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MOLES Kansas State University Manhattan, Kansas 66506-1600 F. Robert Henderson Extension Specialist Animal Damage Control MOLES Kansas State University Manhattan, Kansas 66506-1600 Fig. 1. Eastern mole, Scalopus aquaticus Damage Prevention and Frightening Trapping (most effective control method) Control Methods Ineffective. Out O’ Sight® Trap. Repellents Exclusion Bayonet trap or harpoon trap (Victor® None are registered. Generally not practical, except in very Mole Trap). Toxicants small, high-value areas where an Nash® (choker-type) mole trap. aboveground and underground Strychnine alkaloid. barrier (sheet metal, brick, wood) Easy-set mole eliminator. Chlorophacinone is registered in some might restrict moles. Cinch mole trap. states. Cultural Methods Fumigants Death-Klutch gopher trap. Packing the soil destroys burrows, and Shooting sometimes moles if done in early Aluminum phosphide. Not practical. morning or late evening. Gas cartridges. Reduction in soil moisture and food Other Methods source removal by the use of insecti- None tested have proven effective. cides discourages moles and gener- ally results in lower populations. PREVENTION AND CONTROL OF WILDLIFE DAMAGE — 1994 Cooperative Extension Division Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources University of Nebraska - Lincoln United States Department of Agriculture Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service Animal Damage Control D-51 Great Plains Agricultural Council Wildlife Committee Identification gopher. Three to five moles per acre (7 to 12 per ha) is considered a high Yates and Pedersen (1982) list seven population for most areas in the Great North American species of moles. Plains. They are the eastern mole (Scalopus Deep runways lead from the mole’s aquaticus), hairy-tailed mole den to its hunting grounds. The den- (Parascalops breweri), star-nosed mole ning area proper consists of irregular (Condylura cristata), broad-footed mole chambers here and there connected (Scapanus latimanus), Townsend’s mole with the deep runways. The runways (Scapanus townsendii), coast mole follow a course from 5 to 8 inches (12.7 (Scapanus orarius), and shrew mole to 20.3 cm) beneath the surface of the (Neurotrichus gibbsii). ground. The chambers from which The mole discussed here is usually these runs radiate are about the size of referred to as the eastern mole Fig. 2. Range of the eastern mole in North a quart jar. America. (Scalopus aquaticus). It is an insectivore, Most of a mole’s runway system is not a rodent, and is related to shrews made up of shallow tunnels ranging and bats. is the most common and its range is over its hunting ground. These tunnels shown in figure 2. The star-nosed mole True moles may be distinguished from may not be used again or they may be is most common in northeastern meadow mice (voles), shrews, or re-traversed at irregular intervals. United States and southeastern pocket gophers—with which they are Eventually, they become filled by the Canada, sharing much of the same often confused—by noting certain settling soil, especially after heavy range as the hairy-tailed mole. The characteristics. They have a hairless, showers. In some cases, moles push remaining four species are found west pointed snout extending nearly 1/2 soil they have excavated from their of the Rocky Mountains. The inch (1.3 cm) in front of the mouth deep runways into the shallow tun- Townsend mole and the coast mole are opening. The small eyes and the open- nels. These subterranean hunting paths distributed in the extreme northwest ing of the ear canal are concealed in are about 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 inches (3.2 to corner of the United States and south- the fur; there are no external ears. The 3.8 cm) in diameter. Moles usually west Canada. The broad-footed mole forefeet are very large and broad, with ridge up the surface of the soil, so their is found in southern Oregon and palms wider than they are long. The tunnels can be readily followed. In wet throughout the coastal region of Cali- toes are webbed to the base of the weather, runways are very shallow; fornia excluding the Baja peninsula. claws, which are broad and depressed. during a dry period they range some- Finally, the shrew mole is also found The hind feet are small and narrow, what deeper, following the course of along the West Coast from Santa Cruz with slender, sharp claws. earthworms. County, California, to southern British Columbia (Yates and Pedersen 1982). Moles make their home burrows in Average Dimensions and Weight high, dry spots, but they prefer to hunt in soil that is shaded, cool, moist, and Males : Habitat populated by worms and grubs. This Average total length, 7 inches (17.6 cm) preference accounts for the mole’s Average length