Moles (family: Talpidae)

Moles prefer moist, loose soil that is rich in food sources. You’ll often find them in grassy areas, gardens, pastures, and along wooded edges. They tend to avoid dry, sandy soil or areas with compacted ground. These animals are mostly found underground, where they dig extensive tunnel systems, some shallow and others deeper, for nesting and food storage. Open spaces like lawns and golf courses are common places for burrowing activity, where their mounds can be easily seen.

A mole’s diet mainly consists of earthworms but also grubs, insect larvae, and other small invertebrates. Contrary to popular belief, moles don’t eat plants or roots, though their tunneling can cause damage by uprooting or disturbing plant systems. Because of their high metabolism, moles frequently consume large amounts of food daily. Their constant digging results from their need to hunt prey underground.

The reproductive cycle of moles is simple. They are solitary animals that only come together to breed, usually between late winter and early summer. A female typically gives birth to one litter per year, with about three to four young. The young are born blind and hairless, staying in the nest for several weeks before they begin to explore the tunnels. As adults, moles live alone and can be territorial.

Moles are solitary and territorial, spending most of their time underground. They dig in short bursts throughout the day and night to hunt and expand their tunnels. Signs of activity, like mounds or surface ridges, come from this constant movement. Moles live and forage alone.

Moles are found throughout much of North America, with different species found in different regions. Each species favors soft, moist soil in areas like forests, gardens, pastures, and lawns where digging is easy and food is plentiful.

• Eastern mole (Scalopus aquaticus): The most widespread species in North America, found from northern Mexico up through much of the eastern and central U.S., including the Midwest and parts of southern Ontario.
• Star-nosed mole (Condylura cristata): Found along the Atlantic coast from Canada (Cape Breton Island to eastern Manitoba) down to northern Florida, and into the Appalachian Mountains.
• Hairy-tailed mole (Parascalops breweri): Occurs in southern Quebec, parts of Ontario, and the northeastern U.S., including Connecticut, Ohio, and as far south as North Carolina and Tennessee.
• Townsend’s mole (Scapanus townsendii): Found in lowland areas of the Pacific Northwest, including coastal regions of Washington, Oregon, and extreme northwestern California.
• Coast mole (Scapanus orarius): Ranges from southwestern British Columbia through western Washington and Oregon to parts of northern California.
• Broad-footed mole (Scapanus latimanus): Found in California, southern Oregon, and into parts of western Nevada and Baja California.
• American shrew-mole (Neurotrichus gibbsii): The smallest of North American moles, found along the West Coast from California to southwestern British Columbia.

They are considered pests because their tunneling creates mounds, damages lawns, and can damage farming equipment or cause hazards for livestock.

Most mole species reproduce once a year, usually in spring or early summer, producing a litter of three to four young.

No. Moles are solitary creatures and only come together to mate during the breeding season.

Raised soil mounds or ridges in your lawn are the most common signs. You may also notice soft spots in the ground caused by tunnels just under the surface.