Moles Facts, Identification, and Control
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Family Talpidae
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Generally, moles but more particularly eastern moles are huge, with round feet, thick and short claws, short, bare tail with a sharp edged snout. Having small, silky fur that is gray in color, they can stretch up to 17.6 cm long. Eyes, ears are usually covered by fur due to their smallish nature.
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Animals such as beetle grubs, earthworms and ants are the main source of food for moles. They do not feed on bulbs, roots of plants, but seeds and particles of vegetables could be included in their meals.
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During spring, females give birth to three to five young ones.
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Being active during the entire year, moles known to be pests with their excessive hole digging. Complex subversive tunnels that run at different depth levels are created by them. Runways closer to the ground surface are the reason we see heaps and ridges on ground surface. These can be created 6 meters in an hour and are primarily for feeding. The runways that run deeper could be as much as 25 cm under the soil surface; they are primarily for transportation for the mole. The number of moles within a plot cannot be determined by the number of mounds in the ground. A range of seven to twelve moles can all be contained in one hectare of land.
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Coming from the order Soricomorpha and family Talpidae, with the eastern mole (Scalopus Aquaticus) being the most common, moles have many species in the U.S. the eastern mole has a wide coverage and the highest number in the U.S.
Characteristics are not too different among the different species and they cause the most destruction to orchards and turfs. They are not insectivores, hence, cannot be categorized as rodents as some believe them to be.
With the many available ways to control mole infestation, setting accurate traps over the tunnels is the most reliable. Knowing active tunnels might be tricky because moles quickly move from one to another.
What You Think You Know About Moles?
Mole dig tunnels everyday … they’re ruining your lawns, flowerbeds, gardens and landscapes!
If you are not a pest removal specialist or you rarely come in contact with moles unlike gardeners, landscapers, groundskeepers, and lovers of flower you might have a wrong understanding of moles.
There are a few mentioned facts about moles and these pests come in seven different varieties which are found in North America. You might be unaware of these facts concerning these pests that have been troubling your gardens, flowerbed, yards and landscape. There are several misconceptions related to them.
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Moles are not rodents rather they are insectivores. They belong to the same family as anteaters.
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their eyes are very tiny and is just like a thin membrane located at the back of the snout. They are only able to sense light with their eyes.
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moles do not socialize with one another and they can fight each other even to death if their territory is invaded with an exception of mating period. However they could share tunnels in a place like the highway.
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moles feed mainly on earthworm, and never consume anything other than ground vertebrates like millipedes, ants, grubs and the likes of them.
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tests conducted on moles have proven they have great appetite and can consume on a daily basis food worth 70-100 percent their body weight.
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moles are mostly carnivores but they can kill plants indirectly in two ways:
- Grubs and worms are found majorly among the roots of flowers, hedge or other plants. The mole removes the soil around the root of the plant while searching for food hence the plant dies as its source of nutrition is lost.
- Some other animals especially voles would always make use of the tunnels created by the mole and would eat up any root or tuber it comes across.
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people often take note of mole hills in the morning. However, moles are not really more or less active at night or in the day. Research says moles work in shift for about four hours after they must have slept. They rather prefer to work during the quite hours of the morning or night. Most often, moles put a hold to their activities once humans begin to walk around and the ground begins to vibrate.
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By nature, moles are woodland animals. However, they can easily spread out and inhabit any residential property not well taken care of. Since they operate through tunnel networks, it becomes very difficult to control or get rid of them if they are allowed to occupy the property for too long.
Moles spend a good part of their lives in underground tunnels or runways which appears to be a low ridge on the surface of flowerbeds, yards and any other landscape. These tunnels are created for the purpose of food search, nesting, protection, resting and as well for living space for traveling.
Most tunnels created by moles are often found under lawn turf, along flowerbeds, sidewalks, fence lines and dirt roads as well as places where insects are in abundance. The major tunnels measures about 6 inches away from ground level, the shallow ones are about 2 inches deep while deeper ones are 20 inches however, they don’t make use of the shallow ones more than ones.
Occasionally, moles show up on ground surface mostly at night in search of food, water, nesting materials and can as well migrate to a new environment during the night.
