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Multiple Moles?
26th February 2010
People have been asking us why there are so many more moles about this year. After seeing dozens of mole hills in their garden they assume the moles have reached plague proportions.
More often than not, the mole hills are the work of just one mole. They're extremely territorial and so won't tolerate another mole in their patch. They're also incredibly industrious animals. They can tunnel through about 18kg of soil in an hour, which is why they produce so many spoil heaps.
The purpose of all this tunneling is to find food. Moles eat earthworms which they catch as they wriggle into their tunnels. In winter the topsoil freezes hard, and so moles have to dig much lower down to find the worms. Right now, we're at a turning point in the seasons. The topsoil is becoming less frosty, so the worms are rising closer to the surface. Consequently the moles follow them, which is why we're seeing more fresh tunneling activity.
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