When you see the somewhat off-putting face of a mole that has accidentally bumbled its way up to the surface of the ground, it’s natural to wonder if it will bite you, your kids, or your pets.
These loners of the animal kingdom spend much of their lives underground in burrows that they’ll probably never even come into contact with a human or animal to bite. But hypothetically speaking, it’s not impossible for moles to nibble in defense.
Read on for some situations in which this can be possible, and what to do if they happen to you. Also, if you have moles and want them gone, check out our guide on mole traps and mole poisons to help you remove them!
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Do Moles Have Teeth?
While a mole does have a few small teeth, they’re really only used to capture prey in the soils where moles live.
With these animals being such loners, it’s highly unlikely that they’d use their teeth to attack anyone or anything other than the grubs they eat (see also: What Do Moles Eat?).
Overall, moles are fairly harmless.
Will a Mole Bite My Pet?
The first thing to understand about a mole is just how antisocial the animal is; moles usually live in their tunnels alone, generally only come to the surface by accident, and only interact with other moles briefly during mating season.
So, it’s already highly unlikely that a mole will ever come into contact with your dog or cat.
Read Also: What are the best traps to catch moles?
However, it isn’t impossible. In the event that a curious cat or dog had an interaction with a mole, your pet would probably kill the mole before it would bite back. The teeth of a mole are designed to process insects in the soil, not wound an animal in defense.
What Does a Mole Bite Look Like?
If a mole does deliver a bite, it will be a few small holes in the skin, almost like a stapler would make. Because the mole’s teeth are very sharp incisors, it can pierce the skin and cause a slight bit of bleeding.
Sometimes, however, a mole might bite and not break the skin.
This happens more often than not if a mole has decided to use its teeth for defense; the objective isn’t to hurt a human or animal. The mole simply wants to get away from anything causing provocation, and uses its teeth to do so.
Do Moles Carry Diseases?
While it’s common to assume that these dirt-dwelling creatures might carry around a slew of their own bacteria which can be transferred to humans, this is not the case.
Moles have extremely soft, almost velvety skin that allows them to tunnel ergonomically, and because this fur is so fine, they’re actually very clean animals.
Sometimes, though, moles can have ticks which can spread to humans and cause problems. This is especially true with ticks carrying Lyme Disease. However, it’s worth noting that there are no known transferable diseases between moles and humans at this time.
Will Moles Bite Humans?
When an animal feels threatened, it will resort to violence to preserve its own safety.
This is true of moles, however, their bodies are so small that this is by no means an act of violence. If a human is bitten by a mole, the mole was probably provoked to some degree.
How to Prevent Mole Bites
First things first: if a mole is anywhere near you, it’s already not happy about it.
Moles are some of the most antisocial animals, and so by simply being close enough to a human to bite, this animal might feel attacked. The best way to stop a mole attack from happening: leave the mole alone.
Do Moles Carry Rabies?
Rabies is a virus spread by mammals to other mammals when saliva or nervous system/brain tissues are exchanged.
Most commonly, this contact comes in the form of a bite. If a rabid animal bites a human, that human is then at risk of contracting rabies.
Moles, while classified as mammals, are considered low-risk for carrying rabies. It’s not impossible for this to happen, but it is highly unlikely. If you happen to see a mole acting erratically and wildly, this should be a cause for concern. However, it must be stressed again that the risk of a mole carrying the rabies virus is slim to none.
Read Also: What are good poisons to kill moles?
What To Do If Bitten By A Mole
While it’s highly unlikely that a human will be bitten by a mole in the first place, and if it does happen, it’s unlikelier still that diseases or rabies are an issue, the concept of danger isn’t totally out of the question.
According to the Center for Disease Control, you should seek medical attention if you feel traumatized by the bite, and the doctor will assess the situation from there.
The most likely side effect of a bite from a mole is that the punctures to the skin will get infected. In order to prevent this, take a few simple steps:
- Rinse the wound thoroughly, and be sure to remove any debris, hair, fur, or dirt.
- Wash with anti-bacterial soap and rinse with warm water.
- Squeeze the skin to promote bleeding; this acts as your body’s natural cleansing of any harmful germs or bacteria inside the wound.
- Be sure to wrap the wound tightly to allow for clean healing.
Will Moles Eat My Garden?
So, the likelihood of a mole biting a person or animal is very minimal. But moles live in soil and hang out by themselves, so it’s natural to assume that they’ll tear up a garden, right?
If you want to get rid of moles, check out this article where we break down the do’s and don’ts of mole removal.
Weakened Root Systems
Moles are primarily responsible for chewing through roots in an underground environment, as well as wiping out species of grass from below.
These burrowing creatures probably won’t venture out to the surface to gnaw on your plants or your crops, but they’ll eat through any roots that get in their way to make tunnels in the dirt. This can create weak spots in the ground and may even cause sinkage in your yard.
Insect Control
The things that moles eat are probably insects you don’t really want hanging around: worms, centipedes, millipedes, and larvae. Since they eat almost their entire body weight and can tunnel up to 18 feet per hour each day, moles actually rid your yard of a substantial amount of bugs.
The teeth that moles have are sharply designed to crunch on the exoskeletons of these ground insects, but not much else. They hardly ever come into contact with other species, so they’re mostly just chomping on bugs throughout their life cycle.
Final Thoughts on Moles and Their Biting!
While moles do have an impressive set of teeth, they probably won’t use them to bite you or your pet.
However, it’s important to respect these small animals for the pest control services they provide naturally. If held in human hands, a mole may panic and unleash its teeth.
This is such a rare occurrence that it barely requires mentioning, but it’s not impossible. Be smart, be respectful, and let the moles bite what they really crave: the insects you don’t want.
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