The year of the mole? (From Gazette & Herald)

The year of the mole?

Have you noticed the enormous number of molehills appearing in Ryedale this year?

Everywhere you look there is evidence of moles: in fields; on the riverbanks; in the churchyards; on the roadside verges; and, unfortunately, also in our gardens.

The mole - Talpa Europaea - is distributed throughout Britain, although oddly, none are to be found in Ireland. It seems that a larger than usual number of them are presently seeking asylum here in Ryedale! One even appeared in our conservatory last week, and just in case you are wondering, no it didn't tunnel up through the concrete - it was brought in by Sam the cat.

So, what do we know of this elusive gentleman in the velvet waistcoat? He is generally considered to be a pest, and it certainly seems that way when, at this time of year, his distinctive mounds of fine soil appear on our soon-to-be manicured lawns.

He can also be a nuisance when his underground tunnelling loosens the roots of plants and shrubs, causing them to wilt and die off.

On the other hand, moles do have some good points. In areas where the soil is heavy, their tunnelling can help to drain and aerate the land. They also eat many insect larvae, such as the carrot-fly and the cockchafer, which are harmful to crops and plants.

Moles spend nearly all their lives in a complex system of underground burrows and tunnels.

Many of these are deep, permanent tunnels, which frequently have been used by many generations of moles. Often, these tunnels are hundreds of metres long and contain several chambers, which are lined with soft grass and dry plant material which has been dragged down from the surface. These are used as sleeping quarters and also as nurseries for young moles.

They also have chambers where they store food - lots of food - as a mole can eat more than half its own body weight in worms and insects every day.

Males and females normally live a chaste and solitary existence - each having their own tunnels and sleeping quarters. Now though, with spring just around the corner, the young male's fancy turns to thoughts of females.

Off he goes, tunnelling away for all he's worth. Every day during this breeding season, he extends his territory in his search for a sleek and velvety mate.

With his large, spade-like feet, he pushes the soil up to the surface, creating an enormous amount of molehills, in the fields, on the riverbanks, in the churchyards by the roadside verges - in fact, all over Ryedale.

Updated: 09:11 Wednesday, March 05, 2003