There are seven types of moles in North America. The most common in our area is the Scalopus Aquaticus also referred to as the Eastern Mole. The Eastern Mole will be our topic because this is the one that is destroying your lawn.

A mature mole will weigh about 4 to 6 ounces and grow to a length of about 4 to 6 inches with a life expectancy of about 3 years. I found that life expectancy has been estimated from moles in captivity so I'm guessing that no one really knows the life expectancy of a mole in the wild. A male's home range is about 2.7 acres and a female's is about 0.7 acres. They mate once a year in the early spring with litters ranging from 2 to 5. Their gestation period is about 5 to 6 weeks. The young will leave their nest at a month old and reach sexual maturity at age 1. They may stay with their mother for a short period before leaving in search of other tunnel systems and to make their own. A study here in Kentucky found that Scalopus Aquaticus has daily activity peaks from 8:00 AM. to 4:00 PM. and from 11:00 PM. to 4:00 AM.. My own personal experience is that moles are most active from 10:00 AM. to 2:00 PM., and 4:00 AM to 8:00 AM.

TUNNELS

The mole will dig two types of tunnels, surface and deep. The surface tunnels are the raised ridges in your lawn that feel soft when stepped on. These are primarily used for foraging. Deep tunnels are the moles main runways and the ones they use when it is especially dry in the summer and when the ground freezes in the winter. These tunnels can range anywhere from 2 - 20 inches deep and are not usually visible on the surface. What is visible is the excess dirt that the mole removes to construct these tunnels. These huge mounds of dirt are what can really drive you nuts. The moles will make their nests along these deep tunnel runs, usually beneath a stump or root clump. They line their nests with dried grass and leaves for bedding. Foraging tunnels will branch off from the main tunnel. These tunnels are usually revisited but it's not uncommon for them to be used only once. Moles will also construct permanent tunnels within an inch or two from the surface. The first clue to these tunnels will be a series of mounds that are usually within a few feet of each other. These tunnels can be used for foraging and may connect separate deeper systems. Moles are extremely powerful for their size. They can dig a new surface tunnel at a rate of about 18 feet per hour. They can travel through existing tunnels at a rate of about 80 feet per minute. In a days time they can dig as much as 150 to 200 feet of new surface tunnels.