How to Identify a Mole
What Do Moles Look Like?
Moles are part of the order Insectivora, a different family from that of the rodent. Moles can range anywhere from 5 to 8 inches in length. They can either have brown or gray fur with pink feet, noses and tails. You usually can't see mole eyes, as their light-sensitive eyes are covered by fur. Moles have broad front feet with special claws for digging tunnels and fleshy noses that they use for the sense of touch.
What Do Moles Eat?
The most common foods moles eat include earthworms, insect lava and other soil arthropods. They also eat grubs and plant bulbs. Most mole damage is caused by tunneling and not by eating plants. Moles do, however, eat large amounts of food during the day (more than their body weight!) in order to fuel their active tunneling lifestyle.
Different Types of Moles
The most commonly encountered moles are the eastern mole (Scalopus aquaticus), which causes most of the damage found in yards, and the star-nosed mole (Condylura cristata), which is mostly found digging tunnels in swampy areas and at deeper levels than the eastern mole.
Mole populations tend to fluctuate at a slow rate; there are more moles when habitats are favorable and fewer moles when food is scarce. Moles will reproduce only once per year, bearing 3 to 4 young in each litter. These mole babies will stay with the female in deep, underground tunnels for about 4 weeks. After a month, the baby moles will venture out and begin digging their own tunnels. Most baby moles will reach their full-grown size in less than 8 weeks.
Getting Rid of Moles
Critter Control specializes in getting rid of moles and can help keep the pests away. Our effective and efficient mole control techniques provide the best solution for getting rid of your mole problems. Critter Control offers a variety of services for mole control, including mole removal, mole trapping, mole prevention, and mole damage repair services.
No matter what the animal management issue, Critter Control can help! If you need mole control services, don't hesitate to call Critter Control today at 1-800-CRITTER
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