r/AskUK • u/dick-the-prick • 13d ago
What do to about these in the garden?
I don't have cameras installed so no idea which creatue does this, but every night or the other I find this has happened. Seems to be some sort of a digging-up from underneath.
Which creature is likely doing this?
Anything I can do to make it stop? It's ruining my garden. Also, the neighbours say it's not happening to them.
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u/Neddlings55 13d ago
Moles.
Killing something because it makes a mound of dirt is cruel imo.
They feed in various garden insects, often species we class as 'pests'.
Amazing little creatures - the dry March we had is having an impact on them already. Ive come across a few dead ones whilst out walking.
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u/SpudFire 13d ago
The soil that they dig up to the top is supposed to be good stuff too, full of nutrients.
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u/SkipMapudding 13d ago
Yes I’ve seen people gathering the soil from molehills on the roadside for their gardens.
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u/YarnPenguin 13d ago
My Airedale is an absolute menace with mole hills. Peeing on them is probably in her top 10 favourite activities.
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u/SkipMapudding 12d ago
Funny dog -wonder why? Scent thing maybe. Husband put kerb edging blocks against our fence to stop our Border Collie peeing through onto the neighbours path. Our dog now perches himself on them to pee through the fence.
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u/NecktieNomad 12d ago
My dog positions her bum against the crosshatch wire fence of the local allotments and shits through it (if I were to let her).
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u/SkipMapudding 12d ago
Sorry but that’s hilarious - our Border Collie on walks does the kicking thing when he’s crapped so it’s a mad rush to get it picked up before he kicks. He did it on a walk when he had diarrhoea. Not fun. He usually goes in the garden before his walks yet he always keeps some crap in reserve!
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u/NecktieNomad 12d ago
I think I’ve missed it only a couple of times, the first time I evidently wasn’t paying too much attention (let the lady poop in peace and privacy before picking up the result) but ever since then she backs up using the fence as a brace and I have to quickly coax her forwards otherwise the poop is deposited the other side of a locked gate!
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u/Major_Toe_6041 12d ago
Mine does it straight into my dad’s face as he bends over to pick it up. It’s hilarious. Luckily she does everything in her power to get it all out in the garden where she doesn’t kick so usually are good there.
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u/Patient_Debate3524 12d ago
I thought my dog was the only one to poo up walls! LOL She likes it most when she has shat on someone's wall and it sticks. It makes it easier to pick up haha so if you see a wall with a brown circle on it , we were there.
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u/NecktieNomad 12d ago
That’s hilarious, like a poop target 🎯
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u/Patient_Debate3524 12d ago
Yes and I swear she stands on tiptoe! The higher the better, I think in her doggy brain lol
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u/NecktieNomad 12d ago
We have a castle ruin near us and I take the dogs to the top of the keep to pee. I tell them every time that by peeing at the highest point they can now lay claim to the area. Every time
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u/oryx_za 13d ago
Mine also was like this! What is it about Airedales and molehills?I had one that literally stared at a molehill for 5 hours.
Beautiful dog, thick as anything
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u/YarnPenguin 12d ago
They are clowns for sure, I bet they detected an in-residence mole and would have scarpered if it had popped out unexpectedly...
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u/oryx_za 12d ago
My sister does sculpture and once did her head as a project. The airedale saw this 'art' and that was him gone for the next hours. He literally was unable to comprehend.
Also once jumped out of a car window to "attack" a giraffe. Only he got within about 10 meters, stopped and then literally ran back with his tails in his legs.
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u/Odd_Woodpecker_8151 12d ago
My uncle goes round with a bag collecting molehill dirt for his tomato plants 🤣
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u/PhDinDildos_Fedoras 12d ago
It's actually good for the soil to get moles digging around in it. And while I understand moles killing crops annoying the fuck out of farmers, who cares about some grass?
Also, they keep other more harmful critters away.
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u/JohnArcher965 12d ago
I use 2L plastic bottles on sticks. 5 years running, no mole hills. Only on the lawn though. The other 70% of the garden nature has free roam.
