Dead moles in the garden...

[Imagedude]

Over the last few weeks i've been finding dead adult moles in my garden. There are no mole hils in the area and the moles show no signs of predation. What's the story?

 

[British Red]

No idea - but if you find out what's killing them I'd be fascinated - I could do with one myself! Its a heck of a year for moles and its rare I get to put the traps away!

Snakes, raptors, cats and dogs all kill moles. I have seen a couple on the surface recently (probably crossing roads or high water table as a cause)

 

[Robbi]

check next door

 

[Gray]

Something must have forced them to the surface, as BR said it could be the volume of water but even so if theres no sign of injury then whats killed em and why in your garden. You havn't fell out with someone whos catching them and dumping them have you. Weasels, stouts and owls get them but i would have thought there would be signs left on the mole, mmmmm strange one. Do they come out to fight over females etc?

 

[Macaroon]

Skin 'em, only about thirty needed for the best smock you'll ever wear!..........................atb mac

 

[Gill]

Skin 'em, only about thirty needed for the best smock you'll ever wear!..........................atb mac

Thirty ???

 

[Teepee]

Skin 'em, only about thirty needed for the best smock you'll ever wear!..........................atb mac

Best to wash the Strychnine off em beforehand.

 

[Macaroon]

Many, many moons ago I made a smock from moleskins, a bit like a fisherman's smock with long sleeves and round neck and as far as I can remember I used about 30 of them - by the time I trimmed 'em to a decent edge and a fairly uniform shape there ain't much area to each one............I remember it being a long and very smelly job involving much salt and allum amongst other stuff, and a hell of a lot of scraping, stretching and drying. When I had it finished and was pleased and proud of it, my then GF decided to run off to the States with my "best friend" and took it with her...........never saw any of the three again!.....atb mac

 

[British Red]

I bet you miss the smock as well

 

[Macaroon]

You've got it in one, BR...............But the fond memory of the smock is probably far more pleasing than the actual garment ever was!

 

[British Red]

My ex wife said "its me or the hobbies". It wasn't a hard choice - I love my hobbies

 

[Perrari]

Probably a cat ! My cat catches them but never eats them ! Apparently they don't eat them because they taste bitter. But I stand to be corrected.

 

[Joonsy]

coincidentally during a recent walk through forest i came across three dead moles in one day seemingly unharmed and just lying dead on the surface, they were far from each other, it was during the recent dry hot spell when the ground was baked hard, i wondered if they had perished through starvation as worms/food would have been harder to find or maybe through dehydration through lack of water in the hard ground, couldn't help thinking the hard dry ground played a part, don't know just a thought.

 

[tenderfoot]

another vote for cat predation. one of my cats catches moles i think he sits by an air hole or somesuch and grabs them as they emerge? never eats them and they are often dead but unmarked. cats dont eat shrews either althought they will catch them