Mole Hills!
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Originally Posted by gasax
However a two-stroke motorcycle's exhaust connected into the burrows and left running for an hour or two does seem to work!
As for the humane methods - you're wasting your time, they'll be back the next day.......
As for the humane methods - you're wasting your time, they'll be back the next day.......
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sorry dublin, the real world does not recognise 'humane' methods.
Nature is about survival. That takes effort and for the various small creatures that can cause us a great deal of trouble and/or expense, it usually takes all their effort.
That is why they are strong, smart and very tenacious. Move a mole and unless you have flown him the length of the country he'll be back the next day! Or more likely a neighbouring mole will take advantage of all his efforts and move it - end result you're still got moles!
The same goes for rabbits, rats, mice - all of the small creatures. The reason they survive is not our kindness but their tenacity.
From Beatrix Potter on we have all this rubbish about 'sweet little creatures in their little velvet jackets' and similar nonsense. Ask someone whose horse has just been put down after breaking its leg in a mole burrow whether they are 'sweet little creatures'?
It would be lovely and oh so kind to simply suhh them away - but that is not what drives them.
p.s. why do none of the 'bunny huggers' love big brown rats - they're so much smarter - almost clever enough to understand being asked to leave?
p.p.s - Slim - I suspect you're right about the CO, but of course there is also an O2 deficiency and as you note 2 strokes are pretty 'dirty' in terms of exhaust. Non-catalytic diesels would probably be best - but the motorcycle is of course very 'portable' and we try to keep all vehicles off the strip.
Nature is about survival. That takes effort and for the various small creatures that can cause us a great deal of trouble and/or expense, it usually takes all their effort.
That is why they are strong, smart and very tenacious. Move a mole and unless you have flown him the length of the country he'll be back the next day! Or more likely a neighbouring mole will take advantage of all his efforts and move it - end result you're still got moles!
The same goes for rabbits, rats, mice - all of the small creatures. The reason they survive is not our kindness but their tenacity.
From Beatrix Potter on we have all this rubbish about 'sweet little creatures in their little velvet jackets' and similar nonsense. Ask someone whose horse has just been put down after breaking its leg in a mole burrow whether they are 'sweet little creatures'?
It would be lovely and oh so kind to simply suhh them away - but that is not what drives them.
p.s. why do none of the 'bunny huggers' love big brown rats - they're so much smarter - almost clever enough to understand being asked to leave?
p.p.s - Slim - I suspect you're right about the CO, but of course there is also an O2 deficiency and as you note 2 strokes are pretty 'dirty' in terms of exhaust. Non-catalytic diesels would probably be best - but the motorcycle is of course very 'portable' and we try to keep all vehicles off the strip.
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Originally Posted by slim_slag
If it's the CO in the exhaust that gets them its probably as humane as you can get.
I hope you aren't a doctor!
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There is some law, the 'protection of wild mammals act' or something similar which says you cannot cause unnecessary suffering when you dispatch the little buggers. So one has to be careful as the world according to westminster does recognise humane methods. Being shot is probably very humane, as it's instantaneous and so no suffering. I'd try the car exhaust, I've heard it works well from other sources too.
Skyhawk, get over to medical and health with that opinion and you will get an answer
Skyhawk, get over to medical and health with that opinion and you will get an answer
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Originally Posted by gasax
Move a mole and unless you have flown him the length of the country he'll be back the next day!
I once had a mole 'problem'. Caught two in humane traps (of a non-CO2 variety), drove them two miles away and released them. Never had a problem again.
Humane ?
Jibes about Carrott and his humourous attempts to dispatch burrowing beasts aside ..... nature is indeed (i'm with gasax on this one) about survival of the biggest, nastiest and hungriest and is pretty cruel it as well. Get into a lions cage and ask it nicely about humane.
Squirrels are just bloody big rats with good PR and the most common bird in the british countryside is the pigeon. Both of them cause immeasurable damage and mess and just like the moles I will be none too pleased or tolerant if they get in my way. I've got slight signs of mole activity in a corner of my garden and woe betide it if it comes any nearer. I won't be planning on foisting my misery on a farmer in the next county instead.
Opinions on mole dispatching aside - isn't PpRuNe great for starting an argument about the most mundane of subjects.
I wonder if 411A has an opinion about moles ?
Squirrels are just bloody big rats with good PR and the most common bird in the british countryside is the pigeon. Both of them cause immeasurable damage and mess and just like the moles I will be none too pleased or tolerant if they get in my way. I've got slight signs of mole activity in a corner of my garden and woe betide it if it comes any nearer. I won't be planning on foisting my misery on a farmer in the next county instead.
Opinions on mole dispatching aside - isn't PpRuNe great for starting an argument about the most mundane of subjects.
I wonder if 411A has an opinion about moles ?
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Gasax,
What ever your view about dispatching moles to the afterlife, the main point of my posting was about another ppruners thoughts of dispatching a fellow ppruner to the afterlife.
Surely personal insults aren't called for. Kiltie was making a comment about something they believe in, without being personal.
As for the real world, I'm not suggesting that they shouldn't be killed. But to intentionally kill something with as much cruelty as possible is beyond belief to this city boy.
Intentionally burning a creature alive is about as far from humane as I can imagine short of pulling each of its limbs off one by one first. If that's how you get your fun.....well.......I won't finish that sentence to avoid getting personal 
But you get the idea.
Skyhawks idea, if it works, would seem to be as humane as is possible.
Shooting the creatures would provide a quick killing, and shorten the suffering too.
I just can't agree with the idea of burning a sentient creature.....mole or ppruner.
dp
What ever your view about dispatching moles to the afterlife, the main point of my posting was about another ppruners thoughts of dispatching a fellow ppruner to the afterlife.
Or us really really sick bas***ds could slice up bits of Kiltie?
As for the real world, I'm not suggesting that they shouldn't be killed. But to intentionally kill something with as much cruelty as possible is beyond belief to this city boy.
We've tried petrol - good fun but doesn't seem to be that effective
But you get the idea.Skyhawks idea, if it works, would seem to be as humane as is possible.
Shooting the creatures would provide a quick killing, and shorten the suffering too.
I just can't agree with the idea of burning a sentient creature.....mole or ppruner.
dp
