Common Mole Questions
Damage and Control
Habits and Biology
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| Q: |
How do I know if
I have moles and not some other pest? |
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A: |
The best way to determine what type of
pest you have is by the damage you see:
Moles:
If you have a mole, you will see
mounds of dirt and/or surface tunnels:
- Dirt mounds (look like piles or
"puffs" of dirt shaped like a
volcano)
- Surface tunnels (look like the
veins on the back of your hand).
Not all moles will have both
surface tunnels and dirt mounds.
If you see one or the other (or both),
you have a mole. To see what
species of mole you have, visit
Mole Info.
Visit our
Products page to learn more about
how to remove moles from your yard. |
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Mole |
Mole Hills
*Notice
the volcano-shaped mounds* |
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Pocket Gophers:
Damage done by pocket gophers is similar
to moles, but there is a major difference.
- Dirt mounds are crescent-shaped
(like a "C") with a "dirt
plug" on one side of the mound
If the damage seems to be that of a
pocket gopher, we recommend viewing the
University of California's
Website on this topic.
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Pocket
Gopher |
Pocket
Gopher Mound
*Notice the
"C"-shaped mound with "dirt plug"* |
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Ground Squirrels:
The key identifier for these rodents is an
exposed tunnel entrance with discarded dirt
surrounding the entrance of the tunnel.
You can see right into a ground squirrel
burrow, unlike that of moles or pocket
gophers. Read more about ground
squirrels at the University of California
Website. |
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Ground
Squirrel |
Ground
Squirrel Hole
* Notice the exposed entrance* |
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Voles:
While voles can create damage to trees,
shrubs, bulbs and perennials consuming roots,
and eating bark from the base of small trees; they typically “piggy
back” on the damage done by moles. Voles
(often incorrectly referred to as “meadow
mice”) tend to travel in mole tunnels
and often are the cause of damage to roots,
bulbs, and tubers within.
We recommend reviewing
http://www.volecontrol.com if you have a
vole problem. |
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Vole |
Vole Holes
*Notice the tiny exposed
entrances* |
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If you suspect
that you have a pest other than moles, we
do NOT recommend using our product.
It is not intended for use with any other
pest.
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| Q: |
When is the best time of year
to trap moles? |
| A: |
Moles can be trapped in
almost any season and most weather conditions.
There is no specific time when they are
easier to catch. Moles dig in the same way
at any time of the year, but they do tend
to be more active during the spring, summer
and fall. When moles are more active, they
use their runs more frequently and thus
have a greater exposure to a set trap.
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| Q: |
Why do moles create tunnels
and hills? |
| A: |
Moles create tunnels for
two purposes, traveling and feeding. Traveling
tunnels are pathways between feeding areas
and the den. Feeding areas are usually marked
by clusters of hills and shallow tunnels.
Their purpose is allow the mole to hunt
for its main diet, worms. The mounds or
"mole hills" are excess dirt that
has been mined away by the mole to create
these tunnels. Also See
Mole Damage
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| Q: |
Can the size of the mole be
determined by the size of their mole hills? |
| A: |
No, the only indication
the size of the pile will give is whether
the soil is easy for moles to dig through
or not. If the soil is easy to dig through,
you will probably have smaller mole hills,
but mole hills will be more frequent. If
the soil is difficult, the mole hills will
be larger and less frequent.
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| Q: |
If moles are carnivorous, why
are my plants dying? |
| A: |
Moles often scrape away
dirt from the root system of plants in search
of grubs and worms. In doing this, moles
scrape away the plants' source of nourishment
and the plant dies. Many times, voles
will also travel in mole tunnels and will
eat roots and bulbs along the way.
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| Q: |
Can cats or dogs catch moles? |
| A: |
Yes, on occasion, a crafty
cat or dog can catch a surfaced mole. It
is very rare and typically happens to only
the mole pups.
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| Q: |
How many moles do I have in
my yard? |
| A: |
Most mole problems consist
of one or two moles doing a considerable
amount of damage. A good indication of how
many moles you may have is to clear all
the hills away with a rake. You can then
determine how many areas are active concurrently
by observing where the new mole hills are
being created. If you have two different
areas of fresh mole activity in one night,
there is a possibility you have more than
one mole. If you have only one area active
at a time, you may have only one mole. There
is no concrete way of determining exactly
how many moles there are until moles are
trapped and there is no more activity.
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| Q: |
Why do moles get busier in
one season and slower in another? |
| A: |
See Habitat
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| Q: |
How do moles choose where they
will dig? |
| A: |
Moles will often seek new
territory during the spring and early summer
when the baby moles (“pups”)
are searching for their own territory. As
well, heavy machinery and extensive excavation
(as is often the case with heavy construction),
can displace moles and cause them to find
a new domain. Also see Habitat
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| Q: |
Do moles go into houses? |
| A: |
Moles rarely surface, and
almost never travel above ground. It is
then highly unusual for a mole to scurry
around in a house since such a journey would
be particularly perilous for an animal that is
not equipped to travel on open flat surfaces.
The exception would be for those homeowners
with a shallow or no house foundation.
In such situations, moles can be heard
scratching underneath the shallow floor as
they navigate in their tunnels.
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Moles
