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Gardening in Washington State

A mole lotta love

Our common Pacific and Townsend’s moles put aside their solitary ways at this time of year – and begin thinking about love.

Have you noticed a surge in mole hills in your yard? Male moles expand their tunnels to look for “girl friends”.  Particularly ambitious males could make as many as 302 mole hills in just 77 days!

Since passage of an anti-trapping bill in 2000, legally managing moles in home yards and gardens has become very difficult. However, you can read about your legal options in the WSU Fact Sheet, “Mole Management in Washington Backyards”.

Submitted by: Dave Pehling, February 14, 2017

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2 comments on “A mole lotta love”

  1. LA said on June 15, 2021:

    How can you catch one without harming it?

    • Chalker-Scott, Linda K said on June 15, 2021:

      I’ve actually caught one before by putting a hose at one entrance and waiting at the other. It was an adorable star-nosed mole, and we released it elsewhere on our property. It’s illegal in many states to move them off-site.

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