Moles

Under a healthy lawn is healthy soil generally full of earthworms. The beneficial earthworms also attract moles. While seldom seen, moles are most anywhere earthworms are. Earthworms are the number 1 food source for moles, although moles being insectivores will also eat grubs, maggots and ants. 

Photo taken from MN Nuisance Wildlife Control

Unsightly raised patterns of grass and broken earth or mounds of dirt ranging in the size of a baseball to a basketball are signs of mole activity. Moles tunnel long straight tunnels to get around to various smaller feeding tunnels. Often the longer transport tunnels are along barriers such as a sidewalk or patio and since moles also eat ants we have found feeding tunnels under paver walks, patios and driveways are common. 

Mole tunnels can be a few inches to several feet below the surface and can effect a paver application. Signs of mole damage can be long or short areas of cave in or settlement. With a width of a few inches up to a foot. If you wonder, simply pull a few pavers and begin pounding a rod into the base. You will notice at some point the rod gives and pounds very easily indicating you have hit a tunnel.

A common misconception is because moles are insectivores that a grub control treatment will get rid of the moles. While the lawn will surly benefit, the moles will not be effected and still live happy and fat because their number 1 food source is earthworms.

Various methods are available for eradication of moles. Generally a DIY approach will not properly place or set enough traps to be effective. We recommend Suburban Wildlife Control, Inc. South metro 952-403-9223  North Metro 763-755-2569 

Poly Haze

All to often a contractor, homeowner, manufacturer or re seller will contact our company to assess and define the reason a problem of polymeric haze exists on a paver application. All of em want to know what happened, why and who is responsible. This becomes challenging as the installer including DIY homeowners claim it was a bad product and for some reason the manufacturer and or re seller is expected to accept the burden. This gets really old. Now with this pre-determined attitude a barrier has been established without rhyme or reason, that even with my information and expertise may not be undone. This also gets old.

Chemical and organic binders in polymeric sands are easy to understand, as well the graded sand each contain. Activating polymeric sands are also a basic discipline to master. Did your contractor know the difference between the two and how each applies, consolidates and activates ? Did your contractor understand the variables involved including air and substrate temperatures, dew point/ humidity, sunlight or shade, wind speeds or the type of joint/paver being filled. 

Buying a bag of stuff, putting it down and watering it in does not constitute due diligence to the discipline needed to achieve a proper application which is the installers burden to provide. Even reading the directions twice means nothing when using a product such as polymeric sand, no matter the manufacturer or re seller. So please drop the "it's someone else's fault" pitch, I am not buying it.

So what now? After I gather enough information I can tell you exactly what happened and why,  then explaining your options including the possible re actions both good and bad. The stumbling point now becomes your acceptability of possible consequences in poly haze removals. 

While I understand poly haze is upsetting, it simply "is what it is" to me when entering the scene afterwards. I wish not give fault to any parties involved yet it is generally an installer error.