Albano mole trap checking?

Hi folks
If I set some Albano mole traps by noon, should I check them b4 dusk?
..or are they nocturnal?
Starting a job I only have 4 days on and want to check enough but not overdo it!
Thanx
John

Moles living underground in the dark can move anytime day or night.

As of the last few years I have been checking once a day on our jobs.Waiting 2 or more days you will begin seeing cannilabism in your mole catches.

Meaning you are missing other moles by having a caught mole blocking the tunnel.Moles are very active and if you are on their primary travel routes,new dig outs or new feed tunnels by knowing how to read the sign well you will catch them daily.Gang setting on the main runs will help to eradicate this problem.

I have found on any average job you will need at least 7-10 days on site and inspecting each check for missed runs to do a good clean out if you are good at your job.

Any less time you will be leaving moles on the job. Moles can have an extensive network of runs and it just requires time to allow them to make their rounds. Many ADC folks dont know what they leave on site and then you risk fast call backs and unhappy folks.

For someone who has never seen a mole in his life, I feel like I know more about them than most people. Am I lucky to not have moles or am I missing a lot of good business? After listening to you guys, I guess I'm happy without them. What do you think?

I love mole work, and Paul it comes with zero chance of falling off a ladder:)

I have fun with moles. How many traps do you guys set per job?

With my luck we'd get roof moles. And I don't even want to know how you have fun with moles.

The number of primary runs that you identify determine the number of traps set. You need to decipher and identify the maze of runs to establish the primary runs to different areas.

Some are travel routes to various landscape areas, some are tunnels leading to the nest sites,some are hard edge travel runs, some tunnels lead to dead end turn around/rest areas,some are new advancing feed runs, some are deep access runs to fresh surface mounds. Once you recognize them all mole clean outs are much easier.

They want me to trap 'tween camper sessions and will have 5 days and was wondering if I should check traps MORE than once/day.

I told them I'd do what I can in the limited time they've given me....no one else would even come look the place over...I made a ridiculous bid, including lodging, since it's 1.5 hrs away..and got the job..

There are 4 areas moled up, about 20-30 ft square each.
I have 12 Albanos and 6 victor spear type.

Based on your description of the time constraints, etc and mole behavior/biology, I'd check more frequently for sure. With each catch, start pressing down tunnels to serve as your indicators of subsequent activity.

Good idea Jason
thanx
Hope your custom holster is filling the bill!
John

Looks like you will be running without what I would deem enough traps for such a short term program. Spears are only good for shallow feed/run tunnels. So you will have six spears and six set ups with the Albano trap locations. That will give you 12 set ups which will be about 3 locations per activity area.

Good luck with your program. Let us know how it works out for you. Sounds like you will have 8 to 12 moles or more on that job. Then factor in the perimeter migratory runs that may feed those areas and the count could go up.

Most of our mole work here doesnt have many raised feed tunnel runs as described so there is no monitoring them. Just have to find the deeper more permanent runs that are the primary runs for most of your catches.Shallow runs produce very few moles in my experience.If they are fresh tunnel extension digs then you will connect.

2nd everything Bob Jameson has stated.

As long as you don't lose them (marker of some kind), the best thing about Steve Albano's and No-Mol type of trap is that they are out of sight and out of mind. People with dogs, kids, and nosy neighbors always appreciate them.

If not using spears or OOS, the place which has camper sessions may let the trapping go on during sessions with sub surface traps, not limiting the time, once they see (or don't in this case)that the traps pose no problems to their campers.

Because of the distance, another option may be selling a package of traps and education to the camp. They could run their own program with your consultation after you sold them the equipment and teach them how to use it.

Yeah, traprjohn, working like a charm!

American moles must be a lot different to the moles over here, a job that size I would only use 4 traps, its very rare, other than in the breeding season that there will be more than 1 mole in area that size [ 20 - 30ft square], our moles are very territorial and will fight to the death if they meet each other.

I typically can trap 4-8 moles around a tree that has multiple mounds both old and new digging. That is from a 20 ft radius from the base of the tree. I caught 43 moles from a typical city two lot area 2 weeks ago in 10 days.

Do catch many coloured moles ? I have 4 white and 1 orange in the freezer at the moment, I will have to get my lad to take some photos and show me how to put them up , because I haven't got a clue how to do it.

I caught a neat grey/blue one a few days ago. It had a beautiful pelt. Most of them aren't as interesting in my area.

I get some moles with white patches on their chest and bellies at times. Most are dark grey to near black in color.

I catch a few that have orange on the face.

Rickey

I made 2 checks per day and ended up with 8 moles...6 from the ball field that had the most sign 1 from a play ground and 1 in front of our cabin.

