Moles might be good friends to have.

I have become very interested in moles because I have so many tunnels that follow the underground water pathways on my land. Knowing how to locate water underground helped me choose my garden site many years ago. Over the years, this choice has served my plants and trees very well. This year mole mounds create paths down toward the brook.

Moles do not harm the soil; they help aerate it by loosening the dirt. Most folks don’t like unsightly mole hills in their lawns, (or even in uncut grassy areas like mine) but I welcome them, especially now when the earth is so saturated with water because compacted soil keeps standing water stuck. Moles also mix soil nutrients in beneficial ways while ingesting garden pests like grubs and slugs.

Moles have very large feet with long claws, thick necks, and powerful shoulders that make it possible to dig their many tunnels. They range in size from about three to six inches. (sources vary). The dead moles I have seen have all been small in size with pointed little noses and beautiful gray velvet fur. Perhaps they were young moles. Moles have poor eyesight which is not surprising since they spend their lives underground.

Moles do eat earthworms, which is one reason gardeners don’t like them. Although most of us know that earthworms are beneficial because they break down organic matter, most people don’t know that earthworms will die when exposed to excessive waterlogging. For the past two years, we have been dealing with excessive flooding that has no doubt killed earthworms because they have been forced to move to the surface when the soil is saturated to avoid suffocation. At this point, earthworms are more vulnerable to predation.

The surface tunnels that moles dig connect with deeper runways that are located three to 12 inches below the ground but may extend almost three and a half feet down. Deep runways are the main passageways that the moles use daily as they travel to and from surface tunnels and to and from their nests. Moles are fast diggers and can tunnel at a rate of 15 feet per hour.

Mole nests are typically located around the root system of trees. Deep runways lead from the den to the hunting grounds. The gestation period of moles is approximately 42 days. A litter of three to five young are born each year in March and/or early April. The young leave their mothers after only a few months and often travel above ground because they are not as strong as adult moles. Moles are sexually mature about 10 months after birth and may live 3 to 5 years.

Moles are apparently not very social. Networks of runways that are independently made occasionally join separate burrows. Moles do not hibernate and are active during all seasons but are most energetic when they seek food during periods of rain in the late spring and early summer. This year the moles are still creating mounds in the middle of July. It’s important to mention that it is easy to press back the sod, and so far, every place I have flattened has remained untouched ever since.

The home range of a male eastern mole is thought to be about two and a half acres. Moles cover a larger amount of area than most subterranean animals due to their substantial food requirements. Three to 5 moles per acre is considered an average to high density. They live in underground burrows and come to the surface only rarely, often by accident.

They favor wooded habitats where the soil is loose and moist. Moles cannot survive in hard, compact, semi-arid soils.  Although moles make nesting burrows in higher areas, they prefer to hunt in moist and well-shaded spots. They also have very sharp teeth.

Moles consume 70-100 % of their body weight each day. The tremendous amount of energy expended in plowing through soil requires a correspondingly large amount of food. Areas that have been used for feeding are identified by the volume of short, crooked, tunnels in a concentrated area. When mounds appear they indicate where moles have pushed soil to the surface to clear deep tunnels.

What interests me the most is that around here I have never had as many mounds as I do this year. They create distinct trails that are easy to follow and all of mine lead downhill to the brook as previously mentioned. Is nature addressing the flooding by bringing in more moles to redress an imbalance created by saturated soil? An intriguing thought.

Perhaps during prolonged periods of heavy rains and flooding inviting these underground excavators to move in (!) might be more beneficial overall even though moles do consume some earthworms as part of a varied diet and occasionally, they may damage root systems if no other food is available.