Cyp. acaule in woods

[SlipperFan]

Thanks for the links, TheLorax. I will check them out. After reading your post, I did wonder if there were any indigenous to Michigan.

So now I have another question (related indirectly) -- if earthworms are not natives, were there moles here before earthworms were introduced, and if so, what did they eat? We've had moles so bad on our property that we've hired a "Moleman" to take them away. He says it's a myth that moles eat grubs, and that their food is earthworms. I think, if made to choose between the two, I'd chose earthworms.

And then an interesting scenario: no earthworms, no moles????

 

[Eric Muehlbauer]

Well, when I said I "love" E. helleborine, it was certainly not in the sense that I am passionate about it....I just appreciate its presence. And, at least, as I have seen in Eastern LI, it never remains in any one location for long...a maximum of 4 years, then its gone, only to reappear elsewhere. (I have had no luck at intentionally trying to transplant it..). And you read far too much into what I was saying...I certainly wasn't worth such a long reply. If someone has the luck to own property, and has the knowledge to appreciate what lives there, and the time and resources to work on it, then anything within your vision is fine. I see nothing wrong with removing anything that is non- native, and restoring a purely natural site. I for one, like non-native plants..in my garden. I love the fragrance of my Rhododendron luteum, the glow of my Rhododendron japonicum, and (when it was alive) the stateliness of my Cyp formosanum. But a garden is a contained place, intended to be adjusted to an owner's design. I would never endorse the idea of planting non-native plants in wild areas, and certainly do not appreciate seeing them in natural woods. The point I was trying to make is that non-native plants, in and of themselves, are not automatically invasive or destructive. Of course, context matters....earthworms (and, as stated by others, none are native in the northern part of the country) can be incredibly destructive in forest ecosystems. If your property borders on natural woodlands, than by all means kill all you see (an exercise in frustration, perhaps...). In my Queens garden, earthworms pose no danger....there is nothing natural in the area at all,,,in fact, all of LI was cut down in the 18th and early 19th centurys, and none of what grew back is truly natural. My Cutchogue garden has natural woods...don't have to worry about earthworms, as there are very few in this acidic, sandy soil...but I can grow C. acaule....even if E. hellborine will only grow near the roads. Take care, Eric

 

[TheLorax]

Yes, moles were here before European and Asian earthworms were introduced. There are fossil remains from the Pleistocene. You probably have Scalopus aquaticus (Eastern Mole). It's insectivorous and eats somewhere around 50% or more of its own body weight a day to be able to survive and reproduce. Some moles eat up to 100% of their body weight a day. Moles will eat worms, grubs, larvae, and any other invertebrates they come across when tunneling. Moles are actually a friend to gardeners not a foe because they do a bang up job gobbling up pest larvae and insects if you can put up with their food collection tunnels that are really close to the surface. I use to pay to have them relocated but now I put up with their holes and tunnels in exchange for their free pest control services. I've twisted many an ankle out in my yard stepping in their holes over the years and I keep reminding myself that they do eat snails and slugs and that snails and slugs eat my plants while I swear at the moles. I have two moles on this property I think. Not sure.

I can't answer your mole diet question but I'll take a stab at trying. What did moles eat prior to the glacial retreat... probably much the same as what they eat today. There were many species of earthworms present prior to the glacial advances. Now, the really good question would be what did moles eat after the glacial retreat but before European colonization and the introduction of earthworms? In captivity, moles will eat just about anything from birds to mice to hamburger meat. My guess would be that in the absence of preferred foods, they ate what ever was available to survive much like they do when in captivity. There are reports of them surviving for years in captivity on canned dog food.

 

[SlipperFan]

I suspect if you have two moles, you probably will soon have many more.

I have a hard time thinking of moles as my friends. They make a mess of my yard and garden -- their tunnels lift the grass up so that the roots dry up and the grass dies. We keep the yard and garden watered, as well as the garden. Whenever I work in my garden, it seems I am always tripping on their runs. If anyone wants my moles, I'll gladly give them to you.

But your info is very interesting, and I am a bit more educated about them now.

 

[TheLorax]

Seems as if you have a soft spot for them like me. I usually have a few moles around here these days so what's another one or two. If they run out of food, they'll just branch out farther from my home. They actually relocate pretty well if you move them in spring/early summer. Trying to move them now would probably be a death sentence though because they won't have time to create lower tunnels. They don't hibernate. I don't know where you live or if you ever have occassion to drive to the Chicago area but I'll take your moles next spring or early summer. I'm not taking any more chipmunks though. They've been having a field day over here in my pots with the sunflower seeds from my neighbor and my hawk that was keeping their numbers down has taken up residence in someone else's yard who has a bumper crop of squirrels this year. I'm having a chipmunk explosion over here these days and am sort of hoping that ingrate of a hawk decides to come back.

 

[jediphrag]

Get and outside cat. They will keep the chipies in check.
Dawn

 

[Grandma M]

My husband once killed a mole when my son was there. He became very upset. "Dad, what if that mole was a mother and her children are waiting for her?" We each have a different way of looking at things.

 

[DukeBoxer]

You know 3 moles tunneled into a sugar plantation and popped their heads out 1 by one from the hole. The first mole said he thought he smelled some worms, the second thought he smelled some grubs and the third, struggling to get his head out of the hole said all he could smell was molasses.

 

[Heather]

Hehehe, cute.

 

[SlipperFan]

I should have seen that one coming...:rollhappy:

 

[rdlsreno]

Beautiful!

Ramon