Mole facts
Length
11–16 cm, plus a 2.5–4 cm tail
Weight
70–130 g
Lifespan
About 3 years; up to 6
Diet
Mainly earthworms, plus insect grubs
Young born
Spring, usually 3–4
Status
Native; Least Concern in Great Britain
How to recognise a mole
A mole has a tube-shaped body, short velvety black fur, a pink pointed snout, a short tail and no ears you can see. Its huge front paws face outwards like spades. Most people know moles by their molehills: heaps of loose soil pushed up from the tunnels below. In fields that flood, a mole may build a fortress, a giant mound up to about a metre wide that holds its nest and food store.
Where do moles live?
Throughout mainland Britain wherever the soil is deep enough to dig, including grassland, farmland, woodland and gardens. Moles are scarce in conifer forest, moorland and sand dunes, and absent from Ireland, the Isle of Man, the Isles of Scilly and most Scottish islands.
What do moles eat?
Mostly earthworms: an 80 g mole eats about 50 g of worms a day. Moles also eat insect grubs. They store live worms in underground larders, biting their heads so the worms can't crawl away.
When do moles have babies?
Moles breed from February to June, and 3 or 4 young are born in an underground nest in spring. Their eyes open at about three weeks, and at 5 to 6 weeks they leave home above ground, which is the most dangerous time of a mole's life.
Signs to look for
- Molehills: fresh heaps of loose soil on lawns and fields, often all made by one mole
- Ridges: raised lines where a tunnel runs just under the surface
- Fortresses: big mounds in fields that flood
- Young moles: sometimes seen above ground in early summer as they leave home
Its link to the badger
Moles and badgers both depend on earthworms. Worms make up most of a mole's diet, and they are the badger's main food too. Where worms are plentiful, in damp pasture and woodland edges, you may find the signs of both: molehills from below, and badger snuffle holes from above.
How you can help
- Treat moles as garden wildlife: rake molehills flat before mowing and use the soil for pots.
- Remember that moles help the soil. Their tunnels drain and air it, and they eat grubs that damage plants.
- Keep some of your garden as grass and borders rather than paving.
- Never use poison: using strychnine on any animal is illegal.