stubby 175 Posted February 26, 2008 Report Share Posted February 26, 2008 hi all, after chatting to another member from here while ferreting, got onto the subject of "moles" now as a pestie working nights, I dont ever come across these, but the area that I live in is plagued my them, lots of big houses/nice gardens, colleges, schools etc, and when I found out how much is charged for catching moles, decieded its something I've got to get into on my private jobs. so even before we start discussing techniques etc, lets have the low down on traps, checking out a few net sites I've found the scissor type that everyone seems to be using at around £5 each, or duffus traps, that I could get a deal on, at around £1 each, but watching a few dvd's and chatting to folk, the duffus seems to be discarded as an effective trap, most going for the scissor WHY IS THIS, THAT IS THE QUESTION seems pratical and money saving to me, to go for the duffus, and therefore get 5 times the amount for my money, more traps equalling more jobs can be undertaken at once (if I get any) Quote Link to post
trappa 517 Posted February 26, 2008 Report Share Posted February 26, 2008 First of all you get what you pay for- avoid the £1 ones like the plague (any style) . They are rubbish,period. I use scissors, duffus and fenn (yorkshire) and have no trouble with any, choosing the type for the particular run. The talpex traps are getting some great reviews but i dont use them. Duffus are brilliant if used correctly, so dont believe whoever told you otherwise. There is money to be made in moletrapping, but its HARD work. I trap every day just about through the winter and come home absolutely knackered, muscles aching and have nearly been reduced to tears or jacking it in when my hands get so numb because of the cold i cant feel them at all, and ive still got hours of planting traps to go! So dont for one minute think its a cashcow, cos it aint! all the best though, al. Quote Link to post
stubby 175 Posted February 26, 2008 Author Report Share Posted February 26, 2008 First of all you get what you pay for- avoid the £1 ones like the plague (any style) . They are rubbish,period.I use scissors, duffus and fenn (yorkshire) and have no trouble with any, choosing the type for the particular run. The talpex traps are getting some great reviews but i dont use them. Duffus are brilliant if used correctly, so dont believe whoever told you otherwise. There is money to be made in moletrapping, but its HARD work. I trap every day just about through the winter and come home absolutely knackered, muscles aching and have nearly been reduced to tears or jacking it in when my hands get so numb because of the cold i cant feel them at all, and ive still got hours of planting traps to go! So dont for one minute think its a cashcow, cos it aint! all the best though, al. the £1 ones, are "seconds" that need adjustment to the setting springs (wires) with the new ones costing around the £5 mark too, its just me being a tight arse Quote Link to post
trappa 517 Posted February 26, 2008 Report Share Posted February 26, 2008 I dont know the history behind the traps so i cant really comment, but if my traps are fixable i sort them and if they arent i throw them. If you can get quality seconds then great, but i would personally buy new so i knew they were decent ones . The cheap ones snap in hard frosts and the springs are poor and dont kill. I too am a tight git, but i found out the hard way that with traps it pays to buy the good ones! Quote Link to post
ianrob 2 Posted February 26, 2008 Report Share Posted February 26, 2008 hi all, after chatting to another member from here while ferreting, got onto the subject of "moles" now as a pestie working nights, I dont ever come across these, but the area that I live in is plagued my them, lots of big houses/nice gardens, colleges, schools etc, and when I found out how much is charged for catching moles, decieded its something I've got to get into on my private jobs. so even before we start discussing techniques etc, lets have the low down on traps, checking out a few net sites I've found the scissor type that everyone seems to be using at around £5 each, or duffus traps, that I could get a deal on, at around £1 each, but watching a few dvd's and chatting to folk, the duffus seems to be discarded as an effective trap, most going for the scissor WHY IS THIS, THAT IS THE QUESTION seems pratical and money saving to me, to go for the duffus, and therefore get 5 times the amount for my money, more traps equalling more jobs can be undertaken at once (if I get any) Hi Stubby, I used to do a fair bit of trapping on an estate, and I found the duffus trap by far the best. On certain heavily imfested bits, I've regularly had two in a trap. If you cut the sod out to the exact length of the trap, and try to cut into the tunnel top as opposed to going deep, it's often just a clear of the holes with the fingers, a tweak here and there slide in the trap, and put a double handful of loose molehill over the top, to keep the light out, and you're in business. I tended to not obviously mark the traps. With the Dufus, it was just the upturned square sod I used. There must be dozens of garden sheds where I live with 4 or 5 stolen mole traps hanging on a nail while they slowly rot away. A word of warning though. I bought some rather expensive ones, nearly a £5 apiece, via a mate, and the metal is very thin and they are tinny as hell. "French probably from China" The flatpack trap company ones seem to be a good buy, though I've only seen them on the internet, but they look good and the price is reasonable. good luck mate ian. Quote Link to post
Axholme Ferreter 0 Posted February 26, 2008 Report Share Posted February 26, 2008 As far as traps are concerned I think it is a case of 'different strokes for different folks'. Someone who was taught on scissor type and has used the successfully is going to be reluctant to change. I personally think that the Duffus type are the most flexible in use but then they are the ones I was originally taught with!! I use Flatpack traps and think they are great value for the price. All the best AF Quote Link to post
