Mole Control

Moles are small underground mammals (not rodents — they're insectivores, in the order Eulipotyphla, more closely related to shrews and hedgehogs than to mice). The species common in Metro Atlanta is the Eastern Mole (Scalopus aquaticus), which spends its entire life underground digging tunnels through moist soil in search of earthworms, grubs, and soil insects. Moles do not eat plants directly — they don't touch roots, bulbs, or vegetation — but their tunneling damage uproots turf, creates surface ridges, and disrupts root systems enough to kill grass and ornamentals.

Mole damage is visually distinctive: raised ridges of soil running across lawns where surface tunnels were excavated, conical mounds of soil pushed up at deeper-tunnel entrances, and sections of turf that lift away when walked on because the soil beneath has been hollowed out. A single mole can produce remarkable damage rapidly — they tunnel up to 100 feet per day in search of food. Servitix Mole service combines targeted trapping (the most effective control method), soil grub treatment to reduce the food source, and habitat management to discourage establishment.

Eastern Moles are 5 to 7 inches (130 to 180 mm) long with cylindrical bodies covered in dense velvety fur in dark gray to brownish-gray coloration. The fur grows directly outward (not slanted backward like most mammals) so the mole can move forward and backward in tunnels equally easily. Eyes are tiny (1 mm) and nearly non-functional, hidden under skin. There are no external ears. The most distinctive features are the massive front paws — broad, flattened, spade-shaped, with strong claws and palms turned outward for efficient digging. The snout is long, pointed, and hairless.

Moles are essentially never seen above ground except occasionally when soil conditions force them surface-ward or after heavy rain. The diagnostic field signs are the tunnels and mounds rather than the moles themselves: surface tunnels appear as raised soil ridges 2 to 3 inches wide running across lawns; deep tunnels are usually invisible but produce conical mounds (3 to 6 inches tall, 6 to 12 inches wide) of pushed-up soil at periodic entry/exit points. Mounds are perfectly conical because the mole pushes soil straight up through a vertical shaft. Voles, gophers, and other rodents leave very different sign patterns — moles are easily distinguished by sign.

Moles are solitary and highly territorial — typically only one mole occupies any given tunnel system, with adjacent territories belonging to other individuals. The apparent "family" of moles homeowners imagine in their yard is usually one or two individuals doing all the damage. Moles are active year-round and don't hibernate. They alternate between active periods of 4 to 5 hours (foraging in tunnels) and rest periods of 3 to 5 hours, around the clock. Daily food intake equals 60-100% of body weight — moles have very high metabolic rates and must feed constantly.

Diet is almost entirely earthworms (60-90% of intake), supplemented by white grubs (especially Japanese Beetle larvae and June Beetle larvae), ground-dwelling insects, centipedes, slugs, and other soil invertebrates. Moles do NOT eat plant material — bulbs and roots damaged in mole tunnels are actually damaged by voles (which use mole tunnels secondarily) or by exposure when roots lift away from soil. Females breed once per year in late winter/early spring, producing 2-5 young after a 6-week gestation. Young moles leave the mother at about 1 month, disperse to find their own territories, and reach adult size by fall. Adults live 3 to 6 years.

Mole habitat is moist, well-drained soil with abundant invertebrate prey. The most affected properties in Metro Atlanta: irrigated lawns with rich topsoil (which support large earthworm populations and grub populations), gardens and ornamental plantings with heavy mulch, golf courses, parks, and any landscape with deep loamy soil that's easy to tunnel through. Properties with hard clay, compacted soil, or rocky terrain have much less mole activity because tunneling is more difficult.

Tunnel systems can be extensive — a single mole's territory may include hundreds of feet of surface tunnels for hunting and a smaller network of deeper permanent tunnels (12 to 24 inches below the surface) used for resting, nesting, and traveling. Surface tunnels are temporary — used once for hunting and abandoned within days. Permanent deep tunnels persist for years and are the targets for trapping. The conical mounds at the surface are entry points to the deeper tunnel system. Properties adjacent to wooded land, with extensive lawn area, and irrigation systems typically have the most mole pressure. Moles can move into new territories quickly when neighboring habitats become available.

Moles pose no direct medical risk to humans or pets. They do not bite, do not transmit disease in any documented way, do not infest structures (they cannot tunnel under foundations or into basements through normal construction), and do not feed on stored goods. They are technically wildlife rather than household pests. The risks they create are entirely landscape and economic.

Lawn damage from active mole tunneling can be significant — extensive surface ridge networks make turf uneven and unsightly, walking on tunnels collapses them and creates trip hazards, mowing over mounded soil damages mower blades, and tunnel hollowing causes turf sections to die from root exposure. Garden damage occurs when ornamental plants are uplifted by tunneling beneath them. Mole tunnels also create pathways for voles (which DO eat plant roots and bulbs), so secondary damage from voles using mole tunnels is a common consequence. Repairing extensive mole damage requires tamping down ridges, filling mounds, reseeding dead patches, and ongoing monitoring for new tunnel activity — costs can be significant in heavily-affected properties.

Servitix Mole service uses targeted trapping as the primary control method — by far the most effective approach for active mole populations. We identify active tunnels (those still being used), set professional spring-loaded mole traps in active runs, and check/reset traps over several weeks until the territory holder is caught. A single mole removal usually resolves the visible damage pattern because mole territories don't overlap — when one is removed, the adjacent territory holder doesn't move in unless the food source is exceptional. Repellent and grub-control treatments supplement trapping by reducing the food attraction.

Long-term prevention focuses on reducing the food source that attracts moles. Grub treatment with imidacloprid or other professional turf insecticides reduces white grub populations significantly — moles will leave properties with low grub populations and move to neighboring properties with more food. Irrigation management also matters: heavily-watered lawns produce earthworm populations 5-10x higher than less-watered properties, attracting more moles. Reducing irrigation frequency to deep infrequent watering supports lawn health while reducing earthworm density at the surface where moles forage. Castor-oil-based mole repellents have some efficacy as supplementary treatments but rarely produce results alone. Our maintenance plans include seasonal mole inspection and treatment for properties with chronic activity.