the phone will be red hot with calls from one specific area out to the west where the third hatch of the year will be getting their marching orders from Mum. Then the following weeks will see me working further to the north-east in the higher ground. Other than holidays I'm working all year.

[mole trapper 1,693]

Personally, I blinking hate summer mole jobs! Ahhh, they are driving me to distraction here at the mo. Ground is dry as a bone, moles only travelling through every week or so. So frustrating!.

Forecast 25-26 degrees here next week.

NP, still not caught in the putanges yet, but not worried "yet" as I'm barely catching in any of the others.

Looks like I'll be over again, end of next month for a few days, hopefully it will still be hot hot hot!

Edited June 27, 2015 by mole trapper

[Nicepix 5,650]

The Putanges are ideal for those jobs where the mole isn't passing through daily. I have several gardens that have been cleared and there are two or three pairs of Putanges on sentinel duty mopping up any moles passing through. I take a large wedged shaped clod out of a main run, put the traps in and peg them down then replace the clod and mark it with orange paint so the customer or gardener can go over it with the lawn mower without damage. I'll check them whenever I'm passing.

[Nicepix 5,650]

Still hot and dry and while the work has slowed down I'm still working on new jobs every week. We haven't had any rain for almost a month and the temp' has never been less than 30C. Started a job on Monday in a 6,500m2 open expanse of a garden that had quite a bit of historic activity, but most of the tumps were stale and had obviously been made prior to the last rain a month ago. My heart sank as I'd travelled almost an hour and a half to the job and the fee reflected this. Everything was a dry as a witch's fanny until I got right to the bottom of the garden where there was an old, well-established fortress under some trees in a small patch of damp ground. Couldn't get a trap in the fortress area due to the extensive roots but managed to find a run along a fence nearby that would take a Duffus. A little way up the garden, about 30 metres from the nest, was the last tumps that had been made, around 10 days ago. The clay ground was bone dry and hard and part of the tunnel was just sub surface so I popped a pair of Putanges in. The rest of the traps went into boundary areas.

 

Got back today and as the customer was going to accompany me I started at the bottom of the garden. Nothing worse that lifting trap after trap without success and then getting it on the last one. Not when the punter is watching anyway. The fence line trap had a wire up and there was satisfying resistance in one of the Putanges in the second trap checked. Nothing else disturbed, but who cares? Result achieved. Invoice can be written out.

 

85 minutes each way for 15 minutes on the job so I stopped off on the way home for a couple of hours fishing,

[shropshire mole 190]

Nice One Clive, glad you have your priorities right - fishing

[Nicepix 5,650]

I usually have some tackle on the van and over here you can fish any river and many public lakes as long as you have a rod licence. No need for day tickets or club memberships. If I've got an hour to spare I'll stop off at a river and try my luck, give my dog a walk and have a spot of lunch. It's a hard life, but I don't complain - much

[mole trapper 1,693]

It's been dry in the main here except for a couple of days, thankfully it's slowed the mole jobs up a bit as the wasps have started and with how humid it is the fleas will be kicking off any day "ching ching".

Could have almost made enough to get by on this year from moth jobs alone, very strange season, think I say that every year though!.

 

Now, if you could arrange for some of that 30c to be up around Brittany next Thursday for five days that would be lovely, see if you can get that arranged Clive if you,d be so kind lol.

Edited July 16, 2015 by mole trapper

[Nicepix 5,650]

Unfortunately the Meteo is showing 23C and thunderstorms for three days from next Thursday.

 

http://www.meteofrance.com/previsions-meteo-france/rennes/35000

[Nicepix 5,650]

Got a call from a woman today who's friend had recommended me:

 

"How big is your garden?"

"Don't know the square metres."

"Well is it as big as a football pitch?"

"They always say that on TV and I don't know how big a football pitch is."

"Well, they always relate deserts and jungles to the size of Wales don't they?"

"It's definitely not as big as Wales."

"That'll be €150 then."

"OK, that's fine."

 

Don't you just love them?

[DIDO.1 22,842]

Iv had a month and a half flat out...almost fainted twice from dehydration and heat stroke...the Mrs has spent every penny iv earned on our wedding and one day at great yorkshire show...this week my phone has been dead and she's asking for a holiday...one day I'll balance my accounts

Edited July 17, 2015 by DIDO.1