You found eaten plant roots in the garden and want to know whether there is a mole behind them? We can assure you: it wasn't the mole. Moles are purely carnivorous. Find out below what a mole eats and who is responsible for eaten roots.
What does a mole eat?
Moles are purely carnivorous and feed on insects such as grubs, snails, earthworms, spiders, caterpillars and insect larvae. They do not eat roots or plant food and are therefore not responsible for eaten roots in the garden.
The diet of moles
Moles love insects, which is why they are quite useful in the garden: they like to eat pests and other insects such as:
- Grubs,
- Snails,
- Earthworms,
- Spiders,
- Caterpillars
- and insect larvae.
Every now and then a little mouse can fall victim to it. The mole is therefore a very helpful garden resident. The mole does not like vegetarian food such as roots, vegetables or other plants.
The digestion of moles
Moles have very fast digestion, which is why they have to eat a lot. They have to eat about half of their body weight per day. With a body weight of around 100g, that's around 50g of insects. The mole cannot survive long periods without food. Therefore, the mole creates pantries with live earthworms and does not hibernate, but only digs a little deeper in the winter for earthworms and the like.
How does the mole find its food?
Moles are almost blind. But they have an impressively good sense of hearing. With this you can hear earthworms and other insects in their burrows and specifically stalk them. This outstanding sense is complemented by special tactile hairs on their snout, with which they sense their food and their immediate surroundings.
Tip
The mole digs sophisticated tunnel systems with a length of up to over 100 meters.
Eaten roots in the garden
If you harvest eaten vegetables in the garden, you are most likely dealing with a vole. The good news: Voles are considered pests and as such are less protected than the mole, whose killing and hunting is punishable. However, you should also avoid killing traps when fighting the vole. You can find out what means to drive away a vole here.
