Lawn Moles and proper Lawn Care

Are your making mountains out of your molehills? Although lawn moles are underground creatures, the benefits they add to your garden are clearly visible and far outweigh the disadvantages.

Of the six species of mole found in North America, the Eastern mole (or gray mole) is the most common. Moles are about the size of chipmunks and weigh from three to six ounces. A tiny creature, its total length is just six to eight inches.

Many gardeners and groundskeepers are under the mistaken impression that lawn moles eat the roots of their plants and turf grasses. However, moles are insectivores. Their primary diet is earthworms and grubs and a single mole can eat more than 140 grubs and cutworms daily. They also feast on destructive garden pests like snails, beetles, and millipedes. In fact, at just over a quarter-pound, a mole can consume 45 to 50 pounds of worms and insects each year.

The greatest harm that mole tunneling does to turf grass is by separating soil from roots. Still, the mole