[NN2Blue]

Here in Northampton it's still ludicrously dry though we are having showers today as I speak.
A neighbouring plot holder has had his garlic, tomatoes, french beans and sweetcorn severely damaged by mammals running up and down the rows just under the surface causing soil collapse.
There is clear evidence of Mole involvement but mice also might be the miscreants (holes seem too small for moles).
The damage is most visible on the most regularly watered rows, leading to speculation that it was probably moles hunting out earthworms attracted to the moist soil, given that everywhere else is like a dustbowl.
Has anybody else suffered this and what did you do about it?
Any thoughts would be most wlecome.
Mike

[arugula]

It does sound like moles. You need to trap them or deter them with something like a solar-powered repeller.

[Kajazy]

I'm also in Northamptonshire, and have had exactly the same problem underneath a row of mangetout! I was trying to work out what on earth it was - the odd hole and the soil collapsing around and under the plants - needless to say they're not faring well!
Thanks for solving the mystery though...! 

[Puenktchen]

I have the same problem and I think these animals are voles, not moles as I don`t see mole hills anywhere. The voles are tunneling under the beds, looking for worms. I had the same problem last year when it was so dry. In moist soil they are no problem at all but if it is dry they have to search more for food so the tunnels are more obvious.

They not only damage plants with burrowing under them so the roots dry out especially with seedlings, they also nibble young plants like beans. Often I find a tunnel entrance and around it all the young plants are nibbled.

I don`t have a solution to the problem, but I know as soon as it starts raining again the problem will disappear.

[Swing Swang]

Would ferret fewmets help?

[NN2Blue]

Thanks to everybody for replying.
Ferret droppings might help but let's see first if the rain that fell yesterday does the trick.
On an American website it was suggested that vole infestations get worse after snow on the ground in winter - we had plenty of that; it's just little to no rain again this year.
There is evidence of both mole and vole attack.
I will also recommend to my friend one of these solar powered rodent and mole repellents.  The state of his allotment fully justifies the price.
Thanks again.
Mike

[Christine]

We've had this conversation on moles as one of the plot holders came in to the gardeners hut on Saturday morning for advice.

Usually moles track water. If you follow a line of mole hills it will either be travelling to a water supply (in the case last weekend it was the communal tap and leaking hose pipes). If you have a brook, drainage ditch with standing water or other such in the area then moles will definitely travel towards those.

Trapping is the only known, tried and tested cure that we would advise up here. No-one has found any of the other suggested methods to be effective now that we are not allowed to bait with poisoned worms which was the method used in my younger days.

Don't all frown and raise objections - that was one of the old methods that was found to be effective but it's now no longer possible as you can't get the appropriate poison I'm glad to say.

[shokkyy]

I had problems last year with moles coming up in my spud patch and all over the back lawn. I stuck one of those solar powered jobbies in and it worked like a charm. You do have to use them properly, to 'herd' the moles in the direction you want to move them in, but from my experience last year it worked very well.

[shuffle]

We had exactly the same a few weeks ago.  They seemed to follow the drills we'd just planted carrots and other roots in.  It (or they) then moved into the seed bad and undermined all the brassicas that had just come up    I assumed it was a mole as we do get a few mole hills now and again.

Would the fact we were watering those rows when everything else was so dry attract the worms which would attract moles?

They had those solar powered mole scarers on sale in town and so far it seems to be working.

[Salmo]

The poison they used to use was strychnine. They used to mix in in a jar of lobworms and put them down the holes. It was very dangerous stuff and had to be handled with gloves and tongs. Even in the good old days only licenced people could use it. One of the problems was thst this poison does not break down and any dead moles eaten by pets/birds/foxes were also poisoned. It was used by gamekeepers injected into eggs or a rabbit carcase to control crows and foxes. It was so powerful that victims fell dead within a few yards. Thank goodness it is no longer used.

One way to move moles is to sit quietly by your plot and ask the little man in black, very politely, to move somewhere else. It helps if you can suggest an alternative place to live, like your neighbours plot. It usually works as they only seem to work one spot for a short time and then move on anyway. Probably why these electronic gadgets seem to work.

[arugula]

The poison they used to use was strychnine.

The aluminium phosphide based poison is still available to licenced personnel, i.e. farmers or licenced pest controllers.

[Christine]

Would the fact we were watering those rows when everything else was so dry attract the worms which would attract moles?

Likely - or they were just coming in for a drink if everywhere else was dry.

[Kajazy]

Just come back from the allotment, and the pesky burrower has been at it again! Hope it doesn't kill of everything I'm trying to grow... and we've had LOADS of rain recently!