Identification

• Moles range from five to eight inches long and are characterized by lack of visible eyes or ears and large front claws that they use for tunneling. Voles range from three to five inches long and resemble a mouse, with small ears and sharp, visible front teeth.
  
  

Geography

• Voles occupy grassland fields and shrubs and spend most of their lives above ground. When given the chance, they occupy mole holes and feed on roots. Moles spend most of their solitary lives underground.
  
  

Diet

• Voles eat primarily vegetation such as seeds, tubers and conifer needles. Moles eat mostly insects and earthworms.
  
  

Significance

• Voles actively cause damage to yards and gardens by eating vegetation. Moles cause horticultural damage inadvertently, by tunneling into roots of plants, leaving them vulnerable to disease. They are both difficult to control.
  
  

Fun Facts

• Moles can tunnel up to 15 feet an hour, providing excellent aeration for the soil. There are no moles in Ireland. Voles are able to reproduce by one month of age and produce many litters each year.