Mole Deterrents and Flower Success

Mole Deterrents and Flower Success 

I'm plagued by moles at present. I've had them for a few years and I've always seen them as helping me with the drainage. Even the odd mole hill in the lawn isn't a problem, but recently, despite the cats catching and killing several moles they have now entered most vegetable beds and a Raspberry bed. The final straw was when they appeared in the Poly Tunnel. Enough is enough and it's time they moved 20 yards up the field.

I bought 4 mole deterrent spikes. They simply emit an ultra sonic noise or buzz that is supposed to upset them so they move away from the noise. That's the theory.... After a few days, probably not long enough to make an informed decision, but the pack said effective from 3 days, I'm not totally convinced about their effectiveness. 

Outside the tunnel

Admittedly the spike had come out and I poked it back in for a better photo but the hill did appear exactly where I had placed the deterrent :)

I'm a bit more concerned with the damage they are doing in the poly tunnel.

They have dug up the paths along the borders but have also moved into the centre bed.

Inside the poly tunnel

The paths were all hay but all along the borders on both sides they have made tunnels just under the surface.

Since the soil around the field is compacted clay they are targeting the areas I have dug. The small beech hedge bed has also seen mole hills all along it.

Small Beech hedge

Yet again a hill appeared exactly where the deterrent was place. Small hills have appear under the hay.

On a more positive note my first attempt at a more formal flower bed around the Pergola seems to have worked. Runner beans up the sides, Sun flowers in the next outside row then Cosmos and some Marigolds on the outside row on all 3 sides. 2 Grape vines on the back 2 corners complete the plantings with a few self seeded Nasturtium throughout the bed and the odd self seeded tomato.

The grass hasn't been cut in this area yet but it is now a self contained sheltered seating area as opposed to being exposed.

Looking from the back corner the Sun flowers and Cosmos haven't finished producing all their flowers but they are coming along nicely.

One of the sides looks better than the others. The Sun flowers are from bird seed so I had no idea about the size or type of them and they have turned out to be small to medium in height.

Click on photos for larger images.

With all the failures this year due to slugs and now a caterpillar onslaught starting, not to mention the havoc of the moles, it's nice to have something turn out as I wanted. The Grape vines are only in their second year (in the ground although they were a year or 2 old in the pot before) and can't easily be seen but they are almost upto the top of the pergola. With the rate they are growing, in all directions, within a year or 2 I won't need runner beans to enclose the structure.