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- Moles prefer to dig in loose, moist soil, avoiding heavy clay or coarse gravel soils. They dig two kinds of tunnels that are 1 1/2 to 2 inches in diameter. Their tunnel systems can run several feet. Abandoned tunnel system may be taken over by new moles from a nearby location. Moles are typically solitary, so the mounds and ridges you see in your lawn can be the result of a single mole.
- During early spring months, moles create several shallow tunnels. These are typically the first indication of a mole infestation. Look for ridges where the sod is slightly raised along your lawn. Moles move through the top section of soil, creating these surface tunnels to mate and find food. These raised areas will often run throughout your lawn and are used only a few times and then abandoned for deeper tunnels. Ridges created by surface tunnels can be seen as soon as the snow melts, usually between February and April, and can make your lawn look uneven and rough.
- Moles dig main tunnels farther below the surface than those they use to search for food. To dig main tunnels, the mole must remove soil, and it is seen on your lawn as small volcano-shaped mounds. Moles dig two types of main tunnels: one to provide access to far-away feeding locations and the other to provide regular food nearby. When you see these tunnels, it typically means the mole is preparing to nest and will revisit these areas.
- Moles sometimes bring grass and other plants underground. These are not for feeding but to build nests. They build nests using dry grass and leaves pulled from the entrance to a tunnel, leaving the area around the tunnel bare.
- Although it's extremely difficult to prevent moles completely, you can control their population and limit damage to your lawn. Trapping can be the most effective way of limiting mole damage. Look for mounds that run parallel to permanent structures like a concrete path, fence line or a wooded perimeter or two mounds located close together. These are likely to be main runways and are good spots to set traps. To determine if surface tunnels are still in use, press down on a small section just enough to disturb the tunnel but not completely collapse it. If after a few days the tunnel is raised again, you have a surface tunnel that is still in use and a good location for a trap. You can also press down mole ridges and fill in mounds as you find them. Smooth dirt piles with a rack and seed your lawn if necessary to replace patches of grass. The moles will slow their activity in late spring, once the ground is dry.
Tunnels
Surface Tunnels
Main Tunnel
Nests
Control and Prevention
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