{"id":13389,"date":"2018-10-14T15:04:01","date_gmt":"2018-10-14T13:04:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.plantenplagen.nl\/plantenplagen\/mole\/"},"modified":"2023-05-29T18:16:06","modified_gmt":"2023-05-29T16:16:06","slug":"mole","status":"publish","type":"encyclopedia","link":"https:\/\/www.plantenplagen.nl\/en\/plantenplagen\/mole\/","title":{"rendered":"Mole"},"content":{"rendered":"

[vc_row][vc_column width=”2\/3″][vc_column_text el_id=”topentry” el_class=”topentry”]Mole, a mammal that lives underground. The mole lives in a burrow system consisting of tunnels just below the surface and deeper tunnels.
\n[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][vc_column width=”1\/3″][vc_column_text el_id=”entrytxt” el_class=”entrytxt” css=”.vc_custom_1683559655463{padding-left: 20px !important;}”]Also known as:<\/em>
\nEuropean mole
\nCommon mole
\nNorthern mole[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row gap=”35″ css=”.vc_custom_1532162142715{background-color: #e6e6e6 !important;}”][vc_column width=”1\/2″][vc_single_image image=”2405″ img_size=”medium” add_caption=”yes” style=”vc_box_rounded” onclick=”img_link_large”][\/vc_column][vc_column width=”1\/2″ css=”.vc_custom_1532162092980{background-color: #e6e6e6 !important;}”][vc_column_text el_class=”entrytxt”]Mole<\/strong> (Talpa europaea)<\/em>. The mole is a mammal that lives underground. The mole lives in a burrow system consisting of tunnels just below the surface and deeper tunnels. The lowest tunnels can be more than a meter below ground level. The tunnels just below the surface are ‘hunting tunnels’. These can be as long as two hundred meters and in these the mole hunts earthworms, grubs, wireworms, snails, slugs, centipedes and the occasional frog. The deeper tunnels also contain the nesting area.
\nThe excavated earth is brought to the surface and that earth forms the molehills. The molehill is also the entrance to the burrow and is used by the mole to collect nesting material (grass, moss, feathers, leaves) for the nest. That’s where the mole sleeps, too.
\nThe mole is found on soils suitable for the mole: that is, not too wet, too sandy or a region with few earthworms. Acidic soils (pH<\/a> < 3.8) are unsuitable for most earthworms, the mole’s staple food. Moles each have their own territory. That habitat ranges from 400 to 3,000m2<\/sup>.
\nBelow ground the mole knows no enemies, above ground there are plenty: fox, owl, buzzard, heron, weasel and man.
\nMoles are active throughout the year, both at night and during the day.<\/p>\n

The raised soil (the molehills) consists of fertile soil from the subsoil – great for use in the vegetable garden or as potting soil. A mole in the garden does not have only disadvantages: moles keep the soil airy with their tunnels and eat the larvae of insects feeding on the (garden) plants.[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row equal_height=”yes”][vc_column width=”1\/3″][vc_custom_heading text=”Where to find” font_container=”tag:h4|text_align:center|color:%23ffffff” google_fonts=”font_family:Lato%3A100%2C100italic%2C300%2C300italic%2Cregular%2Citalic%2C700%2C700italic%2C900%2C900italic|font_style:400%20regular%3A400%3Anormal” css=”.vc_custom_1537946500082{background-color: #536895 !important;}”][vc_column_text el_id=”entrytxt” el_class=”entrytxt” css=”.vc_custom_1539530560195{padding-left: 15px !important;}”]<\/p>\n