of tail, 1 1/4 inches The mole lives in the seclusion of un- attraction to lawns and parks. In (3.3 cm) derground burrows, coming to the neglected orchards and natural wood- Average weight, 4 ounces (115 g) surface only rarely, and then often by lands, moles work undisturbed. The accident. Researchers believe that the ground can be infiltrated with run- Females: mole is a loner. On several occasions ways. Moles commonly make their Average total length, 6 5/8 inches two or even three moles have been denning areas under portions of large (16.8 cm) trapped at the same spot, but that does trees, buildings, or sidewalks. not necessarily mean they had been Average length of tail, 1 1/4 inches The maze of passages that thread the living together in a particular burrow. (3.3 cm) soil provides protective cover and Networks of runways made indepen- Average weight, 3 ounces (85 g) traffic for several species of small dently occasionally join otherwise mammals. Voles (meadow mice), separate burrows. Range white-footed mice, and house mice live Because of their food requirements, in and move through mole runways, Out of the seven species that occur in moles must cover a larger amount of helping themselves to grains, seeds, North America, three inhabit lands area than do most animals that live and tubers. The mole, however, often east of the Rocky Mountains (Yates underground. The home range of a gets blamed for damaging these and Pedersen 1982). The eastern mole male mole is thought to be almost 20 plants. Moles “swim” through soil, times that of a male plains pocket often near the ground surface, in their D-52 search for worms, insects, and other foods. In doing so, they may damage plants by disrupting their roots (Fig. 3). Food Habits The teeth of a mole (see Fig. 1) indicate the characteristics of its food and gen- eral behavior. In several respects moles are much more closely related to car- nivorous or flesh-eating mammals than to rodents. The mole’s diet con- sists mainly of the insects, grubs, and worms it finds in the soil (Table 1). Moles are thought to damage roots and tubers by feeding on them, but ro- dents usually are to blame. Moles eat from 70% to 100% of their weight each day. A mole’s appetite seems to be insatiable. Experiments with captive moles show that they will Fig. 3. Moles “swim” through soil, often near the usually eat voraciously as long as they ground surface, in their search for worms, are supplied with food to their liking. insects, and other foods. In doing so, they may The tremendous amount of energy damage plants by disrupting their roots. expended in plowing through soil requires a correspondingly large amount of food to supply that energy. General Biology, Damage and Damage Moles must have this food at frequent Reproduction, and Identification intervals. Behavior Moles remove many damaging Moles prefer loose, moist soil abound- insects and grubs from lawns and Table 1. Stomach contents of 100 gardens. However, their burrowing eastern moles: ing in grubs and earthworms. They are most commonly found in fields and habits disfigure lawns and parks, woods shaded by vegetation, and are destroy flower beds, tear up the Food item Number roots of grasses, and create havoc in of stomachs not able to maintain existence in hard, compact, semiarid soil. small garden plots. White grubs 64 The mole is not a social animal. Moles It is important to properly identify Earthworms 49 the kind of animal causing damage Beetles 67 do not hibernate but are more or less active at all seasons of the year. They before setting out to control the dam- Beetle larvae 44 age. Moles and pocket gophers are Other larvae 25 are busiest finding and storing foods during rainy periods in summer. often found in the same location and Centipedes 25 their damage is often confused. Ants 19 The gestation period of moles is Control methods differ for the two Wasps 7 approximately 42 days. Three to five species. Flies 2 young are born, mainly in March and Plant fibers and rootlets 2 early April. Moles leave volcano-shaped hills Seed pods or husks 43 (Fig. 4a) that are often made up of Crickets 10 The moles have only a few natural clods of soil. The mole hills are Insect fragments 31 enemies because of their secluded life pushed up from the deep tunnels Puparia 21 underground. Coyotes, dogs, badgers, and may be 2 to 24 inches (5 to 60 Cocoons 10 and skunks dig out a few of them, and cm) tall. The number of mole hills is Spiders 23 occasionally a cat, hawk, or owl sur- not a measure of the number of Grasshoppers 2 prises one above ground. Spring moles in a given area. Surface tun- Bugs 3 floods are probably the greatest dan- nels (Fig. 4b) or ridges are indicative Skin of grain or roots 3 ger facing adult moles and their of mole activity.
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