Moles are cute furry guys that think no one likes them, so they opt to go eat worms. They are truly nature’s bohemians, “diggin'” stuff and staying “underground”. I think they’re pretty cool; they have two thumbs on each paw. They do, however, like to make my life a little harder by filling up valve boxes with dirt.
Some genius sprinkler guy came up with Mole Guard. I see they are changing the product’s name to Box Guard, in an effort to be more sensitive to the feelings of all burrowing creatures. It’s basically a plastic barrier you piece together and fits under the common sizes and shapes of most valve boxes. I put Mole Guard to the test recently.
This double-check box in Madrona has been a perennial pain. I’ve scooped out this dirt so many times, I don’t know where these critters find more to fill it. This ends now.
See how I dig a deep spot my shovel will fit into next to the double check? I can cave in dirt chiseling around the device and extract big scoops from this hole. This is how they rescued the Chilean miners. I think.
Lookie there! I’ve never seen this old girl completely naked like this. I’ve only seen her ball valve handle and test cocks, just enough exposed to get my screwdriver on. Now we should address that rusty handle on the first ball valve. It’s been buried and the moisture of the soil has really corroded it. It’s ready to snap off. You can see there is no other shut-off valve before the DC, and it’s coming off old galvanized pipe. When the home-owner decides to get a new waterline, or the 90 year old waterline decides the homeowner has to replace it- then we’ll upgrade the shut off and DC. For now we’re just going to get a better ‘handle’ on the situation, as it were.
I actually had to hacksaw off this stupid nut. I went back to the shop and found an old handle in better shape that will work for now. Ok, now it’s time to place the mole guard….
Looking good. Backfill and replace sod….
Wow, that looks like crap right now; but the sod will grow back soon enough and the seams will disappear. I will come back this fall to winterize and be so happy to work in these however many cubic inches of heaven. Now, here’s a tribute to my favorite Mole of all time:
