Mole Identification

Moles are members of the Insectivora order, which is completely separate from rodents, although many people think that they are rodents. Their bodies can reach lengths of around 5 to 8 inches with brown or gray colored fur. Their tails, feet, and nose are commonly a fleshy pink color. Their eyes are very sensitive to light and are covered by fur which makes them almost impossible to see. They have specialized front claws that are perfectly made for digging.

Mole Diet

Their fleshy pink noses are used to feel around underground and locate prey. Their diet consists of a wide variety of insects including earthworms, insect larvae, soil arthropods, grubs, and even plant bulbs. They will eat up to, and possibly more, than their body weight in a day. Although they may eat plant bulbs, this is not how they inflict the most damage on a property. The damage is mostly caused by the tunnels that they dig and the mounds they leave behind.

Types of moles causing damage

There are two main types of moles that people will deal with. The eastern mole (Scalopus aquaticus) and the star-nosed mole (Condylura cristata). The eastern mole is likely to be the type of mole that people will have tearing up their yards and flower beds. Star-nosed moles prefer swampy areas and tend to burrow at a depth deeper than the eastern mole.

Reproduction

Moles reproduce once a year, depending on the availability of food supplies. If food is scarce, they may not reproduce at all. When they do, they will have litters of 3 to 4 babies once a year. These babies will stay with their mom for around 4 weeks in a den deep underground. After a month, these babies will go out on their own. They will reach full adult size by about 8 weeks of age.

We can help with mole trapping in Lexington KY.