What Did You Do In The Garden?

thistlebloom

Garden Master
Joined
Dec 1, 2010
Messages
16,473
Reaction score
17,395
Points
457
Location
North Idaho 48th parallel
nKb5VSF.jpg


My orchids will be liking this ante room off my master. The rest of the house is a bit dark, but this little sitting room will be my happy place. It faces southwest, which means I have to close the blinds at 3 p.m. I've got four more orchids in my master bath, which I'll trade out periodically when they get tired of being too dark.

Outside? Moles, moles and more moles. I'm gonna get a warning letter from the HOA for sure. The moles have torn up my front lawn. I've read all the threads on here, bought fake poison earth worms, a sonic thingamagic, and even tried to drown them out. AAUUGHHH


That wooden bench is beautiful. Your little sitting room looks like a very restful space.
Sorry about your HOA. My mom battled moles also, and she got a little relief with a castor oil based repellent.
 

Rhodie Ranch

Garden Master
Joined
Nov 19, 2009
Messages
3,521
Reaction score
5,710
Points
333
Location
Southern Washington State, 8b
Thank you Thistle. Everything, just everything down to the decorations, in that photo is from thrift stores, or garage sales. Hubs (ex) fauxed that bakers rack decades ago. I do well with indoor plants.

I did find a small bottle of castor oil when I was moving. I had thrown it out, but when I read all this forum's past threads on moles, I dug the 4 fl oz bottle to try next.
 

bobm

Garden Master
Joined
Aug 22, 2012
Messages
3,736
Reaction score
2,506
Points
307
Location
SW Washington
All of our neighbors and I have tried all of the mole extermination products sold at the hardware, ag./feed stores, and nurseries as well all of the cure all home remedies with absolutely no success for the last 5 years. 2 weeks ago, I hired a professional trapper ( not a pest control company ). He set out 5 traps ( each one has 4 steel jaws the size of a large man's fingers , He said that he has about 600 traps set out in Clark County). So far he has caught 2 moles, and he will be back tomorrow ( he checks his traps every 3 days )to check the traps. Cost is a $60 set up fee and $50 per mole. The neighbors will be hiring him the next time when he comes to my home
 
Last edited:

flowerbug

Garden Master
Joined
Oct 15, 2017
Messages
15,962
Reaction score
23,969
Points
417
Location
mid-Michigan, USoA
All of our neighbors and I have tried all of the mole extermination products sold at the hardware, ag./feed stores, and nurseries as well all of the cure all home remedies with absolutely no success for the last 5 years. 2 weeks ago, I hired a professional trapper ( not a pest control company ). He set out 5 traps ( each one has 4 steel jaws the size of a large man's fingers , He said that he has about 600 traps set out in Clark County). So far he has caught 2 moles, and he will be back tomorrow ( he checks his traps every 3 days )to check the traps. Cost is a $60 set up fee and $50 per mole. The neighbors will be hiring him the next time when he comes to my home

when i was a kid i charged $10 per mole. traps were hard to set, but when you got a mole you know you had it.

we have a newer trap now that you just step on it to set it. much easier. works fine. just make sure you know how to set it.

moles run their tunnels frequently (they feed several times a day) so if you've found a main run it should be a matter of at most a day to trip the trap.

the most common mistakes in setting a trap is not putting it deep enough or in the right direction.

they have incredibly soft fur.
 

bobm

Garden Master
Joined
Aug 22, 2012
Messages
3,736
Reaction score
2,506
Points
307
Location
SW Washington
All of our neighbors and I have tried all of the mole extermination products sold at the hardware, ag./feed stores, and nurseries as well all of the cure all home remedies with absolutely no success for the last 5 years. 2 weeks ago, I hired a professional trapper ( not a pest control company ). He set out 5 traps ( each one has 4 steel jaws the size of a large man's fingers , He said that he has about 600 traps set out in Clark County). So far he has caught 2 moles, and he will be back tomorrow ( he checks his traps every 3 days )to check the traps. Cost is a $60 set up fee and $50 per mole. The neighbors will be hiring him the next time when he comes to my home
Update ... 2 more moles were trapped this morning . :celebrate :celebrate Another $100 bounty check was paid. :eek: Trapper reset the traps in another location where brand new activity was found. The trapper hit the gold mine here :th ... meanwhile, at this rate, I may have to file for bankruptcy. :idunno :he
 

digitS'

