DAD ONE / MOLE ZERO

My Dad has been at war with the moles in his yard for years with good reason.  They have eaten under the onions in his garden, causing them to rot.  They leave unsightly runs and hills in his yard that he could trip over.  As Dad is in his 80’s, this alone is worthy of mole wars.  Dad has tried poison peanuts, battery-operated “anti-mole” devises that are supposed to keep moles away through soil vibrations (I ran that over with the lawnmower and accidentally destroyed it), prong traps, and stalking moles with a pitch fork.  Over the weekend, Dad returned to the house with a mole trophy.  A success in his mole war.  Even though I have seen moles before, I’m continually surprised by their very large front paws that function like shovels as they dig through the dirt.  They also do not have easily visible eyes or ears.  They are present, just small.  Lastly, they are VERY soft and velvety to the touch.  This is because the fur doesn’t grow in just one direction (a.k.a. there is no nap).  This allows the mole to back up and not rub itself the wrong way.  The word “mole” is apparently Middle English for “dirt tosser”.  This is an apt name.  Moles can dig up to 100 feet of runs per day while hunting for soil invertebrates like earthworms, grubs, and even nuts.  The mole runs are effectively worm traps.  Moles can detect when a worm falls into the tunnel.  The mole will eat the worm or paralyze it and save it for later.  Like most other critters, they mate in the spring.  Males reportedly call for the ladies with high-pitched squeals (sorry I haven’t ever heard that!) and traveling/digging for new territories.  I pity the fool that makes the mistake of burrowing through Dad’s yard.