DiO-Uncaster Farming Saturday, July 18, 1987
NEWARK, Del. The much
maligned mole does not really
munch the roots or bulbs of plants,
but it may damage them when tun
neling through the soil in search of
grubs and earthworms.
“If homeowners or farmers see
mole tunnels and find plants disap
pearing, they should suspect field
mice or voles,” says Bob Hoch
muth. University of Delaware
extension agricultural agent.
“These rodents will use mole tun
nels for protection and as avenues
to food supplies.
“Because moles eat insect pests
- including Japanese beetle larvae
- they can be beneficial,” the
agent explains. “A mole has a tre-
Controlling Water
“Erosion and sediment are two
environmental threats that we see,
hear and read about everyday,”
says Conservation Technician Roy
A. Shryock, U.S.D.A. Soil Conser
vation Service.
Our streams, rivers, and lakes
are suffering from sediment and
nutrient buildup. Much of this can
be controlled by installing simple
water control structures such as
stripcropping, waterways, diver
sions, filters strips, and just plain
grass fields. Waterways, diver
sions, and terraces safely lead run
off water to larger outlets and
streams.
A temporary dam of number 4
stone or fabric filter across an out
let is necessary to filter soil sedi
ment and trash until seeding is
accomplished to maintain control.
As the size of a watershed
increases, larger and more com
plex structures are needed. Debris
basins or sediment ponds are
essential on most earthmoving
construction sites. These are
designed to impound run-off
water, store it, and gradually
release it to safe outlets or streams.
This system allows sediment to
settle to the bottom and can then be
removed to a suitable disposal site.
On steeper slopes, stone center
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Moles Prefer To Feast On Grubs, Not Foliage
mendous appetite and can con
sume nearly half its own weight in
food daily.”
The common mole, which is the
most widespread species in the
eastern United States, is a small,
burrowing mammal about 5 to 8
inches long. It has grey fur, a long,
tapering snout; no external ears;
and tiny - barely detectable -
eyes. Its most distinguishing fea
ture is its broad, shovel-like, front
feet.
Moles stay underground, sel
dom venturing out of their bur
rows. They are most active early in
the morning and late in the even
ing. They plainly proclaim their
Controls Erosion
waterways are necessary to control
erosion. Stone is sized tc withstand
the force of water, thus eliminating
erosion and sedimentation destruc
tion. As slopes get steeper with
drop-offs, concrete chutes are
necessary to safely discharge
water to channels or streams.
Many of these structures serve
multiple purposes. A debris basin
can serve as a sediment basin until
areas are seeded. A permanent
pool can be designed with flood
water storage allotted for fire pro
tection and recreation. Another use
for a water control structure is a
fish hatchery and rearing raceway.
For
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presence by the aboveground
ridges caused by their burrowing.
“Most of the mole’s burrowing
is a random search for food, so
many of the tunnels are seldom
used again,” Hochmuth says.
“Their more permanent or ‘active’
tunnels usually run along fences,
borders or other protected places.”
Usually there is no need to con
trol moles, the extension agent
says. But if they become a nui
sance, the two best control
methods are trapping the moles
and reducing insect populations.
“In my opinion, you may win a
few battles without traps,” Hoch
muth says. “However, the only
way to win the ‘war’ is to trap
them.”
For trapping to succeed, a fre
quently used tunnel must be
selected. “To locate an active tun
nel, cave in short sections of sever
al runways with your foot and indi
cate each site with a marker,” says
the agent. “Moles are very suspi
cious and will avoid areas that
appear odd, so don’t disturb the
tunnels more than necessary.”
Check each site the following
day and note tunnels that have
been rebuilt. A rebuilt tunnel is a
prime place to put a trap.
Two types of traps, the harpoon
and choker loop, are generally
available. If there is no catch with
in a day or two, change locations,
Hochmulh advises.
Moles can also be discouraged
COMING AUGUST 15th
by treating your yard with insecti
cides to reduce the insect popula
tion. This method requires time
and patience, the extension agent
warns.
Several materials are available
for grub control including diazi
non, Spectracide, trichlorfon, ofta
nol and dursban. Water the treated
areas thoroughly after an applica
tion of insecticide for grub control.
For further details consult Dela
ware extension bulletin E-32,
“Lawn Insects and Their Control.”
This is available at county offices
in Newark (451-2506), Dover
(697-4000) and Georgetown
(856-7303).
An inexpensive aluminum bar
rier can also be used to fend off
moles from small, isolated areas
such as flower beds. “Any kind of
bendable metal will work,” says
Hochmuth, “but a strip of sheet
aluminum about 18 inches wide
would be best”
Bury the metal at least 12 inches
deep and bend the remaining
aboveground portion away from
the flower bed at a 90-degree angle
to the soil surface. For appear
ance’s sake, the agent suggests
covering the exposed aluminum
lightly with a fihe bark mulch or
shredded mulch.
Repellents, such as mothballs,
inserted in the tunnels will drive
moles elsewhere. But again, this
method is only practical in small
areas. Hochmuth cautions against
using lethal gas or poison baits.
“Gassing is generally ineffec
tive since it’s almost impossible to
fill all tunnels with lethal amounts
of poisonous gas,” he says. “Poi
son baits are dangerous to child
ren, pets and other animals and
should not be used around a yard.”
7. Call
(717)