Title: Managing Wildlife Damage: Moles | VCE Publications | Virginia Tech
Headings: Managing Wildlife Damage: Moles
Managing Wildlife Damage: Moles
BIOLOGY AND BEHAVIOR
ECONOMIC STATUS AND IMPORTANCE
MANAGEMENT OPTIONS
Fumigants, Repellents, and Toxicants
Barriers
Trapping
REFERENCES AND SUGGESTED READINGS
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Content: Male eastern and hairy-tailed moles typically are larger in size than respective females whereas both male and female star-nosed moles are approximately equal in size. Tactile hairs on the snout, forepaws, top of the head, and tail enhance a mole's sense of touch; moles have a poor sense of smell and are virtually blind (but they do detect light and dark). Although many people believe that moles are rodents, like mice or rats, they actually are members of the scientific order Insectivora, which includes animals like shrews and bats. The diet of a mole consists of earthworms, snails, slugs, and insects (both adult and larval stages), but also may include small amounts of vegetation and seeds taken inadvertently. Moles destroy very few plants or bulbs by direct feeding, but may dislodge plants while tunneling in search of food. Because they expend a tremendous amount of energy when constructing tunnels, moles often remain active day and night year-round in their search for food. They often consume an amount of food equal to 60-100% of their body weight daily. To satisfy this almost insatiable demand for food, one mole can dig up to 150 feet of new tunnels each day. They are most active in early morning and late evening on damp, cloudy days during the spring and fall and may be seen above ground at night or when they disperse to new areas.