Molenator traps

I have been at this house for a week now and the moles keep digging a tunnel under my traps. The trap will almost be in the air in the tunnel and a new tunnel is under the trap on both sides. I set one on each side of tunnel facing both ways. I don’t know if I am not bedding them correctly but I have never had this problem. Anyone else have this with these traps?

I am in a couple area's with real sandy soil. I am trying a couple of No-moles but can not find any good long runs.

You arent bedding it correctly. In sandy soil you have to drive the trap down into the sand. I hold the trap just behind the pan and push the trap into the tunnel at a 20-30 degree downward angle.

Coincidentally, a lack of a bottom on the no mol traps makes bedding issues very rare with them.

An alternative method you can try is to place the trap in the tunnel upside down.

Sometimes you dont have long, straight runs. Set in the tunnels available.

I watch Steve A. tape again last night. Our soil is real sandy. I see in Steve video that the mole hole and run are at the same depth. Sometime my hole is above the bottom, I have dug below the run. I think when I put the sand back in the hole I am pushing the spring end of the trap down and Un-bedding the trap. Also the sand is going behind the trigger. But that would not have anything to do with the bedding of the trap. Just something to think about. JMO

You must bed the trap jaws by pushing them down into the soil below the grade level of the tunnel. I use a dandelion tool to reach into the tunnel to bed the front of the trap. If you don't develop a good bedding technique you will get lots of dig unders with Steves traps.

I rarely get a dig under now. Once in a great while if I get sloppy and don't pay attention to good jaw bedding the mole reminds me to stay focused.

If you can't make it work by going into the end of the tunnel dig as usual just cut out a square in the middle of the run large enough for two traps to be set both directions

Be careful to keep the cut out sod in good shape ( don't break it apart ) so that you can put it back like it was before you removed it. Set your traps like you normally do but bed them in good alignment by setting the traps right in the visible open run. Press the traps down from the top and you will be able to see that they are well bedded below the tunnel grade.

I re establish the tunnel run in the bottom of the cut out sod with the round handle of my dandelion tool by pressing the handle into the sod. Then I carefully place the cutout sod over the set traps. Make sure that you stake your traps and mark your set up location. You can use a cut piece of 1" pvc to press the tunnel run into the top sod piece to allow the run to feel as it did before your incision of the sod.

Once you get some practice bedding from the top you will get better at bedding when the traps are in the tunnel and you begin bedding that way once again. You need to use two hands to bed the way that I do.

One hand braces the trap while the other hand pushes down and away from you against the jaws. This is done by engaging the lower part of the trap frame at the base of the jaws and pushing down and away with your tool.

It is easier to show then to type a description.

Bob:
All my sets are done by digging out a square plug. Down to the run's. I do this even with runs on the surface. Place a trap in both direction. I put Steve's trap in past the winding spring. Maybe when I replace the sod or soil I am pushing on the back of the trap and tipping the front of the trap up unbeding the trap. I have one of those cameras to look into walls etc. I may take a look and see what they look like. You may want to made a video to sell!
Thinks for the information. It is odd I went for week with out a trap being dug under.

It doesn't have to be in any further than the trigger.

Ground conditions and your technique can vary a little from set to set to where you have some problems every now and then. It keeps us honest and on our game as well as more diligent with our setting routine. We all have tendencies to get complacent and sloppy now and then trying to see if we can get away with doing things the fast and easy way.

Just think of it as a sort of wake up call when that happens.

Bob, I have to agree, but I have one place that has got me stumped. The ground is very sandy. I have been using Steve traps and No-moles. Think of using Duff's and OOS next. Same run keep getting dug under. Thinking of damping the soil before I set the traps. May dig back and make my own mole run out of heaver soil.

I use a technique in mulch areas that collapse very easily.

I dig out over the run area that I am going to set just large enough to set two traps. I use the round handle of my dandelion tool and insert it into the mole run on both sides. I then push down on the top soil to further compact the mulch which helps to firm up the tunnel in the area where the traps will be set.

I insert my Mole Tunnel Pilot into the end run and compress the mulch on top once again to form to the tools shape. Do the same for the other tunnel.
Set and insert your traps and bed as usual. They bed easily in the mulch areas. I have precut pieces of black construction weed block that I use to cover the open run. I cut my pieces so they are a few inches larger then the needed cutout into the mulch.

I carry landscape pins to secure the week block in place around its perimeter. In some cases if you have handy debris such a s rocks, sticks or other sturdy material that will help hold down the weed block edges it can be used also. I just have what I need in doing those kinds of jobs in that kind of setting. Every mole job is different in terms of ground conditions and where the moles are tunneling.

Just keep in mind that the weed block will keep out the light and most direct air flow therefore not alerting the mole to any significant conditional changes in his tunnel until it is too late.

That is how I set those conditions as I find them. It works well for me and those I have trained. This system makes for easy checking and maintenance. Once you have done it a few times it is routine.

Bob:
Do you do anything to keep the dry sandy soil from going into the mole run and on to your trap? I like to get Steve's trap in at least to the end of the winding spring.

I don't get much collapsing of the top since I use weed block as I stated above to cover the run. I have also used 3" piece of pvc cut in half the long way to the length I need to cover two traps.

I have also carried damp top soil into areas that are causing me collapsing problems with a particular area. I rebuild the tunnel area and re establish the tunnel with the moist soil and develop my own continuing tunnel where needed and set my traps in the section.

On occasion I will set the trapline traps side ways in a tunnel. This eliminates the frame on the bottom of the tunnel and moves it to the side of the tunnel. This may help in some cases if bedding the jaws down adequately is not done well enough at times.

I know Bob and others have mastered the use of Steve's traps but me, I continue to use OOS traps in sandy soil. For me to use Steve's it has to pretty much be clay-like or I'll have dig unders 100% of the time (same w No Mols).

Jason, try moving the no mol trigger closer to the vertical jaws.

Thank you for the suggestion, I'll give it a try!

Jason
How far are you placing the trigger from where the wires cross?

Getting There, if you're talking about no mols, I do it like Alan shows in his videos. I'd have to measure that distance-- been a bit since I got so frustrated with them that I chucked em in a bucket and haven't looked back. I can check.

The smaller the mole, the closer the trigger needs to be to the vertical jaws.