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• Townsend Mole

Townsend Mole

Scapanus townsendii

The Townsend mole is found primarily in wooded, lowland areas with rich, moist, well drained soil along the Pacific Coast from British Columbia to California. The Townsend mole tends to avoid areas covered with dense trees or thickets.

Townsend moles have spade shaped front paws which are very broad and well suited for digging. They are almost entirely subterranean, living in underground burrow or tunnel systems. They are nocturnal and can occasionally be found above ground at night. They are not social animals, keeping mainly to themselves except during mating season which occurs only once a year in late winter to early spring. A litter contains 3-5 young. When the juveniles are 3-5 weeks old they are kicked out of the nest and find their own areas to fend for themselves. Nests are usually located in a grass-lined cavity 6-8 inches below the surface, sometimes place under a large mound of earth (30-50 inches in diameter), or towards the center of a cluster of several normal sized mounds (6-10 inches in diameter).

Each mole has its own burrow or tunnel system that interconnects underground. Tunnels are about 5cm wide, 4cm high and may be over 70 meters long. The depth of a tunnel system can vary from reasonably shallow to 70cm deep. Dead moles could indicate to other moles in the area that there is a tunnel run available and no longer being used. This could attract other moles to take over the dead moles runs. This does not happen overnight, but generally within a couple of weeks to a couple of months.

Townsend moles are black in color, with a body of 7-9 inches in length, with tails 2-3 inches in length. The average weight is around 5 ounces. Its ears are not visible and the eyes are very small and eyesight is extremely poor.

The primary food source is earthworms found within their tunneling systems. A Townsend mole can eat over 90 pounds of earthworms in a year. Earthworms comprise 55-85% of their diet. The balance is comprised of insects, seeds, roots, leaves, slugs, snails and other small mammals.

Avoid saturation of lawns. Hot or cold temperatures do not seem to affect the Townsend mole, but in hotter temperatures homeowners tend to over water, creating ideal soil conditions for habitation. Moles can in fact be beneficial by helping to aerate yards, but people often consider the mounds unsightly.

While mole traps may be available in your area, we recommend you check the laws in your area, as mole trapping is illegal in the state of Washington and many other states. Mole control is more of a "management" program as opposed to "total elimination". A call to Long Pest Control can develop an Integrated Pest Control program and provide assistance in mole management.