Voles Facts, Identification, and Control
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Microtus spp
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Voles, otherwise known as meadow mice, are rodents, spending most of their time underground. When fully grown, they measure 5 to 8 inches, having more body mass than mice. Their tails and legs are short, with their body covered in black or brownish fur. Their head are round with a blunt snout. The upper side of their tail has a darker color than the lower side. Just like the mole, the vole has two set of tiny eyes buried in their body fur. People often mistake voles for mice. Though having similar physical appearance with mice, voles have shorter tail than mice, making it easy to differentiate it from mice.
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Voles stay pretty much active at nights as well as in the day, being mostly active during evenings. Just like moles, voles construct extensive network of burrows located close to the ground, constructing their burrows around hidden areas such as debris, lumber or firewood debris. Their tunnels have a snake-like shape, meandering though bends on the surface. One burrow system can contain several adult voles at a time. Some species of voles prefer taking over burrows vacated by other voles. Voles are hunted by predators like snakes, foxes, hawks, raccoons and cats, being the reason why voles live between 2 to 16 months.
Their preferred habitats are areas with lots of grass and cover. They can swiftly destroy gardens, landscapes when they invade. Farmers and plantation owners find this creature as a pest, being in the habit of eating up crops and plant nurseries. They sometimes feed on the remains of bigger animals, snails and insects
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Voles breed all through the year –spring and summer are the peak breeding season. Female voles produce between 1 to 5 litters each year, with each litter having between 3 to 6 pups. Voles attain sexual maturity at 1 to 1 ½ months.
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The most pronounced sign of vole infestation is the appearance of runway system above the surface of the ground. The surface runway are often covered by vole droppings and cut vegetation. If there are no droppings and cut vegetation, then it is a clear sign that they have moved somewhere else.
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Owing to the difficulty in differentiating a vole from a mouse, it is important you first have a professional pest controller inspect your property if you suspect vole infestation. After inspection, the professional exterminator will then propose effective ways of managing containing the voles. There are different methods of controlling moles, but the method you eventually settle for will depend on the number of voles. Exclusion, trapping, habitat modification are some of the common techniques used controlling vole infestation.
Vole Removal & Control
Vole, or Field Mice, or Meadow Mice, as they are called, are usually classified as a pest species because the dig up yards and set up a network of surface tunnels. They also eat landscaping plants. The most common complaints include the following:
Lawn Damage – surface tunnels
Flowers or landscaping plants eaten
For these reasons, many people wish to have nuisance vole trapped and removed.
Vole Removal & Control
Vole, or Field Mice, or Meadow Mice, as they are called, are usually classified as a pest species because the dig up yards and set up a network of surface tunnels. They also eat landscaping plants. The most common complaints include the following:
Lawn Damage – surface tunnels
Flowers or landscaping plants eaten
For these reasons, many people wish to have nuisance vole trapped and removed.
How to Get Rid of Voles – The first question you should ask yourself is: Do I have a vole problem or a mole problem? Though commonly interchanged, these two animals are very different. Voles and moles are tunnel dwellers, and the difference is in the food they eat and the subsequent damage that comes from their diets. Voles primarily eat roots and bulbs. Their tunnels and burrows will span through an entire yard, but are virtually unseen by the innocent homeowner. Mole tunnels are characterized by large, ugly mounds of freshly dug earth on top of the grass. Unlike voles, moles primarily eat insects and earthworms, and their tunnels are created close to the surface to find the grubs and bugs they so like to eat. If you have suddenly noticed your plants and shrubs dying off with no evidence of an intruder, chances are you have a vole problem. Large mounds of dirt and obvious tracks through the yard will mean you are best served seeking mole control.
Now that you’re certain you have a vole issue, you’re probably wondering how to get rid of them when they leave no obvious sign of their passing. This can be difficult. Voles are subterranean dwellers, and you are not likely to catch them above ground. Cats and other predators will be of little help to you in this situation. Mole & Vole MACE repellent is an effective means of controlling a vole population. The average homeowner can buy and apply this product. Because of the extensive damage and potentially overwhelming number of voles in a single yard, Mole & Vole MACE is the most effective means of control and does not require a professional application.
