‘Snowflakes don’t like to see me killing moles’
PEST CONTROLLER HITS BACK AT CRITICS WHO ABUSE HIM
MOLE catcher John Paul Colling is an eye-catching sight as he travels around Yorkshire on his 600cc quad bike with a shovel and a stack of mole traps.
The 61-year-old is a pest controller in Huddersfield and Holmfirth who has been in the business for around a decade.
He spends a lot of time working alongside farmers and gardeners who want to rid their land of moles because of the damage they can do.
Mr Colling, who is based in the Holmfirth area, also works with Yorkshire golf course managers to stop moles from destroying the well-tended putting greens and fairways.
He kills around 800 moles, which he describes as vermin, a year.
Pest control is his profession, but not everyone is happy with what it entails. Mr Colling has revealed that he faces regular verbal abuse as he goes about his business.
The former Royal Artillery soldier said: “In this day and age there’s a lot of snowflakes – they don’t like to see it (killing moles).
“At the slightest opportunity, they turn around and have a go at you.”
Mr Colling said he was recently called a ‘murdering b ****** ’ by an ‘old lady’ while mole catching on farmland near Holmfirth. He thinks people are less tolerant of pest contol methods than they once were.
“I am sure I was born in the wrong era. I should have been born 50 years ago. It’s the way of society; there’s no respect any more.”
He says people have strong views on what he does and that animal rights issues are “simmering in the background.”
He adds: “For some people, it’s an excuse just to have a go. They are not understanding the context of what we do.”
Mr Colling says it is important for farmers to deal with moles as the soil they disturb can be contaminated with listeria, which can be picked up in the process of making hay or silage for feed.
The British Pest Control Association says that moles can cause considerable damage to land and gardens by tunnelling through the soil.
With heavy infestations, the ground can become unstable, and holes may appear not only damaging the foundations of your property but also creating safety risks, the Association says.
The Association advises people to employ a professional pest controller to get rid of moles, adding: “Methods such as tunnel trapping, gassing (Aluminium Phosphates) and even shooting (least likely method of control) can be used by a professional to control these pests.
“Tunnel trapping must be done with care as moles can easily detect disturbance of the tunnel and will avoid the area.”
I was called a murdering b ****** by an old lady recently Huddersfield mole catcher
John Paul Colling