Moles Moles feed primarily on earthworms, beetle grubs, ants, and other arthropods and animals found in the soil. A smaller part of their diet consists
of various seed and vegetable matter. But they usually do not eat bulbs or the roots of garden plants. Moles are active day and night throughout
the year, but they are most visibly active during the spring and fall on damp days or following rain showers when they push up more tunnels and
mounds. When the ground surface becomes frozen in the winter, or very dry during the summer, moles use only the deeper burrows. Mating
occurs during February and March, with a single litter of three to five young born later in the spring following a 6-week gestation period. Young moles grow rapidly and have the appearance, and behave like an adult at about one month of age. Young moles may use their family's burrow
system for up to six months before dispersing to establish their own burrow systems and territories nearby. Two types of runways (tunnels)
are produced by moles: sub-surface runways and deep runways. Certain tunnels of both types are used as major lanes of travel (called main
runways) and may be used by several moles in the area. Sub-surface runways are feeding tunnels just below the soil surface and commonly
seen as the raised ridges running through lawn areas. The mole is capable of extending these runways at the rate of 100 feet per day. Sub-
surface runs may be used daily, may be revisited at irregular intervals, or may be used only once for feeding and then abandoned. They connect
with the deep runways, which are located between 3 and 12 inches below the surface. Generally, few or no mounds are produced as a result of
the production of sub-surface tunnels. Deep runways are usually main runways, since they are used daily as the mole travels to and from the
main sub-surface runways or the nest. The soil excavated from the deep tunnels is deposited on the surface through short vertical tunnels in
volcano-like mounds. (Mole mounds should not be confused with pocket gopher mounds which are horse-shoe shaped.) The number of
mounds or surface ridges seen in a yard is no indication of how many moles may be present. Generally, one acre of land will support about two
or three moles at one time. However, yards surrounded by or adjacent to large tracts of forested areas or weedy fields may be subject to
continual invasions by moles because such areas may support many moles.
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