Re: Moles
- Subject: Re: [SG] Moles
- From: P* W*
- Date: Mon, 16 Jul 2001 18:01:38 -0700
I have been battling moles this year, and have hit upon a solution that I
hope gives me some relief! My yard looks like it has a bad case of acne, and
the gardens are suffering as well as the lawn and walkways. The darn things
actually shove up a mound in front of my front porch entrance, through the
gravel!
I have started using road flares in the runs, light them and push them down
into the run and then cover with dirt so the smoke is forced to follow the
tunnel. If it reaches their lare they will suffocate. My problem in the back
yard has decreased to an occasional mound, and I am determined to eliminate
them entirely. I live on the edge of a lake, and there is a stream at my
land side border so my yard is rather isolated. I was using the mole
smokers, with marginal luck, but a Coast to Coast guy pointed out that they
are just mini road flares, and that the big ones worked better. Hope this
helps!
----- Original Message -----
From: "Hank Zumach" <zumach@EXECPC.COM>
To: <shadegardens@MAELSTROM.STJOHNS.EDU>
Sent: Monday, July 16, 2001 12:15 PM
Subject: [SG] Moles
Hi All--Recently on one of the lists I posted a request for help IDing the
cause of a problem cimicifuga. It was shriveling up and slowly dying.
There were no other outward symptoms and the plant had been thoroughly
watered. Responses from the list and calls to our county agent suggested a
root virus or fungus as the most likely cause. The same thing began to
happen to several astilbes scattered about in various parts of the garden.
I was about to dig up an astilbe to check the roots when I discovered that
MOLES had tunneled around and under the plants. The tunnels apparently left
the plant roots hanging in air and therefore unable to take in any water.
The tunnels were deep enough that there were no "humps" on the surface of
the soil to indicate their presence. As soon as I collapsed the tunnels,
the plants began to recover.
Our gardens are in a forested area and mole runs are very common. Until
now, I had thought they always tunneled close enough to the surface to push
up the soil. Obviously not. In thinking back over time, this problem has
been happening for years and has cost us a number of water sensitive plants.
Until now, we assumed the problems were "just one of those things". What is
discouraging is that we have been unsuccessful in getting rid of the moles.
Over the course of several years we have tried 3 different styles of metal
traps and 2 or 3 kinds of poison. I know we have never killed a single mole
with a trap and the poisons have not seemed to have an effect either. Has
anyone found a trap that actually kills the darn things? How about a poison
that is specific to moles ( as opposed to the type that kills off all the
worms that the moles feed on)?
Hank Zumach
Stoddard, WI
