Mice?

Help please we have what we think are mice digging tunnels in our newly laid lawn and raised beds.  The holes are too small for moles.  I dont want to kill them just make them pack their bags and go away!

Are you sure they are mice?  I have to admit I've never come across this behaviour from mice.  Rats - yes, but their holes are bigger. 

Have you actually seen the culprits?  I think you may need to be a little surer before a solution to the problem can be found. 

I put up with mice in the GH (although they have a dreadful habit of pinching seeds or eating choice seedlings) but I have never seen the problem outside in the way you describe.  There may, however, be people on this board who know better . . .

We found these holes at the edge of some paving this morning. Wondered if the cat had caught a mole (he does sometimes) and it had managed to escape.

Yes I have spotted a mouse on the edge of the lawn earlier on in the year and there was one small hole in the border at that time .I have  not seen any rats, Next door but one have chickens and I think that may be attracting mice in the area.

Mouse traps baited with chocolate.

I think it's more likely to be a mole or a vole than a rat or mouse. I don't think rats or mice would tunnel underground quite like that.  Mole tunnels are surprisingly narrow and the mole can squeeze through narrower gaps in paving etc than you might think.  In any case, I don't think a chocolate-baited mousetrap would do!  Moles are solitary creatures - they only get together to mate, apparently - so you've probably only got the one - if indeed it is a mole. 

I'm not sure how to get rid of voles, but one way to deter moles is to annoy them by creating something which would conduct noise and/or vibrations down into the tunnel.  They like peace & quiet!  I'd suggest this cheap way of trying to disturb the mole:  cut the bottom off a plastic bottle and push the bottle upside down a few inches into the top of the disturbed ground.  The wind noise transmitted through the plastic often does the trick.  You could even tie some old CDs or something to a short stick and see if that would work.  Another way is to get a child's plastic windmill & push the stick down into the hole.  None of these things cost much - if anything - and you've nothing to lose by trying!