Moles are burrowing mammals that are driven to their digging life since it’s how they can find food. Although their front feet are not too long, they’re wide enough for digging.
Moles, with their high metabolism rate, stay underground most of the time as it’s where they can find their food source.
What do moles like to eat? Moles, as insectivores, mainly eat earthworms, grubs, beetles, and other soil-borne insects. They also consume vegetable matter like roots and seeds as these things are also found on or in the ground. At times, they also attack the underground nests of wasps. A mole’s daily food consumption of these insects is equivalent to 70% to 100% of its weight.
The appetite of a mole is impressive, and you may wonder if it only eats the things that are mentioned above.
Does it wipe out all the existing insects and grubs in one yard? The rest of the article will give you the answers that you’re looking for.
Table of Contents
What Is a Mole? What Do They Look Like?
Full-grown moles range from 4” to 6.5” long, the measurement without their short tail. The tail can be an inch or 1.5” long. Adult moles can weigh 3 to 5 oz.
They have naked snouts where the nostrils are, and they can open them upwards. But they have velvet-like fur that can be brown or gray. This feature helps them to move on the soil smoothly, whether they go backward or forward.
Moles have short canine teeth and incisors but are sharp enough to munch on earthworms and grubs.
Their short but wide front legs are proof that they’re made for a life of digging. On the other hand, the hind feet are small and slender with sharp claws.
With their web toes supported by palms that go upwards and strong claws, digging is a breeze for them. You may think that they don’t have eyes and ears. It’s because those body parts are concealed under their fur.
Mole Diet
You can say that moles are insatiable creatures as they can consume an amount of food that is similar to their body weight. Here are some things that you may want to know about their diet.
Do Moles Eat Cicadas?
Moles eat adult and nymph cicadas. They compete with underground predators like ground beetle larvae and centipedes for catching cicadas.
Do Moles Eat Grubs?
Moles eat grubs. They like snacking on grubs and other invertebrates that they found underground. However, grubs are not around from late winter and early spring. The said period should be taken note of when applying grub insecticide.
Some believe that controlling moles in a yard is eliminating its food source. In those seasons, moles will find other food sources, so you can’t say that moles are attracted to your lawn because of grubs.
Do Moles Eat Ants?
Moles eat insects, including ants.
Do Moles Eat Asparagus Roots?
Moles don’t eat asparagus roots. They just disturb the growth of asparagus even though it’s a perennial plant. Growers take care of the asparagus beds, but moles can get in the way.
When moles find the area where the asparagus is, they don’t exempt it from making dome-shaped tunnels while they look for grubs and worms.
Do Moles Eat Daffodil Bulbs?
Moles don’t eat daffodil bulbs because they’re insectivores. They can only destroy daffodil bulbs and the entire plant through their burrowing habits.
Do Moles Eat Slugs?
Moles eat slugs which are one of their common food sources.
Do Moles Eat Snails?
Snails are not insects, and they’re instead gastropods, but moles eat them.
Do Moles Eat Hostas?
Moles can sometimes nibble on the roots or uproot bulbs of ornamental plants, but they don’t eat hostas. When your hostas are damaged, it’s usually the doings of voles and pocket gophers that are also burrowing animals as they’re herbivores.
Do Moles Eat Fruits?
Moles don’t eat fruits as these animals are insectivores. But they can sometimes eat the seeds.
Will Moles Eat Tomato Plants?
Moles don’t eat plants like tomatoes. Despite not having plants in their diet, they can damage tomatoes and other plants by dislodging the roots, which will turn dry later on.
Do Moles Eat Cheese?
Moles eat cheese in captivity, and when this food is offered to them. Known for its voracious appetite, it can even consume mutton and frogs when they can’t freely wander. However, these things won’t be effective in trapping moles.
Do Moles Eat Dirt?
Moles don’t eat dirt as they only dig through to make their tunnels.
Do Moles Eat Insects?
Moles eat insects for sure as they’re insectivores. Their favorites are earthworms, insect larvae, and millipedes or centipedes.
What Eats Moles?
While moles patrol the underground for food, they become the prey above the ground. Some of the predators are foxes, owls, and skunks.
A mole will just be surprised with these animals when it comes out from down below. Nevertheless, you may be curious about other predators.
Do Snakes Eat Moles?
Snakes eat moles as they usually feast on small mammals like the latter.
Do Raccoons Eat Moles?
Since raccoons are omnivores, they can eat everything, including moles.
Can Dogs Eat Moles?
Dogs can kill and eat moles. Thus, you can use them in controlling these grounder dwellers that destroy your garden or lawn. As you know, dogs like digging, and they can discover a mole at some point.
Do Badgers Eat Moles?
Badgers, just like dogs, can dig and find a mole. Since they’re omnivores, moles are included in their diet.
What Do Baby Moles Eat?
Since moles are mammals, the babies feed on their mother’s milk for the first month.
These animals have fast growth and development. So, the young can have the same diet as the adults after a month. A one-month-old mole can have earthworms and other insects.
What Do Moles Eat In the Wild?
Moles are not always on lawns and gardens. You may also find them in cemeteries and golf courses.
They make woodlands, meadows, pastures, sandy soils, and loamy soils their habitat. Just so you know, they are drawn to loose soil that has good drainage.
With much has been said about its habitat options, it follows that it can have an array of food in its diet. It’s just right for their big appetite.
In three years of their lifetime, most moles spend their time searching for earthworms and insect larvae. But earthworms are their favorite.
As they go through the tunnels, moles like to snack on invertebrates, namely grubs, slugs, millipedes, and centipedes.
It seems that they eat almost everything that comes their way underground. They may nibble on roots but not to the point that it can kill the plants.
How to Stop Moles From Eating Plants?
Here are the techniques on how to stop moles from damaging your plants since they don’t eat them, as these mammals are insectivores.
However, they can sometimes nibble on the roots. Sad to say, no repellents prove to be effective in controlling moles.
Barriers
You can construct barriers underground so moles can make tunnels. It can be done below the flower beds. In a new flower bed, you have to place a hardware cloth on the sides and bottom. This is to ensure that the bed’s area is inaccessible to moles.
To make barriers to existing flower beds, you have to dig a trench that is 12 inches deep and 12 inches wide around them. Place the 24-inch wire in the trench, and it needs to be bent at a 90-degree angle.
The lower piece of the wire should be facing out from the side that needs protection. You’ll also need to replace the soil that covers the wire.
Frightening Devices
Devices that can frighten a mole are pinwheels, vibrating stakes, and ultrasonic devices. However, moles will no longer be bothered by these things becoming familiar to them after some time.
How to Keep Moles From Eating Bulbs?
As mentioned, moles are not fond of eating bulbs as they’re not herbivores. They will just dislodge your plants because of their burrowing habits. These ground-dwellers can sometimes nibble on them, and this can only stunt the plants’ growth.
You can build a barrier around your plants so they can’t make tunnels. Another way to protect the bulbs is by making a small cage composed of a mesh screen with half-inch thickness.
You can put several bulbs in it then bury the cage in the right depth to let them grow.
Summary
Moles are insectivores, and their favorite food is the earthworm. They spend most of their time searching for it. Due to their voracious appetite, they can eat whatever they can find underground.
But they’re not too interested in plants. They can eat seeds and nibble on roots and bulbs. Their burrowing habits are the reason why they damage garden beds and plants.