Do Moles Bite?​

Moles are solitary small animals, moles live underground, rarely coming above ground except to mate during the breeding season.

You may accidentally come across one and wonder if the mole will bite people.

Please read on to find out if moles bite people and whether moles carry diseases, and what are the best pest control methods to use to get rid of moles in the yard.

What Are Moles And What Do They Look Like?

Moles are small insectivores, they only eat insects.

Moles have a tube-shaped body covered in very soft fur.

Moles are black or gray and have a hairless snout. Moles have very large front claws used for digging.

Moles have tiny eyes and poor eyesight, they rely on other senses to survive. Moles do not have outside ear parts they only have ear canals, both their eyes and ear canals are covered in fur to protect them.

At 5 weeks old a baby mole (pup) must leave the nest and live above ground until it can create its own tunnel system. At this time the mole may be killed by a fox, cat, dog and various other animals.

Do Moles Have Teeth?

Yes but only a few small teeth and they are used to hold on to insects and earthworms they have caught. The sharp teeth could give painful bites.

Will A Mole Bite My Pets?

Because of a moles anti-social behaviour, it would be very rare for a mole to come out above ground so there is no real danger of a mole bite.

However, anything is possible and if your pet was to come into contact with a mole, your pets would probably fatally injure the mole before the mole had a chance to bite.

Will Moles Bite Humans?

If someone is handling a mole it will become frightened and try to escape and bite using its sharp teeth. Any human handling should be avoided.

What Does A Mole Bite Look Like?

If a mole was to bite it would look like tiny puncture wounds, they have sharp teeth and can break the surface causing a little bleeding.

How Do I Treat A Bite?

The center for disease control says you should seek medical attention straight away.

With all animal bites, it must be cleaned well. To prevent infection you should wash the area of the wound with anti-bacterial soap and wash with warm water.

Squeeze the site of the wound to cause bleeding this will encourage your body to cleanse the wound of germs and bacteria.

Cover the wound with a dressing to keep it clean and allow healing.

If the wound becomes infected and you have a fever or red streaks leading out from the wound seek medical attention.

Do Moles Carry Diseases?

Moles have very fine fur that is designed to keep dirt off of them, because of this they are actually very clean.

Moles can pick up ticks and fleas which can be passed on to humans, ticks can carry Lyme disease and pass it on.

If you have a pet in the yard it could pick up parasites from moles and bring them into the home.

There are no known diseases that can be spread to humans from moles directly.

Do Moles Carry Rabies?

Rabies is a virus, it is passed on to other mammals including humans via the saliva from a bite.

Moles are classed as being at low risk of carrying rabies, so mole bites are not normally a cause for concern, it isn’t impossible but it is very rare, if you see a mole acting oddly then it may be a cause for concern.

There has not been to date a documented case of a human being given rabies by a mole.

Are Moles Dangerous?

Moles are not dangerous to people but they are a danger to the lawn and ornamental foliage when these pests build lots of tunnels, deep and shallow tunnels, which can be expensive to repair.

Will Moles Eat My Plants?

Moles will destroy the roots of plants and grass in your yard as they dig their way through the soil, they will not come up to the surface and eat the plants and grass.

Moles will hold on to centipedes, earthworms, grubs and millipedes with their teeth, and will eat their body weight in insects a day.

How Can I Tell If I Have Moles?

The first thing you will notice is mounds of dirt and tunnels in your yard. Moles are not the only animal to dig tunnels, Gophers do the same, but their mounds are closer together, mole hills are about 6 feet apart.

You might notice signs of dying grass on your lawn and plants dying, due to damaged roots.

If you find chew marks on vegetation it could be down to a gopher or rodents such as mice.

Both are signs of a mole problem.

How Do I Get Rid Of Moles?

You can try DIY pest control, here are some top tips for you.

Firstly for mole removal, remove a moles food source, if you can remove a moles food like worms and grubs the mole will move on. You can do this by using beneficial nematodes.

Use a repellent such as a castor oil which will not kill moles but upsets their stomach.

You can use a bait trap to catch a mole, you can buy a trap that captures a mole humanly they can be bought online.

Use plants as a barrier, plant some daffodils and marigolds moles do not like their strong scent and will avoid the area.

If you feel you would like a professional to get rid of the mole contact a fully qualified exterminator. Ask for a free quote beforehand.

Final Thoughts On Do Moles Bite?

Yes moles have teeth and moles bite, but the chances of it happening are very slight, if you are holding a mole and the mole wants to get away you could get bitten.

Therefore it is worth remembering that this little animal that helps the ecosystem and can help with insect control, should be left alone and not handled.

If you have any questions please feel free to contact us via email, we do our best to respond as quickly as possible.

Why not take a look at the rest of our website where you will find lots of helpful tips and advice on various pests.