If you live underground, you hardly notice the sun on the surface. So does the mole. He does not follow a day-night rhythm, but has fixed sleeping and waking times. You can find out what time a mole digs below.

Moles can be out at any time of the day

The sleeping and waking rhythm of the mole

Moles sleep too, but not eight hours a night like us humans on average. Instead, moles have three waking hours throughout the day. Each waking time lasts about four to five hours. In between, he sleeps three to four hours in his specially designed bedroom. The mole is therefore active both during the day and at night; However, he does not have fixed times.

What does the mole do when he's awake?

The mole uses the waking hours for all important activities of mole life:

  • He digs new passages and throws new mounds.
  • He goes in search of food and replenishes his pantry when there is a surplus of food.
  • He repairs broken gears, usually in a very short time.
  • During the mating season, it looks for females by widening its burrows.
  • A female mole with cubs takes care of her offspring.

How much does the mole dig per hour?

Moles dig new burrows both during the day and at night. In an hour, a mole can dig up to 15m of new tunnels. The earth has to be transported to the surface regularly - this is how the molehills are formed. A mole can throw up to five molehills per hour, up to 20 in a waking phase!

Especially active in winter

Unlike other garden dwellers such as hedgehogs, squirrels or bats, which spend the winter in hibernation or hibernation, the mole does not hibernate. On the contrary: in winter, the mole is particularly active - for two reasons:

  • In winter there are fewer insects, so the mole has to dig more and deeper to feed.
  • Mating season is from January to March and the mole will dig more and more to find a female.

Category:

Animals in the garden