THE EASTERN MOLE
General Biology: The Eastern Mole is an insectivore,
not a rodent, and is related to the shrew. It is
more commonly found in fields and woods shaded by
vegetation, and is not able to maintain existence
in hard, compact semiarid soil. The mole is not
a social animal. It lives in the seclusion of underground
burrows, coming to the surface only rarely. It does
not hibernate and is more or less active in all
seasons of the year. It is busiest finding and storing
foods during rainy periods of summer. The gestation
period of moles is approximately 42 days, with from
3 to 5 young born mainly in March and early April.
The diet of a mole consists mainly of the insects,
grubs and worms it finds in the soil. Three to five
moles per acre is considered a high population.
Moles “swim” through the soil, often
near the ground surface in their search for food.
In doing so, they may damage plants by exposing
their roots to drying. The tremendous amount of
energy expended in plowing through soil requires
a correspondingly large amount of food to supply
that energy. Therefore, although their burrowing
habits disfigure lawns and flower beds, thus creating
havoc in garden areas, they can also be considered
beneficial because they remove many damaging insects.
Habitat: A mole’s runway is dug just beneath
the surface of the ground. The deeper runs are the
highways leading from the mole’s home to its
hunting grounds. The mole makes his home burrows
in high, dry spots, but hunts preferably in soil
that is shaded, cool and moist and populated by
earthworms and grubs. This accounts for the moles
attraction to lawns and parks.
Homeowner Control Methods: In practice, packing
the soil with a roller or reducing soil moisture
may tend to reduce the desirability of the habitat
to moles. Because moles feed largely on insects
use of certain insecticides to control these organisms
may reduce the food supply of moles causing them
to leave the area. Mothballs are occasionally suggested
as a mole repellent, although there is little information
to substantiate its effectiveness.
Professional Control: If these little critters
are reeking havoc in your lawn and garden, call
us for an inspection and service estimate. Trapping
is the most successful and practical method of getting
rid of moles. Repellents, fumigants, and toxicants
are also available methods of control.
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