Happy New Year! Well, what a December in the Lowcountry! The warm weather, the snakes, the gnats, and the moles gave us a very interesting Holiday Season. For one month I went from being “The Possum Man” to being “The Mole Man”.
Between writing a three part series on moles and the Charleston City Paper’s T. Ballard Lesemann including me in their ‘How To’ edition (December 28, 2011), I was “the Mole Man” for the month. With the social aspect of the month of December (the parties), I learned more about ways people have tried to kill moles and how they have killed moles then I ever thought was possible.
The big thing with moles is they are managed not eradicated. When you kill one mole another one will take its place in about 2 weeks to a month, unless you use the three prong approach. Managing their food source and maintaining a repellent barrier is needed to being mole free.
The reptiles have been very confused by the warm weather. Yesterday, I saw a dead baby snake (rat snake if it matters) that should have been hibernating. I was talking to some people from Atlanta that had been to Magnolia Plantation and enjoyed seeing the alligators sunning themselves on the banks and on the planks. My cousin from Charlotte, Geary, lost her 10 year old box turtle named Friend in a cold snap they had in the beginning of the month.
Geary is an official Certified North Carolina Wildlife Rescue Person. She saved Friend about a decade ago, and ever since then while she worked in the yard, the turtle would follow her around in the yard like a dog. Her other turtles were already hibernating in the mulch along a brick wall (because of the warmth); however, Friend was confused because of the warm weather. RIP Friend.
December also brought Mike Williams of the Charleston Riverdogs a Sports Turf Managers Association award for Best Baseball Field in the state. Bobby Behr of Ashley Ridge High School was awarded Best Softball Field in the state (which makes sense since this field already won Best Softball Field in the Nation).
Spring is approaching rapidly. Get your soil test into us as soon as possible, so we can get them back to you.
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