Scalopus aquaticus is the eastern mole and the primary culprit among the dozen or some mole species found in North America. Although similar in appearance to mice, moles are classified as insectivores, and are more closely related to shrews and bats than to rodents. They eat meat, primarily in the form of insects, spiders, and earthworms. In this aspect of their lives they could be considered beneficial to gardeners, since they destroy a number of important soil insect pests. However, it's how they obtain their food that's at the bottom of their constant dispute with gardeners.
Moles dig blindly through the soil and eat whenever they happen upon food.
They have a very high metabolism and must eat a lot, often an amount of food equal to their body weight each day. To eat that much they have to find a lot of food and that means a lot of digging. In average garden or lawn soil a mole can dig at the rate of 12 to 15 feet per hour. The tunnels moles dig in search of food are just below the surface and the digging of these tunnels severs plant roots and causes grass and other plants to decline. In addition to their surface feeding tunnels moles also dig deeper tunnels, called runways, in which they make their nests and travel throughout their territory.