Moles: Small Critter, Big Horse Injuries

Even though he's nearly blind and lives most of his life underground, this small, furry grub eater can cause horse lameness and worse if left unchecked. A surface mole tunnel can give way under a horses weight, causing a severe leg sprain or break.

In the search for grubs, insects and earthworms, a mole can dig surface tunnels at about 18' per hour and 200' in a 24-hour period. Yikes. And these collapsible tunnels can be very dangerous to your horse.

The good news is that moles are extremely busy and quite territorial, so it's unlikely that you have very many (even if it looks like you've got dozens). There's rarely more than 3 per acre.

Mole control ranges from repeatedly stamping down the tunnels to traps and repellents. In the past, lawn care experts suggested grub control to control moles, but moles also eat earthworms. Earthworms are a good thing, and the lack of grubs may cause the mole to dig even more tunnels.

A trap is effective in mole control if it is placed in an active tunnel and doesn't have any human scent on it. You can determine an active tunnel by stamping down on one in the evening and watching which ones pop up again in the morning.

There is little enthusiasm among mole experts for poisons, thumpers, sonic devices, mothballs and other mole eradicators. Trapping remains the method of choice. But be aware that mole traps don't actually catch the mole, they kill the mole. Effective, but not for everyone.

There is a method for live trapping moles called pit-trapping. You can find the instructions here.

Cats are enthusiastic mole predators, as are some dogs. Other natural predators include owls, hawks and skunks. Natural habitat nearby can sometimes help.

Mole tunnels pose a serious risk for horse injuries. Controlling mole populations (as well as pocket gophers, armadillos and voles) will keep your pastures safer.

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