Garden Master
Joined
Dec 13, 2007
Messages
25,794
Reaction score
29,006
Points
457
Location
border, ID/WA(!)
Yesterday, I put together a horizontal trellis for the zinnias after weeding that flower bed. Not too bad because there weren't many purslane plants there.

Also checked the potatoes and thought that I found 3 potato beetle larva. Well, I did but they were dead and just stuck on the leaves. After the hailstorm yesterday - no bugs dead or alive were found this morning! The Spinosad did its job. It isn't supposed to kill eggs but the plants look clean.

To help the potatoes on their way, I hilled them with soil. I used to use ALL my compost in the garden where I had the potato patch. Now, they are where I don't make compost and so I just use soil. It worked well last year and I refrained from applying a bag of composted chicken manure.

Came home with the first sprinkle and we have had a few cloudbursts since.

Steve
 

Trish Stretton

Deeply Rooted
Joined
Jul 26, 2018
Messages
339
Reaction score
851
Points
172
Location
South Waikato New Zealand
Its been busy, pick up new fridge, pick up work equipment from its yearly service, spend two hours trying to get hold of someone who says they are from the Ministry of Primary Industries and needs to inspect my hive....only to call MPI who have nothing on file and dont know anything. grrrrrr. That was today.

Yesterday, I got the timber delivered- nice strapping young man hauled both up to the garden and didnt even need my help with them.
So, now the timber edges are in place, the subsoil spread back out across the whole bed and the top soil bucketed back over the whole thing.
I had another go at putting up a photo, but it didnt happen, so on Monday, I think I will go down to our local computer store and beg for help. They will charge me for it but it shouldnt be too much.
I can now up load to emails, just not forum posts.....yet....getting there.

Cos our winter is so Warm this year, I have decided to do a cover crop using cereal Rye. Its cold hardy and should be able to handle it if the weather does go cold...er.
It took me a while to remember where I had some metal hoops that hold frost or shade clothe in place.
So tomorrow after work, I'll set them up broadcast the seed and cover it all up, mainly to stop the birds from eating the seeds and the local cats from pooping in the bed.....and Jack from lying in it all.
 

flowerbug

Garden Master
Joined
Oct 15, 2017
Messages
15,962
Reaction score
23,969
Points
417
Location
mid-Michigan, USoA
Its been busy, pick up new fridge, pick up work equipment from its yearly service, spend two hours trying to get hold of someone who says they are from the Ministry of Primary Industries and needs to inspect my hive....only to call MPI who have nothing on file and dont know anything. grrrrrr. That was today.

Yesterday, I got the timber delivered- nice strapping young man hauled both up to the garden and didnt even need my help with them.
So, now the timber edges are in place, the subsoil spread back out across the whole bed and the top soil bucketed back over the whole thing.
I had another go at putting up a photo, but it didnt happen, so on Monday, I think I will go down to our local computer store and beg for help. They will charge me for it but it shouldnt be too much.
I can now up load to emails, just not forum posts.....yet....getting there.

Cos our winter is so Warm this year, I have decided to do a cover crop using cereal Rye. Its cold hardy and should be able to handle it if the weather does go cold...er.
It took me a while to remember where I had some metal hoops that hold frost or shade clothe in place.
So tomorrow after work, I'll set them up broadcast the seed and cover it all up, mainly to stop the birds from eating the seeds and the local cats from pooping in the bed.....and Jack from lying in it all.

winter rye (the grain) survives our winter's just fine so you should be quite ok there. :)
 

Latest posts

Top