Julie Ann Brady : Blog On: An Eastern Mole in Leesburg Florida

Whack a Mole? No, not the game, but something else. Perhaps a new entry to the definition of "whack a mole?" It was early afternoon of May 16, 2017. I was sitting in my bright red adirondack chair at the front of my house enjoying my front yard garden. Just finishing my diet ginger ale, I happened to notice the mulch moving in front of me. "By gum," I thought, "that must be a mole!"

Eastern Mole of Leesburg, Florida

I quickly got up and stepped to the area where the earth was moving [LOL]. With my empty 16 oz. plastic cup, I scooped off the top of the mulch and dirt and then almost immediately spied the little creature. Ah! So, that's what a mole looks like?! With my cup, I gently held the mole in place in that spot. I was looking around for a neighbor to consult with as "what to do?" I had no other container to use to contain this critter.

Whack a Mole Location - Leesburg, Florida

I can't imagine it was very long that I was stooped over the mole trying to figure out what to do. Maybe, at most, 5 minutes? As I was feeling my back seize up, I went to straighten up, scooping the mole with dirt and mulch into the cup. I looked at the mole in the cup and was waiting for it to all of a sudden, want to run away. You know, like when a opossum plays 'possum? That's what I thought would happen with this mole.

Eastern Mole in a Talenti Jar - Leesburg, Florida

It did not feel particularly good to "whack a mole!" Would you believe, I asked the park manager if there was a location in the park where he was OK with me rehoming any moles I pulled out of the ground. "I don't want your mole!" he replied. He also added that I shouldn't be broadcasting that I was moving moles. LOL ... No, I'm not rehoming moles. However, after unintentionally whacking this Eastern Mole, I am thinking of taking a whack at doing it again!

Eastern Mole - Leesburg, Florida

Reading up on the Eastern Mole, there are many positives to having moles in your yard or lawn. It is suggested that they can aerate your soil and also take care of insects. Growing up in Cleveland, Ohio, my grandfather would catch earthworms from his yard for fishing. I'd probably be hard-pressed to find an earthworm in my yard because of the proliferance of moles!

It says in the Wikipedia page on the Eastern Mole, "the mole will eat vegetable matter" and "moles do not eat vegetation." OK, that seems contradictory! It seems to me that certain plants in my front yard have been impacted by the tunneling Eastern Moles! I think they might be nibbling on the roots.

Did you ever "whack a mole?" I'd love to hear from you in how you did it. I did it pretty much with my bare hands and with a Jacksonville Jaguars 16 oz. plastic beer cup!! Up in Jacksonville, Florida, I had moles in my nearly 13,000 sq. ft. yard. I tried the pellets and sonic spikes. When I put out the sonic spike, the black male tom cat would come by and sit next to it! Maybe it was a comforting sound or he knew he might whack a mole?? LOL

When I was married and living in Deercreek Country Club, we had moles there too!! I remember actually buying a couple of the Victor Mole Traps for my husband to try. I honestly don't believe he ever snared a mole!

Hey, don't waste your money on pellets, mole traps, or sonic spikes. It's easy, you too can "whack a mole." It does require a lot of patience and some serendipity too.

Whack a Mole definition

Maybe it is time to add a new entry to the acceptable definition of "Whack a Mole?"

WHACK A MOLE 2018

It was early afternoon of October 19, 2018. I was out in my front yard garden after sweeping up leaves in the street. I glanced down at a dug hole in the middle of a Mexican Petunia and then I saw it.