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Mole/Vole or something else?

QTPie
QTPie Posts: 1,373 Forumite
image_zps7f1aa393.jpg[/URL]

What do you think?

We have had a mole. Had a catcher in, took a good month, nothing. Some of the traps got set off when the lawn was scarifier/aerated. I told the catcher, he said he would come and check/reset them in a few days. 10 days later he came and said he found the mole dead in one of the traps - I wasn't home at the time. Since them I am seeing activity again. Is the photo above a mole (either the original - cynical me - or a second) or could it be that voles are monopolising on the empty mole tunnels?

Thanks

Comments

  • Davesnave
    Davesnave Posts: 34,741 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Name Dropper Photogenic
    It's not a mole.

    From here it doesn't look like it goes very deep, so it could be a squirrel digging to bury a nut, or something else digging to retrieve a nut already buried.

    When I lived near the Botanical Gardens, I saw scrapes like that in there frequently. I always assumed they were squirrel-related, but I suppose there were foxes and badgers present too.

    Voles leave distinctive open holes on my very light soil, making it nigh impossible to have a good lawn, though that isn't a priority here. They may well colonise old mole runs, but apart from the holes and tunnel collapses, the voles seem to cause no problems in the garden.
  • arbrighton
    arbrighton Posts: 2,011 Forumite
    Ninth Anniversary Combo Breaker
    Quite possibly badger- looks very much like our garden last year (and we caught him on the CCTV camera)
  • firefox1956
    firefox1956 Posts: 1,548 Forumite
    Squirrel,.......
  • Horace
    Horace Posts: 14,426 Forumite
    It could be a squirrel but more likely to be a badger.
  • QTPie
    QTPie Posts: 1,373 Forumite
    Thanks very much - hugely appreciated :)

    You are right: the holes do not appear to be deep - appears more to be a bit of turf lifted and scraping ...

    Haven't seen any badgers. Our garden is really quite enclosed (massive quarry type wall at the back - a badger couldn't hop in and out easily). What should I look for?

    We definitely have lots of squirrels (it is like the enchanted forest around here with birds and squirrels). Don't suppose there is anything I can do to discourage?
  • Yes there is something you could do to discourage the squirrel.......I don't think you would like the answer though !!
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