Moles in winter?  You bet! We were amused and amazed to look out our den window and see a heaped-up line of topsoil on top of several stepping stones.  Even in Winter, our moles are active!

Many people hate moles because their tunneling raises mini ridges in the lawn and their hills smother a patch of grass and get

Moles bring rich dirt from below to the surface as they tunnel along hunting for earthworms and grubs.

caught in a lawnmower’s blades. Some go to great lengths to poison or kill moles.

How Moles Are Helpful

We don’t. They’re amazing animals that provide us with a wonderful service.  Their endless digging in search of earthworm and insect meals softens the soil, enabling water to easily percolate in and helping plants grow.  The greenest grass of the lawn always seems to be where moles tunneled last year.

Instead of persecuting our moles we simply stomp down the raised tunnels and rake out the mole hill before mowing, and then we quietly thank our subterranean helpers before starting up the lawnmower.

Moles are active all year but the frozen ground is daunting for them. Our January moles were tunneling in the soft unfrozen soil on the south side of the house and under dark stones that catch the sun’s heat and keep the ground underneath them unfrozen.  We hope they found some grubs and worms for dinner.

We’re happy to share our yard with moles and appreciate the positive impact they have on the soil. Watch this YouTube Video about moles.