Have you noticed the sudden appearance of dirt mounds in your yard, or does the ground cave in as you walk across it? You may have a mole problem. Moles are an unwelcome pest, primarily when you work hard to have a beautiful landscape. Here in the U.S., there are seven different species of moles. The predominant species in Tennessee is the Eastern Mole.
Most of us assume moles are rodents. However, they aren’t. Moles belong to an insectivore mammal family with close relatives that include shrews, voles, gophers, and hedgehogs. Moles are quite the engineers when it comes to constructing a tunnel system. The mounds of dirt that appear above the ground result from a mole removing dirt from freshly dug tunnels.
They can grow 4-12 inches long and live 3-6 years. The mating season of moles is in February-March, and their young are born six weeks later in small litters of 3-4. The distinguishable characteristics of moles include a pointy snout, velvety fur (designed to help them move backward), hidden eyes, and large, double-thumbed forepaws. These physical attributes enable the mole to dig and maneuver through the dirt. They consume 70-100% of their body weight daily by eating grubs, larvae, and worms.
A mole’s tunnel system is multi-layered. Just inches beneath the surface of the ground is what’s called the “surface tunnel.” Surface tunnels are like food courts in the mall. Here they run the gamut where they find foods of all kinds. Once they are finished dining, they proceed into tunnels that run further down beneath the surface tunnels. These deeper tunnels are called “runway tunnels.” Runway tunnels are the superhighway for moles to go home to their burrows. Burrows (nests) are located beneath the runway tunnels and can be as deep as 40 feet.
Believe it or not, here in Tennessee, moles are capable of digging up to 360 feet of tunnels in 24 hours. Imagine the amount of damage more than one can do? A beautiful, pristine lawn dies because moles have dislodged the roots of your grass. We highly recommend taking immediate action at the first sign of moles. Don’t procrastinate in employing mole control. Not only is your lawn going downhill quickly, but you run the risk of people getting hurt walking on the grass. When surface tunnels don’t support the weight of traffic on the lawn, those tunnels cave in and can cause severe injuries.
Trapping is the most effective and humane way to rid your lawn of moles. According to the University of Tennessee’s Institute of Agriculture’s Professor Craig Harper, “Trapping is the most effective method of controlling moles, with the best results during Spring and Fall while the soil is moist and temperatures are most favorable.”
Mole control is not a good DIY project because it usually ends up not working, causing further frustration. When trapping moles, you must be familiar with the tunnel and burrow system, depths of tunnels, and mole behavior. Moles are crafty and know how to avoid a trap that’s positioned incorrectly.
Before you let moles get the best of you, call the professionals to do it correctly. This saves you a lot of time and money. Our experts are highly trained in detecting where tunnels and burrows are, and how deep they go. Setting traps based on depth, direction, and traffic is what we do best. Save your lawn, your time, and your money by hiring our mole pros. Our professionals here at Wildlife Prevention & Repair stand behind a mission to rid you of nuisance moles quickly, reliably, and humanely. We are homeowners as well and understand the value of your lawn and the urgency in protecting it.
Wildlife Prevention & Repair serves the greater Jackson, TN, area including Humboldt, Huntingdon, Lexington, McKenzie, Medina, Milan, Paris, Savannah, and Union City.
