Moles are kind of funny-looking. They rarely surface from their underground lairs. If you caught a rare glimpse of one of these small, dark critters, you may be wondering, are these little weirdos a danger to my family or just my lawn?
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What Are Moles?
Moles are small mammals that eat insects. They live almost exclusively underground in their elaborate tunnel systems. They create both shallow tunnels, and deep tunnels. They typically live alone, except during breeding season.
They are small, with a tube-shaped body and dark, velvety fur. They have a prominent snout and poor eyesight.
Do Moles Bite?
Moles only have a few, small teeth. These teeth are designed to chew up insects found in the dirt, not defend themselves.
Moles are notoriously timid. They are reluctant to bite anything. However, any animal can attack when cornered. It’s best to catch or trap moles with a trap, rather than cornering them. Do not attempt to catch a mole with your bare hands.
Do Moles Bite Pets?
Moles are not aggressive. If your pet catches a mole, the pet is more likely to kill the mole than to get bit. However, if a mole is trapped in a corner by a dog or cat, the mole may bite. If you have mole tunnels in your yard, it’s best to keep your pets from digging after a mole.
Do Moles Bite Humans?
Moles do not typically bite people. They don’t want to have anything to do with you! However, it is possible that a cornered, frightened mole may lash out.
How Do I Treat a Mole Bite?
Moles rarely bite, but if you or a family member gets bit by a mole, follow these steps to clean and bandage the wound.
- Rinse all debris out of the wound.
- Clean the area with antibacterial soap, and dry thoroughly.
- Wrap the wound with a clean bandage.
If the wound does not heal normally or shows signs of infection, see your doctor. Watch for redness, puffiness, fever, or red streaks that go away from the wound.
Do Moles Carry Diseases?
Moles have been known to carry diseases like rabies. However, there is no documented case of a human getting rabies from a mole bite.
Moles can also have parasites, such as fleas, ticks, lice, and intestinal parasites. These are more of a danger to your pets. If you have a pet sharing your yard with moles, these parasites could make it onto your pet, and into your home.
However, moles are known to be fairly clean animals. They have extremely fine, velvety fur. Pests and bacteria tend to pass by moles for shaggier animals. Also, since moles spend most of their time underground, they are less likely to pick up fleas, ticks, and lice.
How Can I Tell if I Have Moles?
Though it’s rare to catch sight of a mole above ground, they leave obvious evidence of their presence in your yard!
- Moles dig raised tunnels just under the grass. These will look like slightly raised ridges in your yard.
- Look for patches of dead grass where the moles have damaged the roots. Keep an eye out for mole hills where the mole dug an entrance to its tunnel. These will look like slightly raised hills of dirt.
- Moles may claw at trees and plants. Watch for damage low to the ground.
There is one bright side to moles in the yard. They can help with insect control! These little digging machines eat their body weight in insects every 18 hours.
How Can I Get Rid of Moles?
Moles are difficult to eradicate since they are out of sight most of the time. Yards can have multiple moles living in separate tunnels. It can be difficult for homeowners to determine how many moles are living in their yard.
Traps
Mole traps are inserted into the mole’s tunnel. They have a trigger that is activated when the mole bumps it, then it kills the mole, much like a mouse trap. I recommend this trap. These types of tracks are not a danger to your pets or family, since they are underground.
Poison
This method of mole removal uses the mole’s impressive appetite. Pest repellent manufacturers have created fake worms and grubs that are poisoned. The mole will mistake the poisoned worm for the real thing. This usually results in the mole’s death within 24 hours.
Call a Professional
If moles are taking over your yard and killing your grass, a trained pest control professional will be able to eradicate the problem easily.
Final Thoughts
Really, the only real danger from a mole is to your yard or garden! These funny-looking animals are not at all aggressive towards people or pets.