Pages

▼

Monday, September 12, 2011

slow on the moles

I've been pretty lazy this summer when it comes to the moles. Or maybe you'd just call it "tolerant". In previous years I'd be out there catching moles as quickly as I'd see them, but this year...


Well, this year I just don't care that much.


***


There is plenty of mole activity in my yard. In fact, moles have helped tip over a couple of my larger pots (not the ones on the driveway though -- that still remains a bit of a mystery) due to their digging efforts softening the soil under the containers.


It's just that I don't really care this year. Maybe it was the long, hot summer, but when I've been seeing mole activity I just make a mental note and walk away. I did catch this one guy accidentally while watering an in-ground elephant ear a couple of weeks ago. I was just dumping water on the ground around the plant, and started seeing some movement. Then the little pink snout poked up out of the soggy soil, and I blasted him with the hose until he emerged.

Maybe now that it's cooled off a bit I'll focus more effort on catching these pests, but I doubt I'll reach the same number of mole catches as I did last year: 13. I've only caught three this year.







MoleMeter 2011 mole capture count: 3





I'm hoping that doesn't mean an explosion of mole activity next year though!

Here's my earlier post on how I catch them.

.

4 comments:

  1. MSeptember 12, 2011 at 4:00 PM

    I am amazed to this day at the sheer abundance of wild life in your yard. No moles, deer, turtles or amphibians to be found around here. Around here the only wild life is limited to squirrels, shrews and wild turkeys (which are like 40 lbs pigeons).

    ReplyDelete
  2. Gardener on Sherlock StreetSeptember 27, 2011 at 4:24 PM

    I just have to say. They is ugly!

    ReplyDelete
  3. AnonymousNovember 21, 2012 at 12:08 PM

    Moles do serve a purpose in your garden while they borrow around. It allows nutrients, water and oxygen to find their way deeper into the ground. In most case you will find the roots will be thicker where moles activity occurred.

    Just a thought

    ReplyDelete
  4. AlanNovember 21, 2012 at 4:41 PM

    Thanks for the comment, but I have to disagree. First, the mole tunnels are only a couple of inches below the surface, where plenty of water, nutrients, and oxygen already exists. Second, they rip up roots and leave air spaces under the plant where roots can't grow.

    Moles may be beneficial to the soil in general, but I can't see how it's beneficial to a plant to be partially uprooted.

    ReplyDelete