About Moles

Moles are small mammals four to six inches long that live and feed under the surface of the soil in much of North America. These tiny creatures resemble mice, have black or gray velvety fur, small ears and eyes and powerful digging claws.

Misconceptions

Many people believe that moles are rodents like rats and mice but they really belong to the scientific order Insectivora along with bats and shrews. The primary food source of moles is actually slugs, earthworms and insects, not plant material. Any damage done to crops and flowers is the result of moles burrowing for food and dislodging bulbs or roots in the process. Moles dig tunnels in search of food and may work day and night to satisfy their voracious appetite. One mole can dig up to 150 feet of tunnels in a single day.

The Facts

Moles are not social creatures and spend the majority of the year alone, getting together only for mating and when the female is rearing a litter. Nests are constructed 1 to 1 1/2 feet below the ground where the young live until they are five or six weeks old. Young moles become sexually active by the time they reach one year old and begin to reproduce one litter per year, usually giving birth to two to five young.

Features

Moles create a massive structure of tunnels below the surface of the soil. These tunnels consist of two different types: temporary feeding tunnels located near the surface of the ground and deeper tunnels that may be 6 to 20 inches below the surface. Deeper tunnels serve as a roadway to connect feeding and living areas and may be used for years. Eastern moles generally create ridges on the surface of the soil that may disrupt golf courses, lawns, or recreational areas. The star nosed mole creates a large area of soil that appears to have been pushed up from below. This mole hill can range from a foot or two across and 4 to 9 inches in height.

Benefits

Moles are extremely beneficial to the soil as they provide aeration allowing the soil to breathe and mix soils from deeper levels with the surface soil improving the soil. They also devour many harmful insects like Japanese Beetles and other grub worms that can damage crops and lawns.

Risk Factors

In their zeal to burrow in new areas in search of food, moles often disrupt roots and plants causing crops to fail or plants to die. The burrows created on lawns, farmland and golf courses may ruin the appearance of the landscape or even cause damage to mowers or harvesting equipment. Large mounds may be an annoyance to homeowners who take pride in a well manicured lawn.