Several days ago I got an SOS from my son. Mole runs were suddenly crisscrossing his yard. Except for appearance the moles will cause few plant problems. A more serious problem can develop if one of the field mice or voles begins to use them as a gateway to your plant's roots.

The moles are short, fat critters with a short tail and pointed nose. I suspect they are blind to boot as they spend their time underground. They burrow in search of grubs and other wormlike creatures in your yard. They may damage plants by disturbing the roots and spreading disease.

They are solitary creatures so, surprisingly, just a couple may be responsible for what seems like miles of tunnels in your yard. Often a tunnel is used just once but some will serve like a network of highways.

A month or two ago I saw some tunnels in my yard. A bit later I saw one of my three working cats with at least one mole. The mower tires flattened the tunnels and that was that.

To control moles you must determine which tunnels are active. To do this, press lightly on a number of tunnels nearly closing them. The active ones will soon be raised again.

Remedies include sticky traps or special mole traps inserted into the tunnel. Active tunnels can be flooded. Well-used kitty litter placed in the run can be effective. I just send the kitty.

Another factor is that moles depend on hearing and vibrations will disturb them. Options here are to put a soft drink bottle base down in the run. The wind across the top may cause enough vibration. Another source suggested a simple pinwheel or a windmill made for the situation.

There is some evidence that the plant castor bean is an effective repellent. One caution here is that the plant, especially the fruit, is very poisonous.

The real problem from mole runs comes when mice or voles adopt them. There are several varieties of mice out there. The common house mouse is not one of them. Mice or voles will eat roots and damage bark on trees and shrubs. They kill a lot of plants, mostly during the winter season, when food is scarce. They like tall grass, weeds and brush to use as hiding places. They use the mole tunnels as a lazy way to get to your plant's roots.

Glue boards or snap traps will work. The best strategy with snap traps is to plan a mass attack. Use lots of traps. Bait unset traps with peanut butter for several days to make the mice brave. Then stage a massacre for a night or two.

Baits are also available and work very well. The caution is that these baits are also toxic to other mammals, so use cautiously. When I had the orchard, where mice and voles were a serious problem, we used to make mouse houses out of sheets of tin or boards. A two-foot by two-foot board secured by a block or stone was labor intensive but very effective.

In my garden I depend on my three cats. In fact, if I could find another one with the right credentials I would hire it immediately.