Last year – at least for the spring, summer, and fall – we had more mole hills in more places in our garden than in all the years that I can remember.  It was definitely an infestation.  We tried a local man’s ‘fool proof’ trap to no avail but mostly we just hoped they’d move on.  While we were waiting, Nyel carefully collected the dirt they threw above ground, piling it up for future garden use.

When winter arrived, the mole activity slowed and then stopped.  We wondered about hibernation but then we learned that moles don’t hibernate because they don’t store fat.  Now, there’s the first really positive thing I have ever heard about moles.  I wish they could share the secret of how that little trick works!

So, we were back to hoping that they had found greener pastures, so to speak.  And, perhaps they have!  The other day I was across the street at the Red Cottage talking with owners Fred and Gail and noticed a very straight row of mole hills –lots of them! – heading directly from their garden gate to their front door!

“Oh,” Fred said in response to my look of amazed curiosity, “we just removed some stepping stones and the moles moved right in.”  He sounded as though that was to be expected and it was only afterwards that I wondered if that had happened to them before.  And why would that occur, anyway?  Are the worms and grubs under recently removed stepping stones tastier?

There wasn’t another mole hill in their entire garden.  Will there be?  I’m keeping a lookout in that direction and wondering if (no, actually hoping that) we’ve been abandoned for good.  We don’t happen to have any stepping stones in our lawn, but if we did, I don’t think I’d take them up.  Not at the risk of having those mole people on the march in our direction, anyway!