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The Much- Maligned Mole

© Georgeann Hall

Moles are classified as insectivores, and most of their diet is composed of insects, especially white grubs, earthworms, centipedes, and spiders. Moles don't usually eat vegetable matter unless it has been saturated with moisture.

Moles are delicate creatures that have adapted perfectly to life beneath the soil. Their fur can point forward or backward for ease of movement in their narrow tunnels; at one time the fur was actually prized, and a farmer could get a good price for mole pelts. Moles have streamlined skeletons and very fragile skulls, and that is why you will not see them digging through hard, compacted, or very rocky soil. They have a narrow snout, no visible ears,but do hear acutely, and strong claws which point outward for digging. Moles use these claws to swim through the soil. Also, a mole's teeth are sharp and pointed, and generally too weak to gnaw on anything...that is why they feed on insects.

When moles are present in your lawn you will discover they dig two types of tunnels: deep, permanant tunnels which you cannot see, and shallow feeding runways which are what you see in your turf. Moles nest in the permanant tunnels and are active all year. Often you will notice many tunnels in your lawn and you might think your turf is filled with moles. But that is not the case because moles are very territorial and will fight to the death when they encounter each other.

Moles are attracted to moist, friable soil and newly installed lawns are often invaded by moles rather quickly. Since moles are searching for insects and not feeding on plants, the turf usually recovers quickly from mole activity. If possible, you should try to put up with moles since they consume many insects that are considered pests...like beetle grubs.

If you feel you cannot tolerate moles in your yard, then there are a number of methods for eradicating them and most require you to determine which mole runs are active. Moles dig many tunnels, some of which are used only once. Moles will repair active tunnels very quickly, so to determine which runs are active you must first tamp down all the tunnels you can find and then wait to see which ones reappear. After the active tunnels reappear then you can determine which method of eradication you wish to use. The following is a list of popular strategies for dealing with moles: