Santee Mole Removal - Mole Tracks

The Moles (Scapanus spp.) in San Diego County are small, insect-eating mammals.

Moles live almost entirely underground in a vast network of interconnecting tunnels. They frequently create shallow tunnels just below the surface where they capture worms, insects, and other invertebrates. They can eat some roots, bulbs, and other plant material, but generally the greatest problem caused by moles is their burrowing, which dislodges plants and dries out their roots. In lawn areas, the mounds and ridges resulting from their burrowing are unsightly and disfiguring.

Moles have cylindrical bodies with slender, pointed snouts, and short, bare, or sparsely haired tails. Their limbs are short and spade like. Their eyes are poorly developed and their ears are not visible. The fur is short, dense, and velvety. Moles have one litter of three or four young during early spring.

Mounds and surface runways are obvious indicators of the presence of moles. The mounds are formed when moles push soil up to the surface from underground runways. The excavated soil may be in small chunks, and single mounds often appear in a line over the runway connecting them.

Surface feeding burrows appear as ridges that the mole pushes up by forcing its way through the soil. Some of the surface runways are temporary. More permanent tunnels are deeper underground and are usually about 2 inches in diameter and 8 to 12 inches below the surface. Moles are active throughout the year, although surface activity slows or is absent during periods of extreme cold, heat, or drought.

Moles such as this one, cause major havoc and drive us MAD! But don't fear, we can help rid your lawn or hillsides of these pesky Critters.

What damage do moles do?

Moles dislodge turf grass plants as they push up through the soil from just below ground level looking for worms, insects, and other invertebrates. Surface feeding burrows appear as ridges. The mounds formed by moles are pushed up from an open center hole. The soil may be in chunks, and single mounds often appear in a line over the runway connecting them.

Mole prevention and management:

Trapping is the most dependable method of controlling moles. Various mole traps are available at hardware stores or nurseries. Traps are generally set straddling or encircling the runway. Before setting traps, determine which runways are in current use. Moles dig a system of deep tunnels as well as a network of surface runs that may only be temporary. To determine which ones are active, stamp down short sections of surface runways and observe daily for signs of activity. Set traps at least 18 inches from a mound and only in runways used daily. Deeper tunnels can be located with a probe.