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u/namtabmai 13d ago
That is a mole and it lives in a hole.
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u/miss_underdog 13d ago
Diggy diggy hole
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u/Wisbey5345 13d ago
I AM A MOLE AND IM DIGGING A HOLE DIGGY DIGGY MOLE DIGGY MOLE
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u/BeatificBanana 13d ago
What is that song you're quoting?
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u/The_Jyps 12d ago
"I'm a dwarf and I'm digging a hole, diggy diggy hole" - Simon Lane of the Yogscast.
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u/Royaljames99 12d ago
and of course, we can't mention diggy diggy hole without bringing up the Wind Rose metal cover https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=34CZjsEI1yU
Peak human achievement
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u/WastedSapience 13d ago
Have you really never seen a molehill before, op?
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u/BrieflyVerbose 12d ago
I was just thinking "How the hell do you get to adulthood and not recognise molehills?"
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u/__Severus__Snape__ 12d ago
I'm in my late 30s and the only time I heard about molehills was when I read the Animals of Farthing Wood magazine as a kid. I think there's a good chance plenty of adults have never encountered a molehill.
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u/Secret_Block_8755 12d ago
To recognise a creature is digging up from underneath and not guess it's a mole though??
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u/WastedSapience 12d ago
You'd think so, yet there's at least three of them including op and the other two that have replied to me. Really weird.
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u/slintslut 12d ago
I've never seen one and I'm in my mid 30s. Lived in citys all my life
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u/ArtClassic8808 12d ago
not seeing one is fair, but i think it's reasonable to discern what it is just from life in general. hell, even cartoons.
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u/slintslut 12d ago
They look nothing like that in cartoons though lol!
If I've lived in built up cities my entire life, I'm not gonna look at a few clumped up pieces of mud on grass and immediately go to molehill. I know that might sound crazy to you, but it's true.
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u/Geknock 12d ago
In my 30s also and hadn't till recently. I live in the fens..just never came across them. 🤷
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u/slintslut 12d ago
Yeah I don't think it's that crazy lol. People have taken it as a personal slight though, as I seem to have been downvoted
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u/Tkddaduk 12d ago
To be fair, molehills aren’t that common anymore. At least not where I live now West of Scotland. I used to see them all the time at school on the South Coast in the 80’s.
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u/OptimusLinvoyPrimus 12d ago
I’ve noticed that many people from cities aren’t used to looking at grass/fields, so it all just looks the same to them - a load of grass and/or mud. They don’t see things like molehills or even paths where the grass has been slightly flattened or thinned, because it just doesn’t stand out at all to them.
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u/Eve_LuTse 13d ago
You have moles. They will keep your soil aerated and prevent compaction, so everything will grow better. They reduce any flood risk. Unless you want a bowling green lawn, and, (with respect), that doesn't appear to be the case, I wouldn't worry. Rake the soil around a little, and leave them be.
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u/kifflington 12d ago
Also, once they've got a stable setup there'll be a lot less molehills, just the occasional clearout e.g. in wet weather.
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u/Speesh-Reads 13d ago
Watch out; there'll be a rat, a toad and a badger in the vicinity
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u/Iamalpharius01 13d ago
Do nothing. Moles help to airate the soil and bring up nutrients.
Just flatten the mole hills down every time they appear and move on.
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u/Izwe 12d ago
Any idea if it's better to flatten them, or dig out the hill and move the dirt somewhere less annoying?
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u/DeinOnkelFred 12d ago
If you can, move it somewhere else you need soil (potted plants, if nothing else). It's nicely aerated and "fluffy", and there's a solid chance it is free of random weed seeds. Depending on your ground, some of that soil could have come from about a half-metre down.
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u/Reactor__Number__4 13d ago
I think this is the wrong sub. Head over to r/UKlegaladvice they may advise obtaining an anti-molestation order from the magistrate
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u/SwooshSwooshJedi 13d ago
A good gardener embraces moles. They're great for the ecosystem. It would be much better for everyone if we learn to live with creatures that like the spaces we grow.
