tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3471471289744825428.post8630656573605165088..comments2024-03-11T00:31:41.186-07:00Comments on The Oregon Economics Blog: Economist's Notebook: The Economics of MolesPatrick Emersonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17242234148546323374noreply@blogger.comBlogger5125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3471471289744825428.post-34735016495626736102010-10-13T10:55:33.913-07:002010-10-13T10:55:33.913-07:00Karmically, I feel fine with the cat solution. A c...Karmically, I feel fine with the cat solution. A cat is being a cat, after all. We are now into week two with the spike and it is supposed to take 7 to 14 days. No new apparent mole activity this morning...Patrick Emersonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17242234148546323374noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3471471289744825428.post-79943425468740364362010-10-13T10:23:40.709-07:002010-10-13T10:23:40.709-07:00In my experience and the others I know with both a...In my experience and the others I know with both a mole issue and cats, (so an N of 4), yes - if allowed outside. A petdoor is nice, but see below...<br /><br />It, however, will be a wash Kharma-wise unfortunately; as though purposeful, the mole will be played with, killed, and in my experience eaten all but enough to make your wife holler at you to go get rid of it when the cat leaves the carcass on the front step (or worse, the kitchen floor). <br /><br />In our case, my wife now insists I check the cat's mouth before letting it in for the night, which often requires a trip out in the coastal rain - then again, in fairness to her, the cat has chosen that her side of the bed is the place it will drop the day's kill in hopes of reward. <br /><br />There are definitely some 'bads' associated with cat ownership. But, as that pet owners tend to live longer, marginal good of ownership should readily outweigh those negatives.Dann Cutterhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08788286445033083370noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3471471289744825428.post-61348233908154268432010-10-13T09:56:46.287-07:002010-10-13T09:56:46.287-07:00A cat, really? Are they dependable mole hunters?A cat, really? Are they dependable mole hunters?Patrick Emersonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17242234148546323374noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3471471289744825428.post-25106136340559264672010-10-13T09:40:57.491-07:002010-10-13T09:40:57.491-07:00Get a cat.
Your kid(s) (not sure on the quantity ...Get a cat.<br /><br />Your kid(s) (not sure on the quantity there) will love it, it will deal with both the current mole, and new moles and various other critters, and it buries its poop. <br /><br />Morris also provides a marginal good to the cat. And frankly, possibly a paper, given the likely interval of reoccurrence, argues against the long term law of diminishing marginal utility for the cat. And continues to save you buying as much food, which is a savings to you. <br /><br /> (I'm obviously in week 3 of Econ 311). And like cats.Dann Cutterhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08788286445033083370noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3471471289744825428.post-46868132410231912402010-10-12T14:38:25.658-07:002010-10-12T14:38:25.658-07:00When I had a mole in my backyard, I found a nice, ...When I had a mole in my backyard, I found a nice, new tunnel, stuck a garden hose in it, and turned the water on full blast. Eventually he poked his little head up from the mud. I whacked him with a shovel (the literal "whack-a-mole" game). <br /><br />The next summer, his brother moved in. That was three years ago. We have learned to live with a chewed-up back yard.Unknownhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06735576786648328225noreply@blogger.com