Mole In A Hole

You may have to click on this photo to enlarge it enough to see what I have done here. I've mentioned in the past that I have quite the population of moles here on my property. I don't want to kill them as they eat grubs that later turn into all sorts of nasty things such as Japanese beetles. I don't have much of an issue at all with Japanese beetles because, I believe, I let the moles do their thing. However, they have sometimes posed a little problem in some areas of the garden. This past year they rooted so much in the strawberry patch that they killed a few of my plants. Ever mindful of their benefits however I do not want to use force against them. While I was contemplating what to do I happened across an article in a self-sufficiency book that showed this method of mole deterrence. Now, usually, I just walk on their tunnels, as you can see the little mounds easily, and this causes the mole to dig deeper and as a result, doesn't come near the roots of your plants or upset the plants. Moles do not generally eat roots as many people suspect. They are just rooting after grubs and if they expose the plants roots to air (like in their tunnels) it can dry the plant out and kill it. However, I really didn't want to walk on my strawberries so I was greatly relieved to see that this solution you see in the photo seems to have worked. You simply take a glass soda bottle, after you enjoy the contents, and bury it up to the top in the bed where your plants are. Leave about 1 inch or so sticking up. You have to bury them about every 6 to 8 feet to cover a large area. I put 3 in my strawberry bed. Now, the theory is that the wind blowing across the top of the empty bottles produces a vibration within the bottle that the moles do not enjoy and they leave the area. You know how you can blow across the mouth of a bottle and it makes that noise? If standing near the bottles I can't hear anything myself but it seems to have worked. No mole tunnels as far as I can see and if I press on the soil I don't feel any hollow spots. It beats buying traps or those whirly-gigs that are supposed to do the same thing. Or killing the moles!

Also, I have redone my pottery page on the blog here. Ya'll look at it and tell me what you think. And be honest; I can take it! Seriously, if you see something that might could be improved, let me know.