One of my personnel markers of Spring is the moment when the sheep refuse even the sweetest hay in favor of the new grass growth, sparse as that may be. Thoughts then start to turn towards making the next crop.
One of the first annual tasks in the hay meadow is flattening mole hills. While moles may be indicators of a healthy worm population, mole hills feature pretty high on a scyther’s Top 10 “Annoying Things to Find with a Freshly Sharpened Blade When Out Mowing“.
And my goodness, the moles have been busy this winter! While we have been seeing a year on year increase in mole hills for a while now, this year seems exceptional.I wonder if the wet winter has forced the moles to abandon deeper tunnels and create more near the surface, leading to more mole hills?
Some of the tunnels appear to be barely below the ground at all!
Here is how we deal with mole hills and here is some thoughts on possible benefits of moles.
While I’m not too worried about a few mole hills in the lawn, this article in the Telegraph gardening section suggests that wet weather may affect mole populations and behaviour in a number of ways.