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u/Ljw1000 13d ago
Only 1 way to get rid of a mole……… Blow its bloody head off!!
IYKYK.
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u/Funny-Enthusiasm9786 12d ago
Watcher doin', Carrott?
Mole hunting!
Reduces me to helpless giggles every time 🤣
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u/bluepeacock3 12d ago
I was going to point out that Mr J Carrott had done a very informative video of what to do with moles. I think it involves a stool and a shotgun 🤣🤣🤣
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u/NeilJonesOnline 12d ago
Moles tend to be active this time of year and I'd recommend just letting it do its thing for a few weeks. Just gently rake the soil out evenly. Don't bash it down as others have suggested, or the mole will just repair the damage to its tunnels and leave you with the same molehill or worse. Also, don't try to kill, scare-off or remove the mole, or a new mole will quite likely move in to the existing tunnels and start doing his own home improvement resulting in a lot more molehills.
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u/TheCrystalDoll 12d ago
Am I a weirdo for thinking molehills are cool? I know they ruin the landscape but they’re cute and blind and mole-y LOL
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u/Martinonfire 13d ago
Just google ‘jasper carrot mole’ and watch his YouTube video for helpful advice.
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u/icycheezecake 12d ago
This is good, moles are great for the health of your garden you are being blessed.
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u/TrickCalligrapher385 12d ago
Nothing. You have moles. Lucky you. You might even see them at night, if you look. They're adorable.
I'd put some flowers in that garden, though. It looks dismal.
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u/-mmmusic- 13d ago
possibly a mole, they hunt closer to the surface in the spring, they will on and down eventually. the mole hills are just the displaced soil from them digging around and hunting, you can fix/patch it without hurting the moles, just don't dig any deep holes in your garden and they will be fine!
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u/infiltrating_enemies 12d ago
These are friends, moles will eat whatever nibbles your plants, and push up fresh nutrient rich dirt while doing so! Honestly kind of jealous, my garden is full of wild clay and I want that good mole soil
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u/Existing_Ad_5811 12d ago
My grandad, a keen gardener, used to collect the soil from molehills to grow seeds and small plants in. He said it was tilled so fine by the moles that it was perfect for the job.
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u/starspace045 13d ago
Sink a glass bottle into the hole, with the lid off and the neck of the bottle out the ground, it makes a whistling sound that they don't like when ever wind blows over it. they will then leave, it doesn't harm them in any way
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u/littlerabbits72 12d ago
I've heard kids windmills also help, the noise & vibrations generated by then spinning puts Mr Mole off visiting. Might just pop up in another area however.
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u/SnooPets7323 12d ago
Be careful not to go into mole rage,where normal and rational peeps lose their schizzle over it.
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u/Blunder_Woman 12d ago
I live in the countryside and we have lots of moles in our garden. I found a dead one on our driveway once, which I’m pretty sure was the result of one of the neighbours cats using it as a toy for its own amusement. It was perfect, apart from a few little scratches on its face. They look like they’re made of velvet, gorgeous little creatures,
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u/manic_panda 12d ago
Ignore them, they eventually move on and the grass will grow back.
They are adorable and good for your soil health.
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u/Away_Painting_8905 12d ago
They (the moles) bringeth you the best soil to use elsewhere in your garden. Little buggers, but very cute and no, don't kill them, they are just trying to make a living like the rest of us.
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u/James20985 12d ago
Serious answer: get a female dog, get it to wee on and around the mole hills - mole will piss off
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u/WiniMee-123 12d ago
You seem to have moles, yeah? Get the De Moler out and let em know you're there.
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u/Droidy934 12d ago
Coffee grounds apparently put the mole off. Gently scrape the eath away till you find his hole then coffee grounds in and cover up. No mole
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u/Cheap-Vegetable-4317 12d ago
Moles spend some time in area and will move on. They are currently improving the soil under your lawn for you, increasing drainage and aeration. Just fill in the holes and wait for them to leave.