richie 1 Posted February 26, 2008 Report Share Posted February 26, 2008 i cant call myself a mole trapping expert, far from it as ive only started out recently with trapping moles. the main reason why i got into it was that im getting asked more & more if i can take on mole clearing work. i done a basic course when i done my safe handling course of phostoxin with killgerm. they included the mole trapping course to it probably to kill time & justify us being their all day, anyway it was worth it. my only experience when it comes to trapping moles is using the original A.FENN scissor traps, & ive got to say i get on with them well. the 2 times ive used them the following few days after ive got myself a mole. i visited a new patch the other day & set 3 traps in an effected area, as i went back the following day to check, 2 of them were set off. at first i thought RESULT ! then when i checked there was nothing caught. after asking advice i was told that they were probably set too sensitive & went off as the mole knocked the trap, im going to put it down to experience. now its just a case of getting use to setting the sensitivity -/+ on them. ive got a load of decent duffus traps due any day now & im going to be ordering a handfull of talpex traps to see which one work better in different situations.. i suspose when it comes to traps, ferret locators, rifles etc its what works well for you. anyway, im back there tomorrow to see if i caught one. Quote Link to post
moley 115 Posted February 26, 2008 Report Share Posted February 26, 2008 i cant call myself a mole trapping expert, far from it as ive only started out recently with trapping moles. the main reason why i got into it was that im getting asked more & more if i can take on mole clearing work. i done a basic course when i done my safe handling course of phostoxin with killgerm. they included the mole trapping course to it probably to kill time & justify us being their all day, anyway it was worth it. my only experience when it comes to trapping moles is using the original A.FENN scissor traps, & ive got to say i get on with them well. the 2 times ive used them the following few days after ive got myself a mole. i visited a new patch the other day & set 3 traps in an effected area, as i went back the following day to check, 2 of them were set off. at first i thought RESULT ! then when i checked there was nothing caught. after asking advice i was told that they were probably set too sensitive & went off as the mole knocked the trap, im going to put it down to experience. now its just a case of getting use to setting the sensitivity -/+ on them. ive got a load of decent duffus traps due any day now & im going to be ordering a handfull of talpex traps to see which one work better in different situations.. i suspose when it comes to traps, ferret locators, rifles etc its what works well for you. anyway, im back there tomorrow to see if i caught one. duffus type for me every time ,i use to use nothing but scissor until i learned the hard way, i have tried every trap on the market , even american gopher traps and while some were very good i still go back to the duffus or half barrel for all mole trapping , talpex are a good trap too in certain situations Quote Link to post
DUCKWING 302 Posted February 26, 2008 Report Share Posted February 26, 2008 WELL MOLEY , AS A RANK AMATUR WHEN IT COMES TO MOLE TRAPPING ......... I WOULD BOW TO YOUR SUPERIOR KNOWLEDGE , IVE HEARD YOUR WERE A CLASS ACT AT THE JOB .......... BEFORE OLD AGE GOT THE BETTER OF YER ALL THE BEST DUCKWING Quote Link to post
moley 115 Posted February 26, 2008 Report Share Posted February 26, 2008 WELL MOLEY , AS A RANK AMATUR WHEN IT COMES TO MOLE TRAPPING ......... I WOULD BOW TO YOUR SUPERIOR KNOWLEDGE , IVE HEARD YOUR WERE A CLASS ACT AT THE JOB .......... BEFORE OLD AGE GOT THE BETTER OF YER ALL THE BEST DUCKWING i have bin known to catch 1 or 2 :secret: Quote Link to post
mole trapper 1,670 Posted February 26, 2008 Report Share Posted February 26, 2008 duffus type for me every time , no if,s no buts, why put a trap in the ground that can only catch one when you have a Duffus that can and will at this time of year catch two. Flat pack we will see, they have just sent me a sample as i told them what a load of crap the 50 they sent me last year were (rust, never seen anything like it), the sample is staying in the ground for a month or so. Quote Link to post
stubby 175 Posted February 26, 2008 Author Report Share Posted February 26, 2008 cheers all I'll let you know how/if I get on Quote Link to post
dogs-n-natives 1,181 Posted February 27, 2008 Report Share Posted February 27, 2008 First of all you get what you pay for- avoid the £1 ones like the plague (any style) . They are rubbish,period.I use scissors, duffus and fenn (yorkshire) and have no trouble with any, choosing the type for the particular run. The talpex traps are getting some great reviews but i dont use them. Duffus are brilliant if used correctly, so dont believe whoever told you otherwise. There is money to be made in moletrapping, but its HARD work. I trap every day just about through the winter and come home absolutely knackered, muscles aching and have nearly been reduced to tears or jacking it in when my hands get so numb because of the cold i cant feel them at all, and ive still got hours of planting traps to go! So dont for one minute think its a cashcow, cos it aint! all the best though, al. I am a full time pest controller, and most of my work is mole catching. I use some scissor traps, a few talpex traps(mainly in very dry soils), but mainly I use the duffus type barrel trap. I find them by far the best traps, and ofcourse you also get plenty of double catches!! Other than this I totally agree with trappa. Quote Link to post
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