Since this thread is still alive, I'll post additional questions here. I set up another mole job today. This one is going to be more difficult than the last, as I could find zero shallow runs. But the mole hills were enormous! Runs were going downward at a steep angle as the job before, but this time I tried digging down to find where they leveled out, which ended up being around 14-18" down. Then I set OOS traps over these runs. My question is, can you not spook a mole by doing that much excavation? I still need to get some moleinator traps (Albano's) but TRapper said he uses OOS's exclusively, so I figured I would give it a shot. My work looks much worse than the mole hills though, lol. I'm sure the homeowner was concerned...

Roe - unfortunately, true Talpex mole traps are not available in the USA. Just like you guys in the UK, if I'm not mistaken, cannot directly buy Trapline Mole traps from Steve Albano. I've recently bought some true Talpex traps from Fourteenacre and some Talpex-type traps from Flatpack in the UK but the postage and handling fees (carriage?) are exhorbitant unless you're buying in large quantities!

Like a lot of mole catchers over here, I use mostly the upgraded Out-of-Sight and the Trapline Mole traps. I resort to the Talpex along house foundations, fences, driveways, sidewalks, etc. or anywhere I think Mr. Mole will dig under my sandy soils.

Definitely not on the breeding chamber thing...mounds are created when digging deeper horizontal tunnels...they have to put the dirt somewhere

A mole's main diet of earthworms plus secretions from its scent/musk gland makes for a not so tasty treat for the 4-legged predators. Pulling a trap with a mole always make me look for the natural gas leak around the house. That's what they smell like to me! I'm not too worried about losing my traps as much anymore.

I'm imagining a mole cartoon with a bulldozer blade on front. I don't think they push that much ahead of them....

The deep runs are still kicking my tail. Managed to pinch one today when it finally made a shallow run, as we've had a cool front mixed with precipitation the past couple of days. But it's taking too long. I did order a half dozen of Steve's traps a couple days ago, so I'm looking forward to trying them. I still don't exactly see how they wouldn't get prematurely tripped as the mole is pushing dirt up through the deep runs, but maybe it will make sense to me once I actually set one.

Hi, they don't push so much, they generally pull dirt back.