Got Moles? Easy ID Tips

The first step in ridding your lawn and garden of ground moles is to identify that the pest you have is truly a mole. There are a few distinct identification tips you can follow to make sure you are chasing a mole.

Most people who see visible damage to their lawn or garden assume they have moles. Before you go after the moles, make sure that's really the rodent problem you have.

Physical Characteristics
The Eastern Mole is the most common. These moles are underground rodents that are 6.5 - 7 inches long at maturity. They are fur covered, with tails. The forefeet are large and are wider than they are long. The hind feet are small. The eyes and ears are concealed in the fur. Unless you trap a mole, you are likely never to see one. They do not come above the ground unless forced to.

 

 

Eating Habits
A common misconception about moles is that they eat roots and plants. This is not true, as moles do not eat vegetation. Moles only eat grubs and earthworms. However, moles will damage plants by tunneling through the root zone and even popping plants up out of the ground. Moles eat 70-100% of their body weight per day - they constantly tunnel to find new sources of worms to eat.

 

 

Where They Live
As stated, moles live underground. They feed by burrowing just below the surface of the soil, making unsightly raised tunnels or runs. However, they also burrow deep depending on the weather conditions. When they burrow deep, they push the excess soil up, thus creating mounds. These mounds resemble volcanoes and can show up anywhere. Often pocket gophers have similar tunneling traits with the exception that their mounds are kidney shaped and are usually in a line.

 

 

 

The Apple Test
An easy test to see if you have a mole versus a pocket gopher or chipmunk is to test it with an apple.
1.Find an active tunnel.
2.Cut an apple in half.
3.Place the apple on the tunnel.
4.Cover the apple with a bucket or flower pot (upside down).
5.Wait a couple of days.
6. If the apple has not been eaten - you have a mole!

Getting Rid of Moles
There are basically three methods to get rid of moles. One is to use a mole repellent, such as Molexit. A second method is to trap the mole - the easy set mole eliminator trap is proven effective. The third method is to poison the moles - I don't recommend this for safety reasons.

By Beth Comer

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