March 29, 2012 Shelton Mason County Journal | ![]() |
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MASTERGARDENER
April Ist - Palm Sunday
April 6t"- Good Friday,
Stations of the Cross
12 to 5 p.m. on the church grounds
i April 8t" - Easter Sunday
i 7:00 a.m. Sunrise Service under the tent
I on the church property and 8:30 a.m.
,~ ...................................... & 10:30 a.m. Services at the Fire Hall
.....New Community
% Church of Union
951 E Dalby Rd, Corner of Dalby & McReavy, Union • 360-898-7855
CLEANERS & TAILORS
cff&filS r
Member
Mon-Fri 6:30 a.m.-6:00 p.m. ' Sat 9:00 a.m.-2:00 p.m.
215 South Second • 426-3371
Serving She~ton and Mason County for 86 year
Learn about moles -- save your garden
As I was leaving Pioneer Prima-
ry School last week after doing
some work at the greenhouse,
I couldn't help but notice how busy
the local mole population had been.
The grassy area between the bus
parking and Spencer Lake Rd was
inundated with molehills. I remem-
bered that Donald D. Tapio, Exten-
sion Educator based in Grays Harbor
County had just
N sent a really lovely
, article about the
biology of moles.
Unfortunately,
trapping has been
illegal in Washing-
ton state since the
passage of Initia-
tive 713 in 2000,
By JEANNE which doesn't leave
REHWALDT the home gardener
with many options.
So today's column will acquaint you
with the habits of the mole thanks to
Donald D: Tapio.
There's no question that moles con-
tinue to be a source of major frustra-
tion for home gardeners. All one has
to do is look across the rural land-
scape to validate that moles enjoy liv-
ing here in our coastal area perhaps
even more than we do. They are no-
torious "for the characteristic mounds
of soil and tunnels they create in our
gardens and lawns. Who hasn't pulled
up a wilted plant only to find mole
tunnels beneath?
Moles are built for digging. With
a bullet-shaped head and nose, paw-
it weren't for their raised feeding
tunnels and occasional mounds of
excavated dirt, we would likely praise
them for their habits. In the process
of digging, they mix and aerate soil,
provide tunnels for water to reach
down to plant roots, and eat many
destructive insects including grubs,
beetles and insect larvae. Vegetation
occasionally makes up a small portion
of the diet.
Moles require large quantities of
food. They spend perhaps half their
lives searching for something to eat.
The estimated yearly intake of food
for a single mole is about 40 pounds.
Moles travel extensively in search-
ing for food--up to half a mile a day.
Most of this travel, fortunately, is
back and forth in the tunnel and not
in a straight line. Moles live most of
their lives in underground runways.
The low ridges pushed up as they
move just under the soil surface in
search of food may determine their
presence. These runways, in heavily
infested areas, form a vast intercon-
necting network. Some runways are
major lanes of travel used by several
moles. Major runways often appear
under fence lines, under roads or
along sidewalks. The main runways
are usually about 6 inches under
ground level, but may be as shallow
as 2 inches or as deep as 20 inches.
Extremely shallow runways, imme-
diately under lawn turf, for instance,
are feeder offshoots from a main
runway and probably used only once.
Moles contain twice the hemoglobin
year -- they do not hibernate. Mating
takes place from late February to ear-
ly March, producing young only once
a year. The young, averaging three to
the litter, are born from late March to
early May. Young moles spend about
one month in the nest and are nearly
full-grown when they leave. They
may sometimes be distinguished from
adults by a shorter snout, slightly
smaller size and pearly gray fur.
Nests are constructed underground
in a fortress-like arrangement in
fence lines and well-drained, slightly
raised sections of fields. Large mole-
hills 30-40 inches in diameter or
areas of intensive mound-building ac-
tivity are probably nesting sites. Nest
cavities average 9 inches in diameter
and about 6 inches in height. Nor-
mally, three or four runways lead into
the nest. Moles build nests of grasses
or moss with a dry, inner pocket
surrounded by wet, coarser grasses.
Nests normally occur 5 to 18 inches
under ground level.
Although it may seem as though
there are dozens of moles invading
your lawn, there are likely only one or
two. In general, they are at densities
of only one to three per acre. Being
loners, except during the breeding
season, there's no question that in
most home lawns, a few moles are
raising a lot of turf.
Unfortunately the mole is here to
stay.
The WSU Master Gardeners are
holding the third in the series of
Country Living classes from 9:30 a.m.
A Fam y Farm
, Greenhouse. Nursery. Produce erful shoulder muscles and large,as other mammals of similar size.to 3:30 p.m. Saturday at Memorial
outward-facing front feet with strong This allows them to breathe more Hall. The topic for the morning is Jim
~ ~2~ , Seafood ° Bark claws, these earth miners literally easily in underground environments Freed with Mushrooms and Specialty
.~ ~ . Soils ° Plants swim through the soil in search of with low oxygen. Moles do come to the Forest Products. The afternoon ses-
A J~ .01ympicMountainlceCream~[ their favorite food, the earthworm, surface occasionally, mainly at night sion is Kimberly Wheeler with Home
In fact, moles can dig surface tunnels to search for food, water and nesting Composting. If you would like to
~~%~ 1921 E. Hwy 106, Union WA 98592 I at approximately 18 feet per hourmaterial. Migrations may occur over- register for the Country Living class
i i ] ~ ! (360) 898-2222. (360)426-2222 l[and can travel through existing tun- land as well. please call 427-9670 Ext. 680. Pay-
Winter Hours: Fri-Sat-Sun 9am-5:3Opm [ nels at about 80 feet per minute. If Moles are active throughout thement is accepted at,the door.
www.hunter-farms.com
[ t d h ity fi
Oon.a omb Sound Learning s u ents ost commun esta
[ / Reyn_olds is I
I~~celebrating I
[ ~~her 90t~ [ The students in Sound Tierrablanca Cakes, and
[ ~~: birthday. She [ Learning's English Lan- Inmigrantes Unidos de
]~~wasborn [ guage Program hosted a Shelton.
] ~~ in Lebanon, [ successful community fi- "I feel very happy to
[ esta on Saturday to raise have collaborated in this
e " "
I ~~--ashvedinthe: ~[: r: |WM/'M~VVUULU vgu [ money for their classes, vent, said Sound Learn-
I Shelton area for > [ [ LIKE TO BE SELLING [ Guests enjoyed a delicious ing student Cecilia Ba-
Im°re than 60 years" [ [MORE OF THIS WEE[(?[ variety of tacos, desserts, zaldua. "I did my part so
and other treats; activities that these programs can
I Fr~f_ami!y_are invited t° ] I We. can help you whenyoufall I for children; and later in continue to offer this im-
Icelebrate her birthday at an open [ I (360)426-441:~toadvertlse I
Ih°usefr°ml2:00N°°nt°2:00p'm'l I ~,-~a~c