Heres how to tell if you have moles and what to do about them.
Ifyour yardis riddled with bumps and ridges, you may have some underground neighbors: Moles!
These small mammals spend most of their lives underground and are rarely seen.
Credit:Getty Images / Andreas Steidlinger
But their expert digging skills leave behind multiple tunnels that maryour lawnand make mowing difficult.
So how do you get rid of moles and what exactly are they?
What Are Moles?
Credit:Getty Images
Why do they make such a mess?
Moles are insectivores, says Sheldon Owen, PhD, wildlife extension specialist at West Virginia University.
Theyre tunneling in search of food, pushing the dirt out of their way.
They have large, paddle-like front feet that help them burrow, almost like theyre swimming through the soil.
Theyre constantly on the hunt for food because all that tunneling requires a lot of energy.
Moles feed day and night, and burrowing occurs year-round.
They consume about 80 percent of their weight daily.
They can sometimes cause turfgrasses to dry out.
Sometimes homeowners mistake mole damage for vole damage, says Pierce.
Theyre also opportunists and will use established mole tunnels.
Mostly, theyre simply a nuisance but not a huge problem.
Youll also see the occasional volcano-like mounds of soil, which are 2 to 12 inches tall.
These are the result of moles clearing out excess soil from deeper excavations, says Owen.
Moles prefer soft, sandy soils and tend to avoid heavy or clay soils.
On average, there are three moles per acre.
However, a moles home range is huge (up to 3 acres!)
for such a small mammal because theyre voracious eaters.
Getty Images
How To Tell The Difference Between Moles And Voles.
Voles, Ugh!.Extension Master Gardener Volunteers of Durham County.
Trapping Voles In The Landscape.
North Carolina Cooperative Extension.
Mole Damage Prevention And Control Methods.
Internet Center For Wildlife Damage Management.
