Shrews do not create surface tunnels but may feed in runways or tunnels of other small mammals. (See Figure 3.) Shrews are much smaller than moles (3 to 4 inches in body length) and are mouselike in appearance, with a long, pointed snout, a short dense coat of fur, and small eyes. Moles are most often confused with shrews and voles. It is important to properly identify the kind of animal causing damage before setting out to control the problem. Moles may, however, damage plants by disrupting their roots as they tunnel underneath them. Voles, white-footed mice, and house mice live in and move through mole runways, eating and gnawing on grains, seeds, and tubers. Plant damage is often an indirect result of the protective cover that mole passages provide for other species of small mammals. However, moles rarely consume plants or plant parts. Moles are often blamed for the destruction of bulbs, seeds, and garden plants. Illustration by Meg de Brito Damage Identification ![]() Eventually, they become filled by settling soil, especially after heavy rains. Once dug, these shallow tunnels may not be used again or they may be re-traversed at irregular intervals. These underground hunting paths are about 1¼ to 1½ inches in diameter. Often, the only evidence of these deep tunnels is the molehills formed as the mole excavates deep underground.Īt the hunting grounds, most of a mole's runway system is made up of shallow tunnels ranging over the hunting area. ![]() Deep runways also lead from the mole's den to its hunting grounds. Shallow tunnels create a heaved surface that makes lawn mowing difficult and may cause brown traces in a lawn as grass roots are damaged by burrowing activity or by exposure to air.Ī mole's den area consists of irregular chambers about the size of a quart jar connected with deep runways located from 12 to18 inches beneath the soil surface. Molehills often exhibit round "ripple marks" made by each new load of soil that is pushed to the surface. Molehills are circular mounds of dirt surrounding a vertical shaft. Mole damage that is most objectionable to homeowners includes molehills and shallow tunnels. Their tunneling also allows subsoil material to be moved closer to the surface, where nutrients may be more available to plant roots. By tunneling and shifting soil particles, moles permit better aeration of the soil, help dry out sod, and enable humus (organic matter) to travel deeper into the soil. Moles play a beneficial role in the management of soil and the control of undesirable grubs and insects. This preference accounts for the mole's attraction to lawns and parks. Moles prefer to hunt in loose, moist soil that is rich in grubs and earthworms. Three to five moles per acre are considered a high population for most areas. They are busiest finding and storing foods during rainy periods in summer.īecause of their food requirements, moles must cover a larger area than do most animals that live underground. Moles do not hibernate but are more or less active all seasons of the year. The tremendous amount of energy expended in plowing through soil requires a correspondingly large amount of food to supply that energy. Moles eat from 70 to 100 percent of their weight each day. Their diet consists mainly of grubs, beetles, beetle larvae, and worms found in the soil. Moles are insectivores, not rodents, and are related to shrews. Spring floods are probably the greatest danger facing adult moles and their young. Moles have only a few predators because of their secluded life underground and may live for three to four years. Moles live in the seclusion of underground burrows, coming to the surface only rarely, and then often by accident. Three to five young are born in March or early April. The gestation period of moles is approximately 42 days. Moles are solitary animals that come together only to breed. This adaptation allows moles to travel both forward and backward through the soil. Mole fur is short, soft, velvety, and when brushed offers no resistance in either direction. The hind feet are small and narrow with slender, sharp claws. The paddle-like forefeet are very large and broad with pronounced claws for digging. Their small eyes and the openings of the ears are concealed in the fur, and there are no external ears. Moles are specialized for life underground. ![]() All Pennsylvania moles have a hairless, pointed snout extending nearly ½ inch in front of the mouth and are approximately 5 to 7 inches in body length. Three species of moles occur in Pennsylvania the eastern mole, the hairy-tailed mole, and the star-nosed mole.
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