Some made new tunnels UNDER the Albano traps!....Any pointers to avoid this next time?

I'm negotiating another trip in the Fall when the leaves are turning.

The digging around and under the traps is common in my experience with moles. It is critical to set your trap jaws centered in the run as best you can. If not, they will see them as a obstruction of sorts and avoid the blockage as they would any resistance that appears to them to be too much of an obstacle for them to work with.

Bedding your traps better into the dirt by compressing them down to almost ground level and centering the jaws will help you to avoid this.

I use a dandelion tool for bedding and placing the traps back into the runs. I set a couple of ways depending upon the conditions and the moles reaction to the traps.

To make it a bit easier to avoid this problem I incision a U shaped piece of sod to the depth of the bottom of the run about 8"-10" long and about 4" back on each end centered over the run. Loosen all three cut sides with your sod cutting tool to release the roots but keeping the cut sod in one piece the best you can. Then fold the sod back away from you and stake it down thru the center mass with your wire flag end to hold it out of the way while you work bedding your traps.

The Depth of your cut should be the depth to the tunnel bottom.A little deeper is better but too shallow isnt as good.I have built what I call a tunnel spreader tool. This tool pushes open the face opening of the runs to allow me to insert the traps more easily because the tunnels are a bit smaller then the jaw width of the traps.The jaws will hang up at times on roots, dirt,rocks etc. in the tunnel. The spreader just goes back in to the run the length of the trap. This allows much easier placement of the trap.

Opening the runs in this manner will give you an open look at the tunnel direction and depth. Center your traps with the jaws right up against the face of the exposed tunnel hole on each end. Press down with your dandelion tool tip and fingers. Pinch the soft dirt between your finger and thumb against the spring end of the trap to stabilize the trap better so it wont be pushed or rocked too easily when the mole contacts the push trigger.This practice will give you consistent good catches providing for a fast dispatch.

Set the opposite run trap the same way. I set my traps so each trap tether can be anchored with one wire flag.Occasionally I need two flags if the tethers arent close enough to do this.If you have cut your sod out the right size and this will take a few practice runs to get it right, you will be able to see the imprint of part of the mole tunnel in your cut out sod.

Before folding the sod back over to cover the run, I use the handle of my dandelion tool or a piece of cut broom handle or 1" piece of PVC pipe I carry about 8-10 inches long to press and squeeze it into the top part of the mole tunnel to re establish the form of the tunnel. This will allow the traps to function well once covered over and the tunnel will appear to be undisturbed to the mole when it comes thru once again..

It is best to minimize most of the surface air flow into run from the top of the run where you cut the sod open and minimize penetrating light because the mole will react to this and most likely plug the openings. Just pinch some dirt or sod around the needed open incision areas the best you can.

It is critical to re establish the folded back piece of sod into position as it was hinged back when you set the traps initially. Just press and fit the sod back to the ground level as it was prior to your cut out. Make sure you have the tunnel halves aligned as best you can. This is really an easy operation once you have done it a few times. This system makes for easy trap checking each time also.

Many times when I set up jobs some runs arent well rooted with grass and the tunnel surface run is dry dirt and it will break up and collapse when you cut the run open. To remedy this I just go some where to the lawn edge and cut out a well rooted piece of sod that will hold its shape and is moist.I just cut the sod size that I need to adequately cover the open cut out area of my run.

This works very nicely and makes trap checking easy. I simply re construct/replace the top of the run with a cut out sod piece just as it was prior to your cutting into the run. Compress the shape and proper direction of your tunnel run into the transplanted sod root area prior to placing it onto the open tunnel area.It is now just business as usual to the mole

When you pull your traps out and the job is complete just step down the cut sod and it will root very quickly in a couple of weeks. Its best you dont cut out the sod completely when doing your sod incision for trap setting for dig around mole activity.

I have done both methods using the 4 side cut out where you are removing the cut out sod plug to check your traps and the U cut out system utilizing the folded back sod method when experienceing the dig under and around situations by a mole. The folded back sod method will catch that mole on your next check.It allows a good trap bedding system and precise jaw placement with minimal disturbance to the mole tunnel.

I have also set another set of traps in the new established go around or under tunnel right by the mudded up traps that were intially set also and caught the mole as well. But I prefer to dig back into a virgin part of the run about 6 inches on each end and re set with the U sod cut method.

Good luck.

Thank you very much for that post Mr. Jameson.
I just learned an awful lot about mole trapping.
Very much appreciated!!

We leave mole traps set at least 24 hours before checking, and 48 hours is even better. You may well have moles caught after just a few hours, but you'll have have a better chance of catching the moles or of catching more moles if you give the moles some time to work their way around to the traps.

Steve,x2