Do Moles Hibernate in Winter? Mole Activity Patterns in Southern California
Moles do not hibernate. Like gophers, they are active year-round because their food source — earthworms and soil insects — remains available in the soil regardless of season. However, mole activity patterns do shift seasonally in ways that affect when infestations are most visible and when treatment is most timely.
Why Moles Stay Active in Winter
Hibernation is an adaptation to seasonal food scarcity. Moles eat earthworms, which remain present in the soil year-round — they simply move deeper during cold or dry periods. Since moles can follow earthworms deeper into the soil profile during unfavorable surface conditions, their food supply never truly disappears. There is no biological pressure to hibernate.
In Southern California's mild climate, soil temperatures rarely drop enough to drive earthworms significantly deeper, which means moles face minimal seasonal food limitation. Winter mole activity is common throughout Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, and San Bernardino counties.
How Mole Activity Shifts Seasonally
Winter and early spring are often when mole surface tunnel activity is most visible in Southern California. Winter rains keep surface soil moist, which concentrates earthworm activity near the surface — and therefore concentrates mole feeding tunnels near the surface where they are visible as raised ridges in the lawn. Homeowners frequently first notice mole activity after winter rains because the combination of surface moisture and earthworm abundance brings moles into the shallow feeding zone where their ridges are most apparent.
Summer in Southern California drives earthworms deeper into the soil profile as surface soil dries between irrigation cycles. Moles follow their food source deeper, which means their tunneling activity moves below the zone where surface ridges form. Summer mole activity may be occurring at depth without producing the visible surface ridges that triggered winter complaints. This is why mole problems sometimes appear to resolve in summer — the moles are still present but tunneling at a depth that is less visible above ground.
Year-Round Treatment Effectiveness
Professional mole trapping is effective in all seasons. The key is locating and confirming active primary tunnels, which the technician does through probing and activity testing regardless of season. Winter treatment is particularly effective because moles are concentrated near the surface following earthworms, making primary tunnel location more straightforward than in summer when activity is deeper.
Related Articles
- What Do Moles Eat?
- Mole Control Methods — How Professional Mole Trapping Works
- Do Gophers Hibernate in Winter?
Frequently Asked Questions
Probably not. Summer heat drives earthworms deeper, so moles follow and tunnel below the surface ridge zone. The moles are still present but less visible. Activity often resurfaces visibly when fall rains return.
Yes — often excellent. Winter soil moisture concentrates earthworm activity near the surface, which concentrates moles in the shallow tunnel zone where primary runs are easiest to locate and trap.
Moles breed in late winter to early spring in Southern California, typically February through April. Young are born in spring and disperse in early summer, which can cause a secondary wave of activity as juveniles establish new territories.
Call 909-599-4711 for year-round mole control throughout Southern California.