Using mole traps

[bunnyboiler 1,053]

Straight out of the box Had all my traps out on a couple of jobs so had to use the brand new flatpack tunnels I had in the shed but had no time to tweak them when a call came through that there’s mole hills appearing in the church yard this was the result the mole had gone through the loop and the trigger loop

[Nicepix 5,650]

I've had a similar thing happen a couple of times on tuned traps. It is down to a mole trying to wriggle through the trigger loop rather than pushing it.  You have to rotate the mole 90 degrees to get it back through the trigger loop. Same happens with Putanges. Some moles are caught sideways on due to them rotating onto their sides to get through the prongs.

 

[Nicepix 5,650]

35 minutes ago, W. Katchum said:

Not a fan of flat pack meself

What do you use?

[Nicepix 5,650]

Thanks. I ask because I sometimes get offered traps that people have bought and then find that they can't trap moles. Most of them are absolute crap, but I haven't yet found any that are better or even as good as the Flatpack traps I've got, some of which I've been using for 9 years.

[Nicepix 5,650]

Thanks, but I'll pass on Pest Stop traps having seen some a customer had brought over. I just with I could find some of the original, unbranded Flatpack traps that I bought in 2012. They were far better than the subsequent ones, but even they are better than anything else I've seen. Some worked OK from new, but I reckon they wouldn't last long. 

[Nicepix 5,650]

No, the ones I had a look at were Pest Stop. Also Defenders are not up to much IMO. The worst was an unbranded trap sold by an Ipswich based ebay seller that could not be set. The things I look for are strength of the wires. If you can bend them by hand I'm not interested.

The company that distributed French made Putanges has closed. I don't know where you could get them from now. The Lucifer brand that used to be good are Chinese crap now, as are most sold in France. I got a batch from a farm suppliers to try, but they didn't last two months. I mainly use stainless Putanges as they last a lot longer, but my supplier is having difficulties getting stock. There are some stainless Putange traps advertised on ebay, however they don't look like stainless traps to my eye, but possibly worth a try.

I haven't spoken to my brother in law for a while now so don't know his situation. He might have some stocks of Putanges left. He goes by ian portman on ebay. 

P.s. don't bother with the hand set traps.

Edited October 1, 2021 by Nicepix

[mole trapper 1,693]

I've still got a couple of my original bethel Rhodes knocking about here from when I set out originally (21 years now), no rust and the springs still good.

[Nicepix 5,650]

I went out to get a new carburettor solenoid for my mower today. The concessionaires wanted the engine model, the serial number, my inside leg measurement and other important details none of which I had. Apparently the make and model  of the mower isn't enough for the pretty young girl's computer to search on. So I went down to the place I get my mole traps from. They have a dark, Dickensian workshop staffed by old men in grubby overalls. I showed the faulty solenoid to one of the blokes, he had a cigarette behind one ear and a pen behind the other. The bloke muttered something, walked off to the back of the workshop and came back with a new one. He scribbled a price on a bit of paper and told me to pay in the shop downstairs. No computers were troubled during this transaction.

Why do I mention this irrelevant topic? Because while I was in the shop queuing to pay one of the staff came over and told me they now had some stainless Putanges in stock. Only 10, but more coming next week. Happy days 

[tilimangro 1,013]

On 01/10/2021 at 08:04, Nicepix said:

No, the ones I had a look at were Pest Stop. Also Defenders are not up to much IMO. The worst was an unbranded trap sold by an Ipswich based ebay seller that could not be set. The things I look for are strength of the wires. If you can bend them by hand I'm not interested.

The company that distributed French made Putanges has closed. I don't know where you could get them from now. The Lucifer brand that used to be good are Chinese crap now, as are most sold in France. I got a batch from a farm suppliers to try, but they didn't last two months. I mainly use stainless Putanges as they last a lot longer, but my supplier is having difficulties getting stock. There are some stainless Putange traps advertised on ebay, however they don't look like stainless traps to my eye, but possibly worth a try.

I haven't spoken to my brother in law for a while now so don't know his situation. He might have some stocks of Putanges left. He goes by ian portman on ebay. 

P.s. don't bother with the hand set traps.

The company that distributes french Putanges hasn’t closed as far as I’m aware

theres A new website coming

as for pest stops they are a damn good trap

for the money they cannot be beaten

and if you’re constantly having traps stolen or lost  two quid versus 6  it’s a no brainer

i have heard nothing but complaints about flat pack for the last few years

the metal has become a cheaper and cheaper grade

blokes I know who used to buy three hundred a year refuse to touch them now

[Nicepix 5,650]

I hope the situation regards French Putanges is as you say. All the sites that used to advertise them are showing zero stocks and have been for some time. Whilst I agree that Flatpack traps aren't as good as their previous traps, the recently bought ones I have here to tune for a customer are much better than the Pest Stop ones I was offered last year. I do lose about a dozen traps a year to foxes and badgers and sometimes use cheap traps that people give me where trap sites are vulnerable to being dug up. But for day to day use I wouldn't change from Flatpack even though it grates on me that they denied alterring the trap's spec' when it is obvious that they have.

[Nicepix 5,650]

On 30/09/2021 at 21:47, W. Katchum said:

You sure it’s not pest bye you saw an was crap, there’s a few with the ‘pest summat’ title, iv saw some dodgy ones but I trust this guys quality control even his genuine talpex are a lot cheaper then elsewhere, he is having trouble with putange tho am last j heard was looking into the hand set ones, any thoughts, I’ll need a decent batch soon I reckon an would love the old ones again, not asking you to get em more your thoughts on hand set  jobs

My BIL has just been on the phone. He has around 200 Putanges left then can't get any more. If anyone wants some PM me your email and I'll send it onto him. 

[tank34 2,341]

Got flat pack , Paul Stanford , defenders an pest stop , out of the 4 pest stop are the best good strong springs, after this season be changing all my tunnels to pest stop 

[tank34 2,341]

7 hours ago, W. Katchum said:

I like em mate, sure Paul’s got em in bulk now if you need em

Cheers mate 

[tilimangro 1,013]

11 hours ago, W. Katchum said:

I like em mate, sure Paul’s got em in bulk now if you need em

He does

he has thousands of Putanges ,pest stop and talpex in currently 

 

[earth-thrower 493]

On 01/10/2021 at 17:04, mole trapper said:

I've still got a couple of my original bethel Rhodes knocking about here from when I set out originally (21 years now), no rust and the springs still good.

Aye, a used them for years, until I eventually need a few more, but then quality had dipped, i felt,....