If you’re determined enough, you can try to catch voles on your own, though this task may be very labor intensive and time consuming with little results. The first step in trapping a vole is to find an area where the vole is active. Because they tunnel underground, you will need to locate an area suspicious of activity. Dead plants, stripped trees, and dead tracks in your yard are all good places to start. Before you get right to trapping, test to site for activity. Remove the sod over the tunnel in a small area, no larger than a hand’s width. Take a piece of apple and place it in the hole. Cover the hole with a pot or other protective cover. If you check back in a day and something has eaten the apple, you know you have a good spot to place your trap. Another suggested way to determine tunnel activity is by the physical appearance of the tunnel walls. A smooth, deep tunnel suggests frequent passage. Long, straight tunnels are also thought to be active, leading from one food plot to another.
There are a variety of lethal traps on the market, most of them body gripping traps. These same traps can be used in the elimination of problem moles. Take the trap and place it in the tunnel. The trap will be small and designed for this purpose. Be sure to anchor it in place. Cover over the hole with sod and mark the area to be checked daily. Do not be discouraged if you don’t catch a vole on the first day. These animals have a massive underground burrow network, and it may not be practical for every tunnel to be traveled every day.
Trapping voles on your own can be reasonable if your yard is small and the damage is minimal. If, however, you have a large property and are seeing obvious death of plants and trees, professional intervention is advised. In this one instance of nuisance control, poison is the most effective means of removal.
Vole Biology & Information
Voles are small rodents that are very small and rotund and a more commonly called field mice even though they are not mice. Voles resemble mice, but they are much smaller, with shorter tails and smaller eyes and ears. Voles are also commonly mistaken for other small rodents such as rats, shrews and even gophers. However, voles are different in appearance and behaviors and are usually a brownish color with white and/or gray bellies and pink/gray hairy tails.
Voles are common in North America, but are found in other parts of the world also. Voles will take up residence in many different places such as abandoned mole tunnels (leading people to misidentify them), abandoned fox or rabbit burrows or in homes. Really, the vole can be found anywhere that is close to an available food source that is dry and cozy. Voles will not usually enter into homes or basements because they are unable to climb very well. This is very bad news for the unfortunate home owner that has an infestation of voles because they are very destructive and reproduce quickly.
Voles come into their sexual maturity in as little time as a month and their gestation period only lasts for 3 weeks. This makes a vole likely to have anywhere between 6-10 liters of young per year and if you can do the math that means you could have a big vole problem very quickly. Voles are monogamous and mate for life making the male and the female equally responsible in raising the young. The life span of the Vole is very short with many not living past the first year of life. This short life expectancy is probably due to the high number of predators that this small rodent has, some of them including: foxes, owls, hawks, crows, weasels, cats, dogs, snakes and raccoons.
Voles have a varied diet and are considered omnivores. However, their favorite things to eat happen to be your plants. You can bet you have a vole infestation when all of your outdoor plants die suddenly. Voles have excellent tunneling/burrowing abilities and will dig under the plant and eat all of the roots until the plant is dead. They will eat the roots of almost any plant whether it is flowers, trees or shrubs. Voles will also scavenge on the dead carcasses of other small animals like mice, rats and small birds. They will also eat fruits, nuts and grains if they are available.
Their diet is also dependent on the time of year. Voles do not hibernate and are active at all times of the day and night which allows them to maximize their consumption of food. In the winter time, they will make their homes exclusively out of the shallow burrows that they dig right under the surface of your yard.
These small critters are very social animals. Not only do the male and female stay in the same burrow or den to raise their young, but several adults will live in the same burrow or den. Voles operate off of the premise that it takes a village to raise a litter of young voles. This is unusual behavior in terms of rodent interactions, but this system seems to work well for the vole population seeing that they are a very successful species even though they have an incredibly short life span.
Voles are considered destructive pests by any landowner or gardener because they destroy the roots of all plants they encounter which are very hard to restore to their previous condition. Even though there are many different ways that you can get rid of your invasive vole population, it is very hard to exterminate them completely. Nature’s MACE Mole & Vole Repellent when properly applied will protect your property in a way that’s effective and Eco friendly.