I put my foot down on the mole problem...
... quite literally at that! I went out this morning after I'd gotten up and gotten dressed, and checked the mole trap. Nothing in the trap, and they'd actually tunneled around it. Posh. So I went to checking on the fish pond and all.
About twenty minutes later, I suddenly hear a rustling sound around the corner of the house behind me, near our citrus fruit trees. So I curiously peeked around. Saw the leaves getting kicked up, and thought it was two lizards fighting, or a bird. So I went for a closer look. Only to find one of the blasted moles! So I ran back to get the trap and set it over that tunnel in case it ran back in.
It did, but the vibrations I caused must have scared it back out, and it took off across the ground topside, as best as a mole can run. I came up behind it and put my foot down on it. Not smashing it down to try and squish it mind you. I BARELY put my foot down, just enough to stop it from running so I could catch it. Imagine my surprise when I lifted my foot and it hardly moved. I picked it up and it twitched a little, but it died.
I don't think in all my life I have EVER seen an animal die so easily, especially something like this. I guess they really aren't durable at all. I sort of feel bad about catching it and killing it under foot, but then again I suppose that's a better way to die than being caught by the harpoon trap. So I put it aside and now have to find an ant bed for it.
I tell you though, seeing it and realizing what it was, then going after it, even though I didn't intend to kill it, just catch it... it brought a thrilling rush to the surface from my hunting instincts. It just clicked.
So one mole down. Hopefully there aren't any more, or I'll be lucky enough to catch the next one in a similar fashion.
As for my pond, I'm very agitated with those spiked caterpillars. The ones that are all over the oak trees. One fell into the damned pond. I came out this morning and found three little feeder fish dead, and one of my larger Shubunkin is looking very under the weather. I don't think he's going to make it. And I know it was from this damned spiky worm, because when I fished it out, it was obvious they'd tried to chew on it. Blarrgh. So I am really hoping he'll be okay. He's still eating, which is a good sign. But he keeps coming to the shallow area of the pond and just rests on the rocks, and he's slightly swimming lopsided.
So say a little prayer and keep the fishy fish in your thoughts everyone. Hopefully he'll be okay.
About twenty minutes later, I suddenly hear a rustling sound around the corner of the house behind me, near our citrus fruit trees. So I curiously peeked around. Saw the leaves getting kicked up, and thought it was two lizards fighting, or a bird. So I went for a closer look. Only to find one of the blasted moles! So I ran back to get the trap and set it over that tunnel in case it ran back in.
It did, but the vibrations I caused must have scared it back out, and it took off across the ground topside, as best as a mole can run. I came up behind it and put my foot down on it. Not smashing it down to try and squish it mind you. I BARELY put my foot down, just enough to stop it from running so I could catch it. Imagine my surprise when I lifted my foot and it hardly moved. I picked it up and it twitched a little, but it died.
I don't think in all my life I have EVER seen an animal die so easily, especially something like this. I guess they really aren't durable at all. I sort of feel bad about catching it and killing it under foot, but then again I suppose that's a better way to die than being caught by the harpoon trap. So I put it aside and now have to find an ant bed for it.
I tell you though, seeing it and realizing what it was, then going after it, even though I didn't intend to kill it, just catch it... it brought a thrilling rush to the surface from my hunting instincts. It just clicked.
So one mole down. Hopefully there aren't any more, or I'll be lucky enough to catch the next one in a similar fashion.
As for my pond, I'm very agitated with those spiked caterpillars. The ones that are all over the oak trees. One fell into the damned pond. I came out this morning and found three little feeder fish dead, and one of my larger Shubunkin is looking very under the weather. I don't think he's going to make it. And I know it was from this damned spiky worm, because when I fished it out, it was obvious they'd tried to chew on it. Blarrgh. So I am really hoping he'll be okay. He's still eating, which is a good sign. But he keeps coming to the shallow area of the pond and just rests on the rocks, and he's slightly swimming lopsided.
So say a little prayer and keep the fishy fish in your thoughts everyone. Hopefully he'll be okay.