Moles are small, subterranean mammals that can become a significant nuisance by disrupting the appearance and stability of lawns and gardens. These creatures spend nearly their entire lives underground, creating extensive tunnel systems that damage turfgrass and plant roots. The signs of their presence often lead to frustration for property owners aiming to maintain a smooth landscape. Understanding their biology, recognizing their specific damage, and knowing the most effective removal methods are key to reclaiming your yard.
Identifying Moles and Their Behavior
The physical characteristics of a mole are highly specialized for its underground existence, distinguishing it from other small mammals. Moles possess cylindrical bodies, very short, dense velvety fur, and a long, pointed snout equipped with sensory organs to detect prey. Their most notable features are their powerful, paddle-like forelimbs, which are rotated outward and equipped with strong claws, including an extra thumb, making them highly efficient diggers.
Although they have tiny, inconspicuous eyes, their vision is poor, relying primarily on acute senses of smell and touch to navigate the dark tunnels. Moles are insectivores, with a diet consisting almost entirely of earthworms, insect larvae, and grubs found in the soil. Their extremely high metabolism requires them to consume a massive amount of food daily, often between 70 to 100 percent of their own body weight. This constant need for food dictates their relentless tunneling behavior, with a single mole capable of excavating up to 15 feet of new tunnel in an hour.
Moles are largely solitary animals. The tunnel systems they create are essentially long underground traps for earthworms, which they patrol continuously. They are active throughout the day and night in cycles of rest and foraging, meaning new damage can appear suddenly.
Distinguishing Mole Damage from Other Pests
Identifying the specific type of damage is important because other subterranean pests, such as voles and gophers, can be mistaken for moles. Mole activity is characterized by two distinct types of surface disruption: molehills and surface tunnels, also known as heave ridges.
Molehills are circular or conical mounds of soil pushed up vertically to the surface when the mole digs deep tunnels or clears excess dirt. These mounds resemble small volcanoes with a plug or hole often located near the center. Surface tunnels are raised, linear ridges of soil and turf that appear just beneath the grass, creating soft, spongy areas when stepped on. These ridges are the mole’s shallow feeding runs where they search for worms and grubs, and they are frequently renewed.
Unlike moles, gophers create larger, fan-shaped or crescent-shaped mounds with a soil plug visible off to one side, as they push dirt out of a lateral tunnel. Gophers are herbivores that feed on roots and plants, and their tunnels are often deeper than those of moles.
Voles, which are small rodents, do not typically create dirt mounds but instead leave behind small, clean, circular entry holes, usually no more than one or one and a half inches in diameter. Voles also create visible surface runways or trails through the grass as they move above ground, a sign moles rarely leave. Because voles sometimes use existing mole tunnels to access plant roots and bulbs, the damage may be misattributed to the mole.
Effective Control and Removal Methods
The most consistently effective method for controlling moles is through trapping, though a combination of approaches may be necessary to manage an infestation. Trapping targets the individual mole responsible for the damage, removing it from the tunnel system. Before setting a trap, you must first locate an active runway. This is done by collapsing a section of a surface tunnel and checking to see if the mole has repaired it within 24 hours.
Three common types of lethal traps are the harpoon, scissor-jawed, and choker loop traps, all designed to be set directly into an active tunnel. Harpoon traps impale the mole when the trigger pan is activated. Scissor-jawed and choker traps constrict the animal as it passes through. Setting the trap correctly is important; it must be placed securely in the center of the run, and the trigger mechanism should be sensitive enough to be activated by the mole’s movement.
Alternative Control Methods
Less invasive methods, such as reducing the mole’s food source, can be attempted by applying products to eliminate grubs and insects in the lawn. However, this approach is often ineffective because earthworms, which are the mole’s primary food source, are generally unaffected by grub control products. Sonic repellents and home remedies like chewing gum or noise makers have not been found to provide reliable, consistent control. For persistent or widespread issues, particularly if multiple species of subterranean pests are suspected, consulting a professional pest control service may be the most efficient solution.