Show TRAPS STOP MOLES I 1 raider destroys harmful insects and need not be exterminated mina ted LIFE HABITS OF EXPLORER leveling of ridges by means of roller tends to discourage further incursions cur of animals ready market for skins prepared by the united states depar department of agriculture tho the case ca so against the garden mole Is 11 not t clear cut tito tho damage that it does liy fly burrowing in ili tile soll soil and uprooting auto Is offset by its helpful ful habit of feeding upon insects and in working tile the soil A specialist lu in tile bureau of biological survey of tile united states department of agri agriculture cal who has made a careful study of tills underground explorer concludes conclude that hint judgment against the alio mole may inny be rendered when it actually invades the lawn inn or garden the overt act but that no general warfare against rn n trisect cating be encouraged cou raged in ili farmers bulletin the common molo of eastern J united stoles state it a report la Is made of invest lations in ili tile the life habits and methods of destroying tilts this animal aheu necessary trapping Is the most menus means for putting nil end to mole depredations edu although this bulletin considers the common garden mole ot of hastern united status states to a great extent the instructions for trapping it apply to nil american moles three general types of traps the harpoon the alio mels acla sors bors jaw and tile choker tiro are on the market and most of them thein give good results cille instructions for handling any particular ninko make should bo be from froin the manufacturer successful mole trap in a molo mole trap can bo be successfully cess fully operated only when set net on that tilt part of tile runway that Is near enough to tho the surface to tile the tod sod or soil A observation will loon foon enable ono one to distinguish the newer and more frequently used runways from those that have been partially dr r wholly abandoned in ili placing thu the trap ono one of tile tho stretches of tile tho run that seems to bo be leading in ili soine dell iltz direction should bo be selected rath pr r than hail ono one of tho the turns of it il labyrinth that may riot not ile be traversed every b ru V a mole traps a harpoon b scissor jaw c choker time tho the mole comos comes into the vicinity setting the trap it Is well to ascertain tho the course of the burrow by thrusting down n lead irad pencil or ft a stick of about tile tho saino size the trill trap selected should then bo be lined up tip with the ho course as aa nearly ns as possible that la tile jaws of the scissor jaw type should bo be astride it tho the loops leopa of the choker typo type should encircle it and the of the harpoon type should bo be directly above it it if tho the harpoon typo la Is tided used it Is best to force the impaling paling spiked into the ground once or twice to facilitate their penetrating into the ilio burrow when tile the trap Is later sprung this typo type of trap injures tho the pelts of moles and la Is not recommended for uw use when it la Is desired to preserve the fur leveling of the mole ridges on tho the lawn by menna of n roller not only tends to discourage tho the animals from making further incursions but prevents that injury to tile the grass roots which other otherwise would result anti and restores to the lawn its more sightly appearance unjustly blamed the rho mole la Is blamed for much dam age ako it does docs not do tile lie specialist explains explain other small animals particularly voles opa or meadow mice deer mice anti and sometimes ordinary bouso mice inice uge the convenient runways ot of the molo mole for far ma most alost of it the injury to seed grains tubers and roots root of 0 cultivated plants Is directly chargeable to thoat theme intruding rodents n as nn an examination ot of the tooth marks on the damaged products wilt will show from an examination of thu the stomach contents of moles taken in nil months of nt the year it was found that earthworms nod and white grubs constitute tho the bulk of tho the food and their larvae anc other insects that enter the ground spiders centipedes cocoons pad ond also form a part 0 of o the diet tn in one stomach were found ithe remains ot of small white grubs in n another 10 cutworms cut worms pod and lu in an ther other 32 12 car the presence cresenc of farchy material in some of the th 0 m aclis Is if proof that the lie mole oc 0 cit grids finds vegetable food ua lis certain s seed by contact ia in ile lidtke t with w the moist soil un all acceptable to its ita worm slid insect diet seed coats of corn client alx nt onto und peanuts have been identified in a few stomachs market for skins moleskins Mol eskins linco found a ready ket in recent r ec ent years owing to the gradually dec decreasing rensing nuin lr of wild fur hearing animals A new industry amounting to many thousands rif of dolin anra ra annually might lc be developed in I 1 athla Is country in the utilization of ann shins the specialist bel believes leves it Is not net feasible to attempt to breed moles for their pelts but farmers hoys boys or others may easily earn senit profits by C moles inalea found damaging crops or seriously interfering with garden plants pi a a ts cemeteries or lawns information regarding addresses dresses nd of firch that lint will purchase moleskins mol eskins the care of f skins and homo home tanning will hn ba furnished by the biological survey ou oil request |