What do moles eat at their summer cottage and in nature

What moles eat excites all gardeners, gardeners, since it is not always clear whether animals bring benefits or harm. In some cases, the animals benefit the land by loosening the soil, eating harmful insects, in others they cause the death of young trees and root crops. In nature moles can be found everywhere in areas with soft soil, in search of food they often settle on the possessions of man - gardens, vegetable gardens, flower beds.

General diet

Moles are insectivorous animals. They feed in nature with the same “products” as in gardens, in the country. The main and easily accessible food source is earthworms. To catch them, moles dig new labyrinths daily at a depth of 15 cm from the soil surface or use old passages. The earthworm eagerly eats the younger generation after a month of growing up.

What moles feed on depends on soil fertility.

• The animals eat a bear, caterpillars, larvae of the May beetle, small insects.
• Moles have an aggressive disposition. Do not disdain carrion, sick rodents, amphibians.
• An underground creature can use a mouse, a shrew, a sick rat, a lizard, a snake, a snake, a frog as a food product.

On a note!

According to various sources, moles eat potatoes, other root crops, plant seeds, roots, seeds, and grain. These foods may be included in the diet, but not as a main course. It's all about fast metabolism and brutal appetite. Without food, animals live only 17 hours, do not withstand hunger. In difficult times, they switch to plant food, but such food cannot last long.

Diet

The mole constantly produces food, stocks up for the winter. It's all about accelerated metabolism, food is completely digested for 5 hours. The animal has formed its own sleep and wakeful regimen with alternation every 4 hours. During the day, the animal eats the amount of food that exceeds the volume of the weight of the animal itself. In a day, the mole, in search of food for good nutrition, builds up to 20 new moves. The network of mazes spans tens of meters. During the day, the mole loosens up to 45 m of land.

Interesting!

The labyrinths of moles are used by other underground animals, build their nests in them. Having discovered such a lodger, the mole can simply bite him.

In depth mole burrow goes up to 2 m, but the optimal location of the main passages is 100 cm. A wide network of tangled labyrinths for an unlimited distance. Entrances, exits on the surface of the earth are indicated by tubercles of the soil - molehills.

Baby food

The mating season begins in April, lasts until the end of May. Pregnancy lasts about 30 days. The young generation is born in June-July. Very rarely, a female gives two litters in one season. At one time gives birth to about 9 babies.

Moles in the first week of its existence weigh no more than 5 g, the blind, naked, toothless, completely helpless. For 3 weeks, only milk acts as nutrition. The female carefully takes care of them, cares, protects them from enemies. At the end of the month, young moles begin to eat worms, larvae, and after 60 days they reach the size of an adult animal, they are able to strangle a mouse, lizard, and snake.

Winter food

With the onset of cold weather, moles do not hibernate, do not go deep underground.The animal is not afraid of cold weather, thick, soft wool protects it from the most severe frosts. The main enemy in the winter is hunger.

The animal makes reserves for the winter during the warm season. In most cases, these are earthworms. The animal bites off its head, stacks its prey in a special chamber. In the cold season, the mole continues to dig a course, looking for bugs, pupae, larvae. Periodically builds mazes under the thickness of snow.

Interesting!

The total life expectancy of a mole under favorable conditions is about 5 years.

Harm or good

Moles love soft, loose soil, moderately moist. In most cases, plants in gardens under shady trees, in nature - at the forest edge, near marshes, in the fields. In early spring, molehills can be seen in the garden.

Animals feed on insects at their summer cottage, which helps people fight pests. Moles destroy the larvae of May beetles, which are difficult to cope with, the bear, drive off shrews, mice. However, with the intensive construction of passages, tunnels for their own meals, they themselves become unwanted guests and begin with them fight on the land. During construction, animals violate the root system of trees, interfere with the growth of root crops, any culture.

Although the underground animal feeds on insects in the garden, it can also reduce crop yields and cause significant harm to crops. Scare away moles special means - gas tablets, folk remedies, build trapspull up the networkuse ultrasonic repellers. These are not those pests that need to be ruthlessly destroyed, but it is worth getting them to resettle before the new sowing season.