The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1916-05-03
DEsTRoYING MoLRs
Specially Designed Trap is Most Eff fective Method of Freeing Infest-
 ed Ground

ed Ground
 The common garden mole, which. because of it's insectivorous habits, is in most situations much more benefi- cial than harmful, is a decided nuis- ance when it invades a wen-kept lawn or a newly planted seed bed. Many re- ports of it's damage to lawns are re- ceived by the department, and also fre- quent com mplaints of destruction of po- tatoes, bulbs, and plants which Is wrongly attributed to the mole Dam age to plants and tubers is generally the work of pine mice or meadow mice, usually the former. The bur rowing habits of the pine mice resem- bIe those of the mole, and they fre-. quently use mole tunnels to reach growing plants. Pine mice may easily be killed with poisoned grain, but as moles will seldom take poisoned baits of any kind, the main dependence for, destroying them is traps, and consider able experiences and Judgment are re- quired to use them effectively.
 The ordinary traps intended for rats and ether rodents are useless for talk ing noles. Special mole traps, of which there are on the market three general types, are required. These may be desi grated as the harpoons the scis- sor~ jaw, and the choker types liar sp1on traps are intended to impaie the rnclc in the soil by spring driven spikes. SciSsorSjaw traps are to be set astride the runway to grasp the mole when it attemptA to pass in either di- recticn- The chbker trap has a pair Of wire loops that ercircIe the burrow when the trap IS set All these traps are sprung by the same sort of mech anisrn-a trigger gan resting on de- pressed place in the mole ridge in such way as to me lifted when the animal passes beneath No part of a set mole l cT7n Iass i'm aea v fSS presence makes the animal avoid the obstruction by bCrroWing around or be4ow it.
 A ncIe trap can be successfully op-| srated only when set on that part of a mole runway V hich is near the SuIiace. and has the soil raised into a distinct ridge, newly Morked Freshly broken soil usually indicates that the tunnel Is in use. When 1a doubt, the opera tor may make sJaan break n the ridge and observe whether the mole iepaArs it within a feW ours In plac- ing a trap, one Of the stretches of the runway that leads in definite direc-| ton sb ouId be chosen rather than one of the turns that maysnot be regulaa ly traversed by inc mole.
 Before setting the trap, it is well to
 ascertain the course of the burrow by thrusting down a, lead pencil, or stick of similar size The trap selected should then be lined up with the course as nearly as pOSS1D1os the Jaws of the sciSSor-ja.W type should Stradd1e it. the loops of the ehoker5 type should encfrc1e it, and the spikes of the har-
 poon type should be directly above it. In the case of the harpoon type, it is best to force the inpahng spikes into the ground once or twice to facilitate their penetrating into the burrows when the trap is sprung. It is destr- able also, in setting any part of the traps, to depress only that part of the ridge Immediately under the trigger pan, using the hand instead of the foot for this purpose. A little earth or a small chip of wood may be placed un-
 der the pan if necessary. The trig-f ger catch should be set as lightly as possible and one should avoid step ping on any part of the runway near the trap. It will pay to visit traps at least twice a day
 Moles are persistent in repairing breaks in their tunnels and may often be surprised at their work It is easy then to capture the animal by iEnpa14 | by a quick thrust of spade or shovel A section of the runway may first be broken open or leveIed and the place watched until the animal is observed moving the soil.
 MoIes are sometinaes trapped in empty glass jars, gallon size The jar should be set along a main mole run way that has been long in use. A mar row excavation, deep enough to re-
 ceive the jar and allow it's top to be somewhat below the bottom of the tunnel should be made. The sod may then be replaced over the excavation so as to bridge without obstructing the entrance to the jar. The animal in coming along the tunnel falls into the jar and cannot climb out. Success de-
 bends much on the skill used in p1ac- ing the trap.
 The writer at one time killed a con siderable number of mo1es by using sweet corn Gin the milk stage and cut from the cobb poisoned with strych- nine and sirup. Soft corn and fresh peanuts are among the few vegetable substances that moles will eat. Repeated leveHng of mole ridges on a lawn by means of a roller not only tends to discourage the animals from
 making further ineursions, but pre- vents the soil from drying out and thus injuring grass roots.
 For further information about the mole. it's habits, and methods of con tro1 the reader is referred to Farmers Bulletin 883, The Common Mole of the Eastern United States.
 The strike of the 3,1oo street ear em- ployes in Pittsburgh was settled.