Lawn Moles and Lawn Care
Are your making mountains out of your
molehills? Although lawn moles are
underground creatures, the benefits they
add to your garden are clearly visible
and far outweigh the disadvantages.
Of the six species of mole found in
North America, the Eastern mole (or gray
mole) is the most common. Moles are
about the size of chipmunks and weigh
from three to six ounces. A tiny
creature, its total length is just six
to eight inches.
Many gardeners and groundskeepers are
under the mistaken impression that lawn
moles eat the roots of their plants and
turf grasses. However, moles are
insectivores. Their primary diet is
earthworms and grubs and a single mole
can eat more than 140 grubs and cutworms
daily. They also feast on destructive
garden pests like snails, beetles, and
millipedes. In fact, at just over a
quarter-pound, a mole can consume 45 to
50 pounds of worms and insects each
year.
The greatest harm that mole tunneling
does to turf grass is by separating soil
from roots. Still, the mole’s digging
actually improves soil quality by
turning and aerating the soil and mixing
accumulated nutrients throughout the
excavation.
Moles don’t continually dig each time
they forage for food. Once a tunnel
system is established, it is
infrequently extended. In fact, the only
signs of mole activity you might see are
those when the mole must repair its
construction. When disturbed, moles may
temporarily vacate the area, but
generally return within a week or two.
In addition, when a tunnel is abandoned,
a new mole inhabitant will “recolonize”
using the handiwork of its predecessor.
For these reasons, even the most
effective method of mole removal,
trapping, is not a permanent solution to
a “mole problem”. Besides which, the
three types of mole traps that work with
any success sound like relics from the
Spanish inquisition— harpoons,
scissor-jaws, and choker loops. In fact,
numerous remedies have been used to try
to control moles Pickle juice, red
pepper, razor blades, bleach, moth
balls, brambles, human hair braids and
hair balls, vibrators, ultra sonic
devices, and poisons offer inconsistent
and generally ineffective results; many
including environmentally unfriendly
side effects.
As in all elements of lawn care, the
best solution to a lawn mole problem is
applying practical gardening principles.
Mole tunnels (except for the hilled
entrances) are typically deep enough to
be almost invisible. Over-watering your
yard brings earthworms and other
invertebrates close to the surface,
making it necessary for the moles to
“move up” in search of them. Reducing
the amount or frequency of watering may
help both moles and their prey stay
underground where they are most
beneficial to your lawn.
Another solution to a lawn mole problem
is to reduce the size of your lawn,
converting it to gardens, paths, and
hedgerows. First, moles prefer straight
tunnel runs. However, more importantly,
converting some lawn to gardens, paths,
hedgerows and patio areas adds
eye-appeal, reduces signs of damage, and
in addition attract birds and
butterflies to your property.
Hans is author of The Lawn Care section
of
http://www.lawnmower-guide.com
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