Coast Moles also known as Pacific Moles are odd-looking creatures. They have almost invisible eyes, a long pointed nose, and proportionally massive forepaws. Coast Moles use their forepaws to wreak havoc on your lawn while creating networks of raised tunnels punctuated with dirt piles.
The Coast Mole is happy in forested areas as well as prairies, coastal dunes, along streams, agricultural lands, and of course golf courses and suburban areas along the Pacific coast from southwestern British Columbia to central California.
This nasty critter is about six inches long with dark gray fur.
Washington is also home to the Townsend’s Mole, aka the Snow Mole – that is on the endangered species list in both the US and Canada. The Townsend mole is black, and has a hairless tail, whereas the (abundant) broad-footed and coast moles are brown to grayish-brown; the shrew mole is smaller than these other moles at only about 3-4 inches long. A pest animal control company can help you with identification and advise you on the wisest course of action.
Coast moles are sometimes mixed up with shrews; but shrews are smaller at 3-5 inches, where most moles are 5-7 inches long or more. Moles have shovel-like forepaws, while shrews’ feet are more mouselike.
Coast moles produce a litter of 2-5 pups between March and April. Any trapping should ideally occur before the pregnant female mole gives birth. In late summer, you’ll see more moles above ground as juveniles leave the nest.
Dogs and cats, foxes, and owls are some of the animals that prey on coast moles. If poison baits are left out for the moles (and we don’t recommend this), there’s a risk that these predators can also be poisoned if they prey upon a mole that’s eaten the bait but not yet died. Most of these poisons do have antidotes, but why put your pet through that kind of trauma?
Most coast mole damage to turf occurs in winter, when moles soils are moist. Surface tunnels are often only used one time in search of food; after the food source is exhausted, the mole will abandon the tunnel and excavate a new one. They can undermine plant roots, indirectly causing damage or death. Rodents will use mole tunnels later on to attack plants from underground. Sometimes the damage caused by moles to lawns is mostly visual, and the problem can be solved by simply removing the molehills as they appear.
It is found in open lowland and wooded areas with moist soils along the Pacific coast from southwestern British Columbia to northwestern California. This animal’s total range in Canada is estimated to be 7.7 sq mi (20 km²). Townsend’s mole is classified as Least Concern by the IUCN, however in Canada it is considered an endangered species.
This animal has velvety black fur, a pointed snout and a short, thick, nearly hairless tail. It is about 21 cm (8.3 in) in length including a 4 cm (1.6 in) tail, and weighs about 138 grams (4.9 oz). Its front paws are broad and spade-shaped, specialized for digging; the rear paws are smaller. It has 44 teeth. Its ears are not visible and it has small eyes. It is similar in appearance to the smaller coast mole.
This mole spends most of its time underground, foraging in shallow burrows for earthworms, small invertebrates and plant material. It is active year round.
This animal is mainly solitary except during mating in late winter. The female has a litter of two to four young in a deep underground burrow.
This animal was named after the American naturalist John Kirk Townsend. The name was selected at the request of Thomas Nuttall as a patronym to honor Townsend’s contribution.
If you have any questions about the mole removal process or time frame, please send all inquiries to Commander@MoleControl.us or give us a call at 360-698-7151.
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