cheap sheets of metal

scrappy?

How big is a mole? Suitably sized re-inforcing mesh

Malcolm

Knackered panel truck from freecycle and an angle grinder?

What about chicken wire stuff for rabbit hutches etc? Al

In message , goodolpete writes

/me whistles "the great escape"

watch out for the comings and goings of small furry animals with strangely bloated trouser legs

That raised more than a chuck;e here :-)

Dave

Yup, or pvc coated weldmesh for something that will last well when buried.

The problem with that idea is the corrosion rate of the metal. If it is cheap, then it will have to be steel, which corrodes quite well in the ground. If you want long life, then you are looking at either stainless steel, or copper, neither being a cheap option and copper could kill off plants that have roots near to it.

I don't have much knowledge of moles, or their size, but I would think a quick cheap fix would be to hammer into the perimeter some wires, spaced apart so the moles can't get past them. Next time you find evidence of moles, hammer some more in where you think they are entering your garden.

Dave

Why does it need to be metal? - metal underground will rust in no time, use plastic or 2nd hand slates

I wonder how moles would respond to an electrical signal.

The ones out cat brings in are roughly 6" long and 1 1/2" wide but I don't know what sized hole they can squeeze through. Mice are an 1" wide but can easily get through a 3/8" dia hole.

I thought that cats didn't like moles

something about the smell or the taste or something

That's voles.

I wouldn't like to meet Mr Licquorice's cats on a dark night, if they're subduing moles. Moles are vicious bastards.

Cheers Richard

No hang on, not voles. I'm getting carried away by the rhyme. It's shrews that they don't like the taste of. Ours still kill them and bring them in, but won't eat them. Voles on the other hand are deemed quite palatable, though (unfortunately) they often can't manage a whole one.

Cheers Richard

In message , " snipped-for-privacy@gglz.com" writes

I have some 8'x4' sheets of heavily galvanised perforated steel sheet. Size can easily be adjusted with the ubiquitous angle grinder. Modestly priced as ex-grain bin and surplus to requirements. The downside is they are in Hertfordshire:-)

regards

No actually its shrews.

Cats will eat rats rabbits voles mice and moles. They will kill but not eat weasels shrews and possibly stoats, though mostly a stoat is an even match.

Much more fun to let it come back and get a "Rodenator"

No, the nasty tasting things are Shrews. Our cat will happily chomp through as many voles as she can catch, that can be approaching half a dozen/day in the summer. Shrews she'll still catch and play with for a bit but never actually eats. We take the moles off her as we know the local farmer puts poison out for them.

Cat, singular, and not a big cat either. Small side of "standard". Biggest thing she has had so far is sit on your hand hand sized baby rabbit, all that disappeared, fur, bones the lot. She does eye up the pheasants and sheep but hasn't yet tried to drag one through the cat flap. B-)