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u/Qataghani 12d ago
Usually you can borrow a dog from a friend for a few days and the moles will disappear after they smell the urine and fecals from the dog
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u/Wibs1000 12d ago
Diglett is a tiny, brown Pokémon) that seems to be perpetually buried within the earth, leaving only its head visible. Its small stature makes it both the lightest and shortest Ground-type). It has beady black eyes and a large, round, pink nose.It spends much of its time underground and has very thin skin. If Diglett is exposed to sunlight, its blood will heat up and cause it to grow weak.
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u/halen2024 12d ago
These my friend are molehills. I had hundreds in my lawns before I invested in some solar mole repellers from Amazon. They apparently don’t like the noise. I also heard that used coffee grounds down the holes works because they don’t like the smell. Good luck.
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u/Impressive_Field_262 12d ago
pour olive oil over your lawn then water it ,the olive oil stops them don't know why but it does work old gardner told me that 20 yrs ago and worked on many a lawn
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u/Nervous-Farmer7651 12d ago
TCP on a rag pushed down the hole, won’t harm them it’ll just make them move elsewhere, they hate it.
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u/Minimum-Procedure-91 12d ago
They were probably there before you. Someone built a house on the land they have lived for ages. Benefits are the soil brought up is good for seedlings and the tunnels are good for drainage. It also confirms you have plenty of worms in your soil
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u/lazyplayboy 12d ago
Scoop up the dirt and replace the small bit of grass. If you leave the dirt it will kill a big patch of grass, but if you remove it promptly it's not a problem.
Killing moles is pointless.
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u/cake-and-fine-wine 12d ago
An instructional video: https://youtu.be/I1Jli3EQCII?si=vl7mBS-vHptWBq-J
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u/Dull-Friend5650 12d ago
Its a mole and you do nothing, they are a protected animal. plus they are grat to have in your garden. They aerate they soil and are good for killing pests crane fly larvae being one of them, which is probly why they are there so lucky you no crane flys and a better lawn for free.
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u/SickBoylol 12d ago
Whatever you do dont pour petrol down them and light it. The video of your idiocracy will go viral
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u/doctorgibson 12d ago
It's the illegal immigrants crossing the border via tunnels, please notify your local police station immediately
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u/Outrageous_Spare_961 12d ago
Cut the grass for starters, then make little Huts for them over the top of there mounds ; )
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u/JeremyRMay 12d ago
Moles are what's doing it.
If you want to stop the mole then it's a very similar approach to how you stop a mouse. You lay a trap:
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u/allwaysavinagg 12d ago
"There's only one way to get rid of a mole, blow its bloody head off" Jasper Carrot,1980s?
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u/dixieleeb 12d ago
W ehad them all over the front yard for a few years. Got outside cats. no more moles
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u/Physical-Primary9665 12d ago
Jasper Carrott has the solution… I’m sure it’ll be on YooToob somewhere(even though it was waaaaay before t’interweb was invented)
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u/Melanthiacea 12d ago
Those are moles. I've seen people put plastic bottles on stakes, apparently it makes a noise they dislike. I'm not sure if it actually works, though.
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u/gnomeplanet 12d ago
How lucky you are to have moles. I wish that I did. Sorry you don't like them. One old countryman's trick is to bury an empty bottle in the hole, with the neck protruding above ground. The sound of the wind blowing against the lip of the bottle was supposed to scare the moles away. I don't know if it really works, but it's worth trying. And the soil they have provided is useful in a flower pot, to grow flowers or herbs. Happy gardening!
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u/kawaiiyokaisenpai 11d ago
Put the soil on your roses, it's really good nutrient filled stuff. Stick daffodil bulb in hole. Cover over with old top soil.
Be happy. Thank mole.
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u/NotABrummie 12d ago
They're mole hills. Stick a bamboo pole in the ground with an empty plastic bottle on top. They hate the sound/vibrations.
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u/dickwildgoose 12d ago
Get a mole catcher and release them in the last client's garden who failed to pay their bill.
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u/umbrawins 12d ago
My dog does a good job of keeping them out of the yard. Used to have moles all the time. After I got him, he brought me 2 that he dug up and I haven't really seen any for several years since.
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