>>>
>>> NEW
>>> NEW DAY NORTHWEST IS BACK. NOW, FROM THE AAA TRAVEL
ALCOVE, HERE IS MARGARET
LARSON.
LARSON.
LARSON. >>> IF YOU HAVE A YARD CHANCES
ARE YOU HAVE DEALT WITH
MOLEHILLS.
MOLEHILLS. SO HOW DO YOU GET RID OF THEM
AND WHAT OTHER PESTS SHOULD WE
WATCH OUT FOR DURING THE SUMMER.
CHRIS ANDERSON IS A WILDLIFE
BIOLOGIST FROM THE WASHINGTON
STATE DEPARTMENT OF FISH AND
WILDLIFE WITH ADVICE AND TIPS.
SO FIRST OF ALL, LET'S TAKE A
LOOK AT EIGHT PICTURE OF A
MOLE.
MOLE.
MOLE. I
MOLE. I DON'T KNOW IF I HAVE EVER
SEEN ONE IN REAL LIFE.
THIS IS WHAT THEY LOOK LIKE.
>> THAT IS IT.
WE HAVE SEVEN TYPES OF MALLS IN
NORTH AMERICA AND THREE IN
WASHINGTON.
WASHINGTON. TWO OF THEM DO A LOT OF DIGGING.
THIS IS ONE OF THE LARGEST
MALLS IN NORTH AMERICA THEY ARE
ABOUT 8-9 INCHES LONG.
AND OVER HERE WE HAVE THE
PACIFIC MOLE.
PACIFIC MOLE. IT IS ABOUT SEVEN INCHES.
>> AND WHAT ARE THEY DOING?
>> THEY ARE GOING AROUND
DIGGING.
DIGGING.
DIGGING. AND THEN THEY EXCAVATE THAT
DIRT OUT AND PUSH IT UP INTO A
MOUND.
MOUND.
MOUND. AND THEY ARE EATING THE
VEGETATION?
VEGETATION? >> THEY DO EAT JUST A SMALL
AMOUNT OF VEGETATION.
BUT 90% OF THEIR DIET IS IN SEX.
>> SO THIS IS A HASSLE.
SOMETIMES IT IS HARD TO TELL IF
IT IS A MOLEHILL OR A GOPHER.
>> YES AND NO.
APPEAR IN THE KING COUNTY AREA,
WE DON'T HAVE A GOPHER
POPULATION LEFT.
POPULATION LEFT. THE POCKET GOPHER IS LISTED ON
THE WEST SIDE OF THE MOUNTAINS
AND THEY ARE FOUND SOUTH OF US
IN PIERCE COUNTY.
>> WHILE WE CERTAINLY HAVE
VIEWERS IN THAT AREA.
LET'S LOOK AT PICTURES AND TELL
ME WHAT YOU ARE SAYING.
>> THAT IS A LITTLE GOPHER.
>> THAT IS A POCKET GOPHER.
>> SO WHAT DO WE DO WITH MALLS?
>> THE THING ABOUT MOLES, IN
2000, THE VOTERS OF WASHINGTON
PASSED AN INITIATIVE THAT MADE
IT ILLEGAL TO USE TRAPS.
THE BEST WAY TO CONTROL A MOLE,
STRAIGHTFORWARD, IS A TRAP.
UNFORTUNATELY, THE TRAPS THAT
YOU SEE AT VARIOUS HARDWARE
STORES IS YOU PUT IT IN THAT
TOP RUNWAY.
TOP RUNWAY. THEY WILL GO DOWN THREE OR 4
FEET AND THAT IS THERE MAIN
RUNWAY.
RUNWAY.
RUNWAY. YOU PUT THAT IN THERE AND IT
WILL CLAMPDOWN ON THE ANIMAL OR
THEY HAVE A PLUNGE ONE THAT
COME DOWN ON TOP OF THE ANIMAL.
THEY ARE STILL SOLD IN THE
STATE OF WASHINGTON BUTTHEY
ARE NOT LEGAL.
>> SO WHAT DO YOU DO?
>> THE METHOD THAT I EMPLOY IS
JUST TOLERANCE.
JUST TOLERANCE. THERE ARE A COUPLE OF THINGS.
THERE IS TOLERANCE.
THESE ANIMALS ARE ALL AROUND.
IN A TYPICAL SUBURBAN LOT LIKE
HERE IN SEATTLE, YOU WILL HAVE
A TERRITORIAL MAIL AND A
TERRITORIAL FEMALE OR A COUPLE.
