Show TRAPS STOP MOLES ioLEs R Raider ider Destroys Harmful Insects land and Need Not Be Exter Exter- LIFE HABITS OF EXPLORER Leveling of Ridges by Means of Roller Tends to Discourage Further In Incursions Incursions Incursions In- In of Animals Ready Animals Ready j Market for Skins Prepared b by the United States Stites Department Department Department Depart Depart- ment of Agriculture The case ase against the gar garden en mole Is not d clear cut Tl TI The me e damage amuge that It does by burrowing In the lie soil and uprooting plants is somewhat offset by its he help help- p- p lul Sul habit of fee feeding upon insects and andIn andin andin in working corking the soil A specialist in the bureau l of ot biological sUt e survey of the United d States department of or agriculture agriculture ture who has made a careful stud study of this this un underground explorer concludes es that judgment against the mole may maybe maybe be rendered when it actually Invades the lawn or garden the garden the overt act act act- but butT that no general warfare against an nn Insect Insect- eating insect ting mammal should be en en- In Farmers' Farmers Bulletin UTIle The Common Mole ole of Eastern United St States tes n a report Is made of Investigations gat ms In the life habits and meth- meth II r I w wt x h t C Mole T Traps Traps Traps-a k s-a s a Harpoon b Scissor Jaw c Choker od of destroying estro 1 ng this animal when necessary Trapping is time the mo mock f effective e means for Cor putting an en end to mole Although this bulletin considers consid consid- ers eiS the the common garden mole of Easter Eastern Eastern East East- ern er United States to to n a a great extent the Instructions for trapping It apply to all fill American moles Three general c types of traps traps the the harpoon the Jaw sors-Jaw and the choker choker are arc on the market and most ost of them give good results Specific instructions forhan for han handling any particular make should be obtainable from the manufacturer Successful Mole Trap In general a mole trap can cun he be successfully successfully suc suc- operated only when set on that part of the runway that is near j enough to the surface to the I sod or soil A little observation will soon enable one to distinguish the newer newer newer new new- er an and more frequently used runways runway's s from those that have been beeri partially or wholly aban abandoned In placing the trap one of the stretches of the run that se seems ms to he be lea leading hig in some definite definite definite nite direction should be selected be-selected selected rather rath- rath er than one of the turns of 1 a labyrinth laby- laby that may not be traversed eVer every y j time the mole comes into the vicinity 1 Before setting the trap it is well to ascertain the course of the the- burrow bUtrow by thrusting down a lead pencil or 01 a stick Uck of about the same size she The trap selected selected se se- should then be lined up with the course as nearly as possible that thatIs is the jaws jars of the scissor-Jaw scissor typo should be astride it the loops of the tho choker choicer type should encircle it and the spikes of the harpoon t type pe should be directly above it If the harpoon t type pe is used It Is best to force the impaling im Jm- Impaling Im- Im paling spikes Into the ground once or twice to facilitate their penetrating Into the burrow when the trap Is later sprung This t type pe of trap injures the pelts of moles and Is not recommended recommend recommend- ed ell for use 11 when n it Is desired to preserve preserve pre pre- serve Sel the time fur Repented Repeated Ic leveling lIn of the mole ridges on the lawn b by means menns of a roller not only ollY tends to discourage the animals from further Incursions rain making but prevents that Injury to the grass grassroots grassroots rn's roots which otherwise would result and restores to the UlC lawn its more sightly appearance Unjustly Blamed The mole is blamed bame for much dama damage dam lam a age e It d does not do the specialist explains explains explains ex ex- plains because other small animals particularly voles oes or meadow mice deer eer mice and sometimes ordinary house mice use the convenient runways runways run run- wn ways s 's of the lie mole for marauding Most 1 of the injury to seed grains tubers and roots loots of cultivated plants Is di directly directly di- di l- l chargeable to these Intruding rodents as an nn examination of the on the damaged damage products products prod prod- products will show v. v From an nn examination of the stomach contents of moles taken in all months of the year It was found that earthworms and white grubs constitute he lie bulk of I the foo food Beetles and their larvae larae and other Insects that enter enter en en- ter the ground round spiders ers centipedes es cocoons and also form a part of or the diet let In one stomach were found foun the lie remains of l lit 1 small smaIl white grubs In another 10 cutworms an and In another another an an- other 12 earthworms The presence o of starch starchy material In some of the stOl stomachs achs is proof that the mole occasionally occasionally oc oc- oc- oc finds vegetable food as certain certain certain tain set seed d grains softened by coni contact contact con con- i tact with the moist soil solI an acceptable addition to Its worn an and insect diet Seed coats of corn wheat oats and peanuts have been l identified In a few stomachs Market for Skins Moleskins rol have hav found a lea ready marIet market market mar mar- ket Iet In recent years ears owing to the gradually grad grad- decreasing number of wild fur- fur b bearing aring animals A new industry amounting to many ninny thousands of dollars dollars dols dol dol- lars mars ann annually aIl might be developed In Inthis Inthis inthis this country in the utilization of moleskins moleskins mole mole- skins the specialist believes It Is not feasible to attempt to breed moles for their pelts but farmers farmers' boys or others others others' oth oth- ers ers' may ers ma may easily earn small profits by capturing moles found foun damaging crops crops' or seriously Interfering with garden plants plant cemeteries or lawns Information Information Information In In- formation regarding addresses of firms that will purchase moleskins the care of skins an and home tanning will be furnished by the biological survey on on request |