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Moles

Moles

Family Talpidae

Mammalalso: Mole

Burrowing, insect-eating mammals that tunnel through lawns and garden beds, heaving up ridges and mounds of soil and uprooting small plants in the process. Moles do not eat plants, they hunt grubs and earthworms, but their tunneling disturbs roots, disfigures the lawn, and opens runways that voles then use to gnaw on plants.

🔎 How to spot it

Moles themselves are rarely seen, but their work is obvious: raised, spongy ridges of soil snaking across the lawn where they tunnel just below the surface, and volcano-shaped mounds of pushed-up soil. Plants may be heaved and loosened, and stepping on a ridge sinks the soft tunnel. Moles have velvety gray fur, tiny eyes, and large, outward-facing digging front feet.

🥀 Damage it causes

Moles damage lawns and beds mainly by their tunneling, which heaves ridges and mounds, disfigures turf, dries out and disturbs roots, and uproots seedlings and small plants. They do not eat roots or bulbs, but their open runways are used by voles and mice, which do gnaw roots, bulbs, and stems, compounding the harm.

🛡️ Prevent it

Because moles are hunting grubs and earthworms, a lawn rich in soil life attracts them; reducing white grubs can make an area less appealing, though it will not remove moles after worms. Firm and reseed disturbed runs, and protect choice beds with mesh barriers buried along the edge. Tolerating moles where their tunneling is harmless is often the simplest choice, since they also aerate soil and eat pest grubs.

🧯 If it is already here

Trapping is the most reliable control: set a mole trap on an active surface tunnel, confirmed by tamping it down and seeing it re-raised within a day. Most home remedies, repellents, noisemakers, gum, and the like, give little lasting result. Reducing the grub food supply can encourage moles to move on, and reseeding and rolling repairs the turf.

💡 Good to know

It helps to remember moles are insectivores, not plant-eaters: they are after grubs and worms, so the root and bulb damage blamed on moles is usually done by voles using the mole tunnels. Their digging even does some good, eating pest grubs and aerating soil, so control is worth it only where the tunneling itself is a real problem.

🌱 Plants it attacks

714 plants in the library can be attacked by this pest

Acorn SquashAdirondack Blue PotatoAdzuki BeanAfrican Blue BasilAfrican MarigoldAgapanthusAgeratumAgrimonyAji Amarillo Pepper🍓Albion StrawberryAlice du Pont Mandevilla🥔All Blue PotatoAlmondAloe VeraAmbrosia CornAmerican BasswoodAmerican Beauty Dragon FruitAmerican BeechAmerican PersimmonAmethyst Falls WisteriaAmish Paste TomatoAnaheim PepperAnemoneAngelique TulipAngeloniaAniseAnise HyssopAnjou PearAnnabelle Smooth HydrangeaAnnual VincaApeldoorn TulipApple MintApril Tryst CamelliaArbequina OliveArizona Sun Blanket FlowerArkin CarambolaArmenian CucumberAroniaArp RosemaryArugulaAshwagandhaAsian PearAsian PersimmonAtemoyaAtlantic Giant Pumpkin🥕Atomic Red CarrotAucubaAugust Beauty GardeniaAunt Molly's Ground CherryAutumn Joy SedumAvocadoBachelor's ButtonBalsam FirBalsam PoplarBanana PepperBarbara Karst BougainvilleaBartlett PearBay LaurelBayberryBeach PlumBeauregard Sweet PotatoBecky Shasta DaisyBee Balm🍅Beefmaster TomatoBenarys Giant ZinniaBengal Tiger CannaBetter Boy Tomato🥬Bibb Lettuce🍅Big Beef TomatoBig Boy TomatoBilberryBing CherryBitter MelonBlack BeanBlack Beauty EggplantBlack Beauty ZucchiniBlack Beluga LentilBlack Cherry TomatoBlack CrowberryBlack Currant🍉Black Diamond WatermelonBlack Kabouli ChickpeaBlack Krim TomatoBlack RaspberryBlack Sapote🥬Black Seeded Simpson Lettuce🥕Black Spanish RadishBlack Tartarian CherryBlack WalnutBlack-Eyed PeaBlack-eyed Susan VineBlood OrangeBloomsdale SpinachBlue Bird DelphiniumBlue Bird Rose of SharonBlue FescueBlue Lake Green BeanBluecrop BlueberryBocking 14 ComfreyBok Choy

For educational and informational purposes only. Pest control advice is general guidance drawn from university cooperative extension sources; always identify a pest positively and read and follow the label on any product before use, especially around food crops, children, and pets.