Moles The mole has long been the bane of greens keepers and fans of lawns everywhere. For such a small creature, the mole has a reputation for doing damage to agricultural and small private gardens all over the world. For such a cute little creature, the mole certainly is universally considered a villain. Is that reputation deserved? Let's consider the facts.

First, moