Moles are small, insectivorous mammals that spend most of their lives underground. While these subterranean creatures are rarely aggressive and direct contact with humans is uncommon, they can introduce certain health risks to a yard environment. The risk of disease transmission directly from a mole is generally low, but indirect transmission through the parasites and soil they disturb is a greater concern.
Direct Transmission Risks
The possibility of a mole transmitting the rabies virus is extremely low, as they are not a common reservoir species for the disease. Rabies is primarily carried by larger mammals like bats, raccoons, skunks, and foxes. However, any mammal bite can transmit other types of bacterial infection, so direct contact should always be avoided.
Some bacterial diseases are associated with the mole’s environment and activities. Leptospirosis, for example, is a bacterial infection spread through the urine of infected animals, including moles. The risk to humans occurs when contaminated water or moist soil—often disturbed by mole tunnels—comes into contact with skin breaks or mucous membranes. This risk is usually higher for pets that drink from contaminated puddles or dig in the soil.
Another potential risk comes from the soil itself, which moles constantly move and aerate. Histoplasma capsulatum is a fungus found in soil, particularly where bird or bat droppings are present, and its spores can be aerosolized when the soil is disturbed. A mole’s burrowing can bring this contaminated soil to the surface, and inhaling these spores can lead to a lung infection called Histoplasmosis. Tularemia, a bacterial disease, is also a concern, often transmitted through contact with an infected animal or via ticks.
Disease Risk from External Parasites
The primary health risk associated with moles stems from the ectoparasites they carry on their fur. Moles are known hosts for various species of fleas, ticks, and mites that can easily transfer to pets or humans. As moles create their networks of tunnels and surface runs, these parasites can drop off into the yard, effectively seeding the environment with disease vectors.
Ticks are concerning parasites carried by moles, as they can transmit serious illnesses like Lyme disease, Anaplasmosis, and Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever. When a tick drops off a mole, it seeks a new host, which could be a dog, a cat, or a person. The mole acts as a transport vehicle, bringing infected ticks from the deeper soil layers to the surface environment.
Mole fleas are common ectoparasites that can transfer to household pets and subsequently into the home. Fleas cause skin irritation and tapeworm infection in pets, but they can also carry bacteria like Bartonella species. Although the direct transmission risk from a mole’s flea to a human is not high, introducing the vector into the domestic environment increases the chance of exposure to these pathogens.
Safe Handling and Exclusion Practices
Minimizing health risks requires focusing on personal protection and deterrence. If you must handle a mole, alive or deceased, always wear heavy-duty gloves to prevent direct skin contact with the animal or its parasites. Any area where a mole has been handled or a carcass was found should be cleaned and disinfected. A bite wound requires immediate cleaning with soap and water.
Sanitation around mole activity should address soil-borne risks. When cleaning up soil mounds or collapsed tunnels, especially in areas prone to Histoplasmosis, wetting the soil before disturbing it helps keep fungal spores from becoming airborne. Reducing the mole population is best achieved by making the environment less appealing.
Exclusion methods are impractical for large areas, but barriers can protect small, high-value beds. The most effective long-term strategy is to reduce the mole’s primary food source, such as grubs and worms, which encourages them to move to new territory. Repellents, particularly those based on castor oil, can also discourage moles from residing in specific sections of the yard.