Moles can be a real problem around here.
We have tried sonic mole repellers, they proved useless. George got cross and started using the old fashioned nasty traps - I didn't want them used and I didn't ask how effective they were.
We still had lots of problems with moles under the lawns and in the vegetable garden.
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| Quiet! |
So far she has caught three.
(Whispers) Well done, Sparky!
ReplyDeleteI was camping with my parents when moles popped up underneath our ground sheet when we were all asleep.....we didn't stay asleep!
Jane x
Hello Jane, That must have been an interesting night - for your family, and the moles!
DeleteWow what a clever cat!
ReplyDeleteHugs
Elna
Hello Elna, She says every cat needs a hobby, hers is hunting!
DeleteWell done Sparky! Tom sends encouraging purrs! Jx
ReplyDeleteHello Jan, Sparky is talking of sending Tom an invitation to a hunting party...
DeleteWe could use a Sparky here as our Maxwell only does kibble. No fur covered meal for that old boy.
ReplyDeleteHello Doc, That made me smile. Sparky is a very faddy eater, she likes a little kibble and prefers jellied meat; if the meat is not up to standard she will lick off the jelly, then stalk outside to catch her main course.. My offerings are so often found lacking. Bennie just tucks in gratefully.
DeleteWow I never knew cats could catch moles! Sparky muct be a very clever cat :) Thanks so much for your kind comment on my blog - so glad you found the Brighton Seashore Railway interesting too! Maggie xx
ReplyDeleteHello Maggie, I loved the post about the railway. Sparky is a very good hunter, not as patient as Bennie, but more 'creative' in her approach!
DeleteI wondered how soon you'd put a cat on it.
ReplyDeleteHello Joanne, Those two cats definitely earn their keep. We got them to keep the rodents down - and they do that and so much more. I love those two naughty felines - funnily enough, so does Toby.
DeleteI had one dig a burrow up to my patio this spring. Haven't seen a trace of it since. I don't know if it went away or if it actually lived under the patio and burrowed away from it. They certainly do make a mess rooting everything up!
ReplyDeleteHello Ms Sparrow, I find it difficult to get away from the image of 'Moley' from Wind in the Willows - and this is not helped when I see their velvet bodies lined up outside.
DeleteThey are just doing what moles do, such a shame they do it in the wrong place and create such problems!
oh well done Sparky ;-) I read somewhere that if you plant euphorbias the moles will stay away. I had some in my old garden and the moles from the field next door never visited..whether that was due to the euphorbias or just luck I don't know though.
ReplyDeleteHello KittyKittyWeaselFish, I can certainly give that one a go, I love euphorbias and have some in one part of the garden...funnily enough, the section of the garden which hasn't had a visitation! In the meantime, Sparky continues her work.
DeleteThere you are then...its Nature's way and it seems Sparky follows his instinct. I bet those moles will clear off pretty quick.
ReplyDeleteAmanda :-)
Hello Amanda, I hate to see anything killed, but out here in the country we did find that rodents were becoming an increasing problem - so we got the two cats about a year ago. They earn every penny of their keep and we have learned to watch where we walk..
DeleteHello Elaine...Many years ago I lived in Kansas....I'm not sure if they were gophers or moles, but they did extensive damage. They are very clever. Traps didn't work. I think we also thought we might fill the holes with water...now that was a real joke. We even tried poison peanuts. They were so smart, they threw them back out of the holes......laughing! What I needed was a Sparky!!
ReplyDeleteHello Meggie, That Sparky cat is such a hunter, she is a small cat with an enormous personality and a vast amount of love. Her black bandit mask suits her personality!
DeleteYou made me smile about filling the holes with water, I know a man, not a million miles from where I am sitting, who did the same thing. Sparky is much more effective.
I've watched moles tunneling just below the surface of the soil even as I worked in the garden. My cats are very tuned in to their presence. Most cats are sensile enough not to eat moles after trying the first one--they are apparently indigestible.
ReplyDeleteAt that I think I'd rather cope with moles than Japanese beetles.
Sparky is a beautiful cat!
Hello Morning's Minion, That explains why we only find whole mole bodies, whereas Sparky eats the choicest bits of everything else which she catches. We have learned to watch where we walk. I'm with you, I'd rather cope with moles than Japanese beetles.
DeleteSparky is doing a wonderful job! :-)
ReplyDeleteHello Marie, Sparky, and Bennie, put in many long hours. Now that the nights are so much milder they even occasionally do a night duty. We have to be careful when we step out first thing in a morning after one of those...
DeleteOur first spring, after moving into this house, found our front yard inundated with moles and our beautiful lawn ruined. We had to replace it and since then, we've had a mole service. The only way to get rid of them is to set traps and I just can't bring myself to killing them. They'd be welcomed in my flower beds because they are a natural aerator and they love to eat larvae, but with such "poor vision" (tee hee) they just can't seem to stay out of the rest of the yard. Way to go Sparky! XOXO
ReplyDeleteHello Susan, Sparky is an amazing hunter - she does get distracted though. Bennie is quieter and much more persistent, between them they are doing a great job. We adopted them both last year and they have fitted in with everything so well. Unfortunately it does mean I can't feed the wild birds any longer. I can't bear attracting them to the gardens only for the cats to get them.
DeleteOh dear....MOLES! If only our Freddie could take lessons from Sparky. I'm afraid I have to revert to the nasty traps (which are very efficient).
ReplyDeleteHello Cro, Fingers crossed Sparky does seem to be winning the battle, the word must be going around. I'm sure she would be happy to give Freddie lessons.
DeleteWow! Good for Sparky! I wonder how many more there will be.
ReplyDeleteHello Mitch, While she is hunting moles at least she is leaving the baby rabbits alone...
DeleteIt seems everyone needs a Sparky!
ReplyDeleteHello cuby poet, She is a great little hunter but I do wish she would just dispatch her victims quickly and cleanly.
DeletePussy Power!! Our two cats have a tendency to chase everything that moves. The molehill soil is fantastic for growing seeds. Ages ago I planted some wild flower seeds in it -I'm really chuffed the way they've come up and now I've got a mini wild flower garden.
ReplyDeleteHello Molly, Earlier in the year George collected molehill soil from Arnold's paddock, it was like graded grains of finest flour, so I can well imagine that your wild flower seeds would like it, I bet they look beautiful.
DeleteWhat a good kitty!
ReplyDeleteHello Amy, They certainly earn their keep, if the body count is anything to go by. We have had the cats for almost a year now and they fit into this place, and our way of life, just perfectly...or should that be purrfectly.
DeleteNo moles here. Natural mole deterrent -- large limestone rocks, very little topsoil. (By the way, those black looking tulips are striking among those flowers in your nameplate photo.) My cats' job is to get rid of the field mice and scorpions.
ReplyDeleteI wish our cat would catch the moles that are ruining our garden. My husband hates to see the molehills on the lawn, but my bugbear is when they're in the borders and you don't notice them until a plant keels over because it's roots are hanging in mid air!
ReplyDeleteHello LBM, Sparky is very good at catching them - she only turned her attention to the moles because she had become tired of fresh baby rabbit. She must have been a bit miffed when she found them inedible; but then the thrill of the chase got to her and she took it up as a sport. She does seem to have sorted them out, for the moment.
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