Varmints
- To: medit-plants
- Subject: Varmints
- From: G* B*
- Date: Fri, 01 Sep 2000 19:16:54 +0200
I was about to post a message asking if there were any mole control measures
overseas we may not have here. Now I'll breath a sigh of relief I don't have
your gopher problems instead.
We get two main mole types here. The first are surface ' runners ' which are
the carnivores & rip up roots in passing. The worst thing about these are
that the better your soil gets & the more earthworms you encourage, the more
they love it & the more damage they do.
The second are vegetarian mound or dune moles, which sound analogous to your
gophers. They form long intricate webs of quite deep tunnels with little
raised mounds where they break the surface. I've had success controlling
these by quietly opening a mound, sealing in a hose attached to my car
exhaust & letting the car run for half an hour. It could be worth a try ?
We also have snakes adapted to feeding on moles. I find the question of
whether the moles - & the gophers - have an inherent beneficial role in the
ecosystem an interesting one. NZ doesn't have them & survives quite happily
( I can see Moira reading these letters with a quiet, satisfied smile ). It
is thought the reason many SA bulbs have evolved to produce multiple
bulblets is so they can drop off to keep the plant going as the moles drag
the main mother plant away. Thus they even help spread them. The gardeners
rule of thumb for planting bulbs has been twice as deep as the bulb is high.
I've been astounded however at some of the depths you'll see bulbs throwing
shoots up from when you see them in washouts. Some of them can go a good
25 - 30 cm. In a natural setting I guess its all in balance.
Oh, for a NZ style mole free garden though.
Glenn Breayley. Ragnarok & Valhalla Research.
POBox 26158, Hout Bay, 7872, Capetown, South Africa
Ph/Fax SA 021 7904253 E-mail valhalla@iafrica.com
Wholesale nurseryman & Tillandsia specialist wholesale & retail grower.
