Morally...would you be able to kill...

[stevej37]

.... one of these?
I just did this morning...first one of the season.
Looks like he got his little red snout caught...ouch!

[flatbutt]

Morally? Yes but whenever I have done I feel guilty afterwards.

[porsche4life]

I grew up a farm boy.... eradicating pests doesn’t bother me.

[stevej37]

I've been using a new strategy...since springtime last year. I bought three more of the same trap pictured.
When I find a maze of raised dirt in the yard...I place all four of them in different trails at once.

It works every time. They have no escape route.

[masraum]

A mole, if it was causing issues for me sure. When we lived in Japan, there were moles. They never really seemed to cause any issues other than a little pile of dirt here and there. Most of the time, critters outside are fine unless they are dangerous or a major nuisance, and there's no alternative to killing.

WHen we lived in Japan the first time, we had a cat that was an inside/outside cat. It was a killer, lots of dead birds and maybe the occasional rat IIRC. One day my father and I were sitting inside and heard the cat making the horrible noise that a cat makes when they are fighting, and we also heard another noise that was a weird hissing/screeching sound. Both sounds were really loud. After a few seconds, we got up to go see what was going on. Right outside our front door was our cat. It was in a Mexican stand-off with a mole. THey are tiny, maybe the size of a mouse or a tiny bit bigger. The mole was making a heck of a racket hissing and screeching at the cat and the cat was hissing back, but not getting too close. Dad dispatched it with a bunch of blunt force trauma. It was surprising how much noise came out such a tiny thing. I think it surprised the cat too.

Mice and rats inside house or garage, also fair game. Dangerous snakes anywhere nearby, fair game. The folks that sold us our property said that they did occasionally see rattle snakes, but that it was usually after they'd run over them with the mower. I'm hoping that's how it works out for me as well.

[stevej37]

I would have no problem with them...except for how quickly they can destroy a nice lawn.
Usually just one small mole (like the one in the pic) will tunnel through 30-50 ft of lawn in one night. If the lawn is in good condition...even more.
The dirt can be stepped back down, but it takes about a whole season to get the grass filled back in.

[stevej37]

Originally Posted by flatbutt

Morally? Yes but whenever I have done I feel guilty afterwards.

I worded it that way to balance out the 'killing people' and 'beating down Asians' threads.

"Save The Moles!"

[flatbutt]

Originally Posted by stevej37

I worded it that way to balance out the 'killing people' and 'beating down Asians' threads.

"Save The Moles!"

[Scott Douglas]

We don't have moles, we have/had gophers.
I let them eat all the Juicy Fruit gum they'd like. They don't seem to like it enough to come back for seconds.
Works for me.

[Icemaster]

I'm amoral in general so that's not really a factor in vermin eradication.

I do love the thrill of the hunt however. I love those damn traps, brilliantly simple, effective and humane.

[Eric Hahl]

[stevej37]

^^^ icemaster
I came home one day and right next to the house entry was a mole tunnel.
I was instantly out to get the trap...I only had one at that time.

I stepped down the tunnel and stepped the trap into the ground to set it. I went to go inside to wash my hands and I was only 5 feet away and I heard a 'snap'. Figured I didn't set the trap good and pulled it out and a mole was caught in it already!
Approx 5 seconds from setting to catching....excellent!

[Crowbob]

I have a perimeter. Anything (including bugs, birds, bats, bears, rodents, reptiles, canines, felines, relatives, neighbors, witnesses, etc.) inside it that is not welcome is fair game by any means necessary; chemical, electrical, mechanical, hydro-ical, fire, ballistic and nukular are all permitted.

Remorse hits long enough for dispatchment of the corpses. Then...nothing.

[Icemaster]

Originally Posted by stevej37

^^^ icemaster
Approx 5 seconds from setting to catching....excellent!

Sweeeeeeet!

Beats the time I set one, left for 10 days in August, came back to it sprung. Must have sprung on the first day I was gone.

[LWJ]

What is that trap?

[ckelly78z]

One time on my farm I saw movement in one of those tunnels, so I thrust a pointed shovel into the dirt, and stopped it cold. A severed mole head gave me great pleasure at the time...still does !

[stevej37]

^^^LWJ

Mole Eliminator step-in trap.
Best mole trap ever made....seriously.

https://www.amazon.com/Wire-Tek-1001-EasySet-Eliminator/dp/B000SDKGC6/ref=sr_1_5?crid=17DGOB84UBV8C&dchild=1&keywords=mole+eliminator+trap&qid=1616779255&sprefix=mole+eli%2Caps%2C193&sr=8-5

[stevej37]

The only bad thing about the trap...is getting the dead mole out of the trap.
The jaws are real strong and I use a couple long screwdriver to try and pry the jaws open..not easy.

That's ok though...I'm smiling and laughing during the whole time!

[stevej37]

Originally Posted by ckelly78z

One time on my farm I saw movement in one of those tunnels, so I thrust a pointed shovel into the dirt, and stopped it cold. A severed mole head gave me great pleasure at the time...still does !

Ha! I've got them before with a shovel...but by waiting and watching for the dirt movement and then shoveling like crazy in that area. Didn't work very often.

[look 171]

Originally Posted by Scott Douglas

We don't have moles, we have/had gophers.
I let them eat all the Juicy Fruit gum they'd like. They don't seem to like it enough to come back for seconds.
Works for me.

Does that kill them? I have a few on my hill. Pita they are.