Moles | VarmintRemoval

Mole feces are small, pellet-like, and usually brown. Usually, homeowners may find small piles of this scat near the surface runways, which are dead grass strips from mole tunneling. Moles are the small burrowing animals that most people confuse with rats or mice. While they look somewhat similar, moles and mice are very different critters. While mice and rats are rodents, moles are mammals, spending most of their time underground digging intricate tunnels. If uncontrolled, mole infestation can wreak havoc in your outdoor space. Unlike voles, moles only destroy a few bulbs or plants by direct feeding. The main destruction is done when the roots are dislodged as moles tunnel through the dirt in search of worms, grubs, and insects. They build intricate networks of mounds and tunnels in the ground, quickly disfiguring grass, trees, plants, and the overall appearance of your carefully manicured lawn or yard. Although it might be hard to see these animals in your yard or garden, there are several methods you can use to identify their presence. One of these methods is identifying the animal droppings in your yard. What does mole poop look like? Although they spend most of their lives underground, Mole droppings, usually small brownish pellets, can appear above ground or near their mounds. Mole hills are small volcano-shaped soil mounds of fresh dirt in your yard or lawn, somewhat similar to ant hills. Moles live, eat, and defecate inside underground tunnels and are often only rarely seen on the surface. Due to their secretive life, moles have only a few natural enemies, such as skunks, cats, hawks, owls, badgers, dogs, and coyotes. Their main threat is flooding during the rainy seasons. Their primary diet consists of grubs, earthworms, insect larvae, and beetles. Plants such as tubers only make a small part of their diet and eat around seventy to a hundred percent of their body daily. Because of their caloric needs from the hard work of excavating through the soil, moles have to cover a more massive area than most burrowing critters. As a result, three to five moles for every acre is considered a high population for most regions. Vole Mole poop vs vole poop Vole excrement looks like rice and is either green or brown. The feces are around 0.18 inches long and greenish when fresh, turning gray or brown after environmental exposure. These animal droppings can be found in plenty of infested properties. Water voles' droppings range from brown, green, and black and can be reddish or purple. The color depends on the plant matter they feed, and female voles consume fish. When fresh, they have a putty texture and later dry to reveal the plant matter. To tell these two animals apart, moles are usually between six inches with black velvety or grey textured fur. Contrary to popular theory, moles are not blind and have small eyes that you can miss at a glance. They use their small eyes to sense light instead of seeing. They also have large front claws designed for burrowing and a long hairless proboscis. Mole tunnels are similar to pocket gophers, but the latter will pull plants underground with them, leaving gaping holes, unlike molehills. Voles, also known as field mice, look like rodents such as gerbils, hamsters, and shrews. They have brown or gray fur, beady eyes, short furry tail, and short legs. Voles are usually small but can reach four to nine inches in adulthood. They're omnivorous, eating small insects but prefer eating roots, tubers, and tree bark. What to do if you identify mole poop around your house? Mole excrement or feces are not harmful to pets, humans, or yards. These droppings do not contain any infectious diseases that humans can acquire directly. However, moles may harbor ticks that carry Lyme disease, and coming across mole feces in your yard is a sure infestation sign. By removing moles, you can eliminate this danger and also stop landscaping problems like plant death and grass loss. How do you control moles? Moles are a menace to your garden, lawn, and yard. Unlike other pests such as skunks and opossums found in urban areas, moles commonly settle in rural areas with plenty of soil. You can hardly identify them with their animal tracks as they spend most of their lives underground. Apart from their droppings, other signs of mole infestation include dead grass, molehills, far apart mounds, and chunks of soil. Once you identify mole poop around your house, you must find ways to get rid of it and reclaim your yard. Other than contacting a pest control expert, some home DIY remedies include: Eliminating their food sourcesApplying a mole repellentUsing plants as barriersDigging a trenchUsing ultrasonic sound devicesKeeping your lawn tidyUsing mole traps