Star-nosed Mole Connecticut

Star-nosed moles are the oddest mammal we have in Connecticut. One of my mole trapping  clients called the mole Connecticut platypus. Star-nosed moles can be identified by the octopus like 22 finger appendage on their nose. This starfish looking mole nose is the most sensitive on earth. They have nearly 100 times better feeling vs the human hand, starnosed moles have 100,000 nerve endings vs 17,000 in the human hand, Like little fingers they can feel and determine if something is food in .5 seconds or less and eat it just as fast. In fact star-nosed moles eat faster than any mammal on Earth. World record holder in two categories and still more incredible is their ability to smell something completely under water. The star-nosed mole will blow out air and sniff food while underwater. Science has used the star-nosed mole to map the human nervous system in the brain.

Unlike Eastern Moles star-nosed moles are found in very wet to swampy soils. The few mole trapping jobs I get for star-nosed moles usually happen in late winter to spring when water tables are high.  Most of the properties I trap Star-nosed moles have a stream, brook or swampy area very close to the lawn.

Damage caused by Star-nosed moles in Connecticut

Star-nosed moles are very destructive. They tend to swim through their tunnels and make muddy mounds everywhere. These moles will make shallow runs like little creeks and will travel on the surface. Unlike with common Connecticut moles I never know how many of these I am going to catch. The damage is horrible with 5-6 inch ruts in the lawn not uncommon. Trapping is more difficult because traps are submerged under water. poisons are 100% ineffective on star-nosed moles.  It is very common for me to set traps in flowing water for these moles.  As interesting these little moles are they are the most destructive animal to lawns bar none in Connecticut. I have seen yards that need a to be regraded and seeded because of the destructive nature of these moles.

I am usually to Middlefield Connecticut yearly trapping star-nosed moles. Only in the wettest of years am I trapping Star-nosed moles in the summer. two places in Connecticut are the exception to this rule. One in Cheshire has an under ground stream that the moles travel and I can be trapping moles in Cheshire at anytime of the year. The other is Durham with a creak running through the property that never dries. Trapping moles in Durham also can happen anytime do to this permanent brook.

The only mole Traps I find effective to trap these moles with are underground style traps with a hair trigger. These moles are smaller and to remove moles of this size the traps need to be sensitive. Even then with the Star-nosed moles supper sensitive feeler they sometimes dig under or surface and go over the traps. These are the most frustrating moles to exterminate for DIY and professional trappers alike.  Us professionals just have more patience and tools in our tool box to fix the problem.  The good news when trapping star-nosed moles is rarely do I catch any other animals in the tunnel systems.  

Removing Star-nosed moles is best left to professionals. If you are a DIY type person these little guys will drive you insane quickly. When setting traps it will be in water that is freezing more often then not. So you will be setting traps you can't see with hands you can't feel. The trap has a hair trigger to boot and spring by accident often when the set is nearly complete.  This is why professionals hands help. We have set thousands of mole traps and can make a proper set in our sleep.  It is not just shove a trap in the tunnel and go they have to sit in a perfect bedded position otherwise the mole will dig around it. Mole traps also need to be place so they have little give because most triggers on these traps need to be pushed by a mouse sized animal the is swimming.