Moles are small, specialized mammals that spend almost their entire lives beneath the soil surface, navigating a complex network of tunnels. As true insectivores, their diet consists of invertebrates encountered while digging, often putting them in proximity to subterranean dwellers like fire ants. This shared underground habitat raises the question of whether the mole utilizes the aggressive, invasive fire ant as a food source.
The Primary Diet of Moles
A mole’s existence is a constant hunt driven by an extremely high metabolic rate that demands a non-stop intake of calories. To sustain this energy requirement, a mole must consume an amount of food roughly equivalent to 60 to 100 percent of its own body weight daily. This need for constant foraging is the primary reason for their extensive tunneling activity, which creates visible ridges and mounds on a lawn.
The staple of the mole’s diet is the earthworm, a prey item that is both nutrient-dense and easy to capture within their established tunnel systems. Moles often patrol these tunnels, sensing the vibrations of an earthworm falling into the passageway. They also consume a significant number of grubs, which are the larval stages of various beetles, along with other soft-bodied invertebrates like centipedes, millipedes, and general ant larvae. Moles have a specialized saliva containing a toxin that can paralyze earthworms, allowing them to store their prey in underground “larders” for later consumption.
Moles and Fire Ants: The Consumption Question
While moles will readily consume general ant species and their larvae, the red imported fire ant (Solenopsis invicta) presents a unique and hazardous challenge that typically leads to avoidance. Fire ants are highly aggressive and defend their nests by swarming and delivering multiple, painful stings. The venom they inject is primarily composed of piperidine alkaloids, a powerful class of toxins that causes sterile pustules in mammals and can be life-threatening to small animals.
For a mole, attempting to consume a fire ant colony would result in a massive envenomation event that carries a high risk of injury or death. The energy expenditure and potential for a severe toxic reaction far outweigh the nutritional benefit of the small insect. Therefore, moles generally exhibit prey selection that favors the low-risk, high-reward earthworm and grub over the high-risk, venomous fire ant.
Moles in the Ecosystem: Pest or Beneficial Predator?
The mole’s continuous subsurface activity creates a dual role in the ecosystem, making them both a nuisance and a beneficial organism. Their tunneling provides a natural form of soil aeration, which improves water infiltration, reduces soil compaction, and aids in the circulation of nutrients to plant roots. This mixing of deeper soil layers with surface organic material can contribute to overall soil health.
The primary benefit of the mole’s diet is its consumption of pest insects, particularly beetle larvae like white grubs, which can cause significant damage to turfgrass roots. By foraging for these insects, moles act as a natural control mechanism against destructive lawn pests. However, the unsightly mounds and raised surface tunnels they create can severely disrupt the aesthetic of a lawn and indirectly damage plants by dislodging or severing root systems during their excavation.