THEY CAN OVERLAP A BIT.
BUT THE MALES DON'T LIKE EACH
OTHER.
OTHER.
OTHER. THEY HAVE A LITTLE BIT MORE
ANGST TOWARDS EACH OTHER.
SO, WE ARE DEALING WITH THREE
ANIMALS THAT DEFINITELY ARE
MOVING AROUND THAT TERRITORY
AREA.
AREA.
AREA. SO
AREA. SO THEY ARE MOVING BETWEEN YOUR
YARD AND YOUR NEIGHBORS YARD.
YOU MIGHT THINK YOU HAVE GOTTEN
RID OF THEM BUT THEY DON'T.
>> SO HERE IS A LOOK AT WHERE
THEY GO.
THEY GO.
THEY GO. SO SERIOUSLY, THAT IS THE BEST
WE CAN DO IS JUST SAY?
>> WELL GOLF COURSES WILL USE
TRAPPING LIKE LIVE TRAPS.
AND YOU HAVE TO PURCHASE THOSE.
A LOT OF THEM ARE AVAILABLE IN
HARDWARE ARE NOT AVAILABLE IN
HARDWARE STORES.
HARDWARE STORES. YOU HAVE TO GO ONLINE AND PURGE
THEM.
THEM.
THEM. AND
THEM. AND BY THE WAY, A MOLE IS A
MAMMAL.
MAMMAL.
MAMMAL. THEY WILL MAKE A LITTLE TRAP
THAT HAS TWO DOORS AND HAS
SHEET-METAL OVER IT.
MOLES, WITH THEIR BIG CLAUSE
THEY CAN TEAR THROUGH IT IF IT
IS MASH.
IS MASH.
IS MASH. YOU TAKE THAT ANIMAL OUT AND
MAYBE YOU RELOCATED.
>> IT IS ILLEGAL TO RELOCATE.
>> SO WOULD YOU DO IF YOU
TOPIC?
TOPIC?
TOPIC? >>
TOPIC? >> IT WOULD HAVE TO BE
EUTHANIZED.
EUTHANIZED. >> SO WHAT ABOUT THE GOPHERS?
>> WELL FIRST, YOU WANT TO CALL
WASHINGTON STATE DEPARTMENT OF
FISH AND WILDLIFE .
>> AND YOU WILL COME OUT AND DO
WHAT?
WHAT?
WHAT? >>
WHAT? >> WELL, WE WOULD WANT TO GET
IT DOCUMENTED.
IT DOCUMENTED. THAT WOULD BE A BIG THING IN
KING COUNTY SINCE WE HAVE NOT
FOUND A POPULATION LEFT IN KING
COUNTY FOR QUITE SOME TIME.
>> BUT IF YOU ARE CALLING FROM
PIERCE COUNTY WITH YOU, AND
LOOK AT IT?
>> YES.
>> YES.
>> YES. THAT IS SOMETHING WE WOULD BE
INTERESTED IN.
INTERESTED IN. I HAVE GONE AND LOOK FOR THEM IN
SOUTH KING COUNTY.
THEY TEND TO HAVE A MORE
CRESCENT SHAPE MOUND.
AND THAT THEY HAVE A LITTLE
POND THAT LOOKS DIFFERENT.
IT IS ON THE SIDE WHERE AS A
GOPHER, THEY JUST PUSH IT ALL
UP AND THEY CLEAR THEIR SPACE.
THAT IS IT.
THEY DON'T DO MUCH OTHER THAN
THAT.
THAT.
THAT. >>
THAT. >> SO YOU CONTENT THAT DOWN,
USE A LIVE TRAP OR A HOMEMADE
PIT TRAP.
PIT TRAP.
PIT TRAP. YOU DIG IT INTO A RUN AND GET
IT DOWN FLUSH WITH THE RUN.
MAYBE EVEN TAKE A PIECE OF DARK
CLOTH AND PUT THAT OVER THE
ACCESS HATCH THAT YOU HAVE BUILT
WITH A PIECE OF LUMBER OR
CORKBOARD OR SOMETHING LIKE
THAT.
THAT.
THAT. AND
THAT. AND THEN CHECK IT EVERY DAY.
AS THEY COME THROUGH, THEY DROP
INTO THAT.
INTO THAT. >> THAT WOULD BE A HUGE
SURPRISE.
SURPRISE.
SURPRISE. NOW WE HAVE SOME OTHER
QUESTIONS ABOUT OTHER