Write to the garden desk
Send your questions about mole tunnels, raised beds, or plant-based repellents to info@piegeataupe.com. We answer within two working days, usually sooner during the week.
Each issue follows the same sequence: observe the terrain, identify the tunnels, choose a non-lethal barrier or repellent, then check the results over two to three weeks. We keep the steps simple so a beginner can apply them on a small plot without special tools.
Each issue of the magazine follows the same route: a reader sends a real problem from their plot, we test the solution on a small patch, and the result comes back as a step-by-step plan you can reuse. No theory without a spade in the soil.
Start with what you see: fresh molehills along the bean row, tunnels lifting the carrot bed, or a lawn that looks like a minefield. Note the season, the soil type and how long the activity has been going on. That context decides which method fits.
Not every mole problem needs the same answer. A wet clay plot calls for drainage work, a dry sandy one for barrier planting. We compare the options: underground fencing, repellent plants, non-lethal traps, or a mix of two.
Pick one bed or one corner of the lawn. Install the chosen solution there and keep a simple log: dates, weather, mole activity, plant condition. A two-week trial on a small patch tells you more than a full-season guess.
Send back your notes and photos. We adjust the spacing, the depth of the trench, or the choice of companion plants. The goal is a method that works on your terrain, not a generic checklist.
Once the small test holds, you extend the same technique to the rest of the garden. The magazine documents your results so other readers can skip the trial-and-error phase and start with what already worked.
The loop closes when your experience goes into the next issue, either as a field note or a full dossier. That is how the method stays grounded: every plan in the magazine has been lived through by a gardener first. Read a recent field report.
A season-by-season chronology of the steps we follow, from the first soil survey to the moment the fence is tested by an actual mole run.
We walk the plot after a rain, mark fresh molehills, and probe the main runs with a thin rod. This gives us the exact lines where a barrier will matter and where it would be wasted effort.
The trench follows the surveyed runs, dug 60 cm deep with a slight outward slope. We line it with salvaged galvanised mesh, leaving 15 cm above ground so the fence also stops surface diggers.
Once the mesh is backfilled, we sow fritillaria and euphorbia on the outer side of the fence. Their roots reinforce the barrier and the flowers mark the line clearly for future maintenance.
We check the fence weekly after watering, because wet soil attracts new tunnelling. Where a mole crosses the line, we place a box trap for relocation and record the spot on the garden map.
Before the ground hardens, we lift any sagging mesh, replace corroded sections, and note which plantings survived. The season's data becomes the starting point for next year's survey.
Support and response times
Send your questions about mole tunnels, raised beds, or plant-based repellents to info@piegeataupe.com. We answer within two working days, usually sooner during the week.
If a mole is digging through your vegetable patch right now, call 0763 9838000 on weekdays from 9:00 to 17:00. A gardener from the team picks up, not a call centre.
For detailed cases, post a sketch of your plot or a soil sample to 12, Hina Heights, Dadar Gurgaon - 145867. Include your email address so we can reply with a written assessment.
Simple questions get a reply within 48 hours. Technical dossiers on fencing or non-lethal traps may take up to five working days because we check the advice against current field notes.
Subscribers receive a monthly note with planting reminders and mole activity patterns for their region. It is a practical way to stay ahead without searching through back issues.
Before writing, browse the help pages for answers on trench depth, repellent plants, and soil life. Many readers find what they need there without waiting for a reply. Visit the FAQ.