If you’re wondering about the furry burrowing critters known as moles, then chances are you’re seeing signs in your yard and maybe even plant damage. We’ve been there. Or, you may be in a preventive mode. Either way, we hope to answer your question on what do moles eat here.

Moles, the small mammals often identified by their velvety fur and spade-like hands perfect for digging, are known for their subterranean lifestyle.

Despite their somewhat unwelcome presence in lawns and gardens, they play a crucial role in the ecosystem by improving soil drainage and aeration. But what exactly do these underground dwellers eat? Let’s delve into the diet of the mole.

YARDS: What Do Moles Eat in the Yard

Moles are primarily insectivores, which means they eat insects, bugs and other invertebrates.

• beetles
• centipedes
• earthworms
• grubs
• larvae
• snails
• spiders

In yards, their diet mainly consists of earthworms, which are said to be their favorite food. While we’d rather they not eat our friendly earthworms that are so good for the garden soil, they do eat problem pests.

Besides earthworms, moles eat various other soil-dwelling invertebrates such as beetles, centipedes, spiders, and other arthropods.

Do Moles Eat Plants?

No, moles do not eat plants. However, if they move into your garden, they can still destroy your plants by tunneling under them in search of “meat”. Mole tunnels leave plant roots dangling, which can kill them practically overnight.

Moles consume a tremendous amount of food each day to maintain their energy levels. They can eat 70-100% of their body weight in a single day. With such high metabolism rates, moles constantly forage for food, resulting in the iconic molehills and tunnels seen in yards.

Moles are primarily insectivores, which means they eat insects, grubs and other invertebrates.

GARDEN: What Do Moles Eat in the Garden

Gardens are often a fertile hunting ground for moles due to the rich soil and high invertebrate population. In addition to the worms, spiders, and beetles they hunt in yards, they might also consume grubs, snails, and various larvae found in garden soil.

Do Moles Eat Plants?

Despite the havoc they may wreak on the landscape with their tunneling, moles are not typically interested in your plants, flowers, vegetables, or bulbs. They’re after the bugs in the soil.

There is a common misconception that moles eat plant roots and bulbs, but this is generally not the case. Moles are insectivores, which means that their diet consists predominantly of insects and invertebrates, not plant matter.

However, the tunneling activity of moles can indirectly damage plants. As they burrow through the ground in search of food, they may disrupt plant roots, which can lead to the wilting and even death of the plant. It’s this indirect damage that often leads to the misunderstanding that moles are feeding on plants.

If you have a furry burrowing critter that is clearly eating plant roots, then chances are you have voles instead of (or in addition to) moles.

How to Remember What Moles Eat Versus Voles

Here’s how we remember it:

• Moles = meat eaters
• Voles = vegetarians

Moles are “meat” eaters and do not eat plants.

WINTER: What Do Moles Eat in Winter

Despite the scarcity of food during winter, moles don’t hibernate. Instead, they dig deeper into the ground, reaching the areas where the soil remains unfrozen. In these deeper layers, they continue to find and consume their primary food source: earthworms.

Winter doesn’t stop the activity of earthworms completely. They move deeper underground to avoid freezing temperatures. Thus, moles follow their food, creating deep, extensive burrow systems in their quest for winter nutrition.

North American Moles

The most common mole is the Eastern mole, however the others in this list can also be found in North America.

• Eastern mole (Scalopus aquaticus)
• hairy-tailed mole (Parascalops breweri)
• star-nosed mole (Condylura cristata)
• broad-footed mole (Scapanus latimanus)
• Townsend’s mole (Scapanus townsendii)
• coast mole (Scapanus orarius)
• American shrew mole (Neurotrichus gibbsii)

Advantages of Moles in the Yard and Garden

There are actually some benefits to having moles around:

• Soil Health:
  • Moles in your yard is a sign of fertile soil
  • Their burrowing further helps soil health through aeration fertilizing it
• Pest Control: Moles help with insect and invertebrate control

So that’s the good news. But…

If You Need to get rid of Moles

If moles are destroying your yard or garden, you can find lots of solutions in our article on how to get rid of garden moles.

Or… you might have voles instead of moles…? In which case your article on how to get rid of voles can help.

We love all creatures, so we prefer to try mole deterrents and humane catch-and-release traps first. But if that fails, it may be time for something more final. When it comes to protecting the food you’re growing for your family, sometimes you have to do whatever it takes.