Critter-Free

Farmers, have you ever wondered how to rid your fields of those nasty, crop-eating moles?  If you follow my easy steps to catching moles, you will soon be free of them.  Before heading out to trap, you will need to gather gopher traps, flag markers, a shovel and several pieces of cardboard measuring one foot square.  Mole hills can vary greatly in both size and height.  Therefore, the simplest identifying factor is the shape of the hill.  All mole hills have a horse shoe shape.  Since you now know what to look for, the only question is where to look.  Mole hills can be found pretty much anywhere.  I usually find them in the middle of the field, but you may even be able to find them in the city.  Once you find a hill, use the shovel to dig carefully and not too deep. 

Your goal is to just barely expose the opening of the hole.  Firstly, set your trap and slowly put it at the bottom of your hole watching that you don’t set it off.  The chain should hang outside beside the hill.  Secondly, place the cardboard over the hole and trap, covering it all gently with dirt so that no light can enter the hole.  If light enters the hole the mole will try to fill it in and most likely the trap will be set off from his flying dirt.  Finally, take your flag marker and stake it through the trap ring into the ground.  This will ensure that you can find your mole hill again when you go to check your traps.  This method is successful if followed carefully and will make your field critter-free.

Darren Jespersen

Expository Paragraph—final draft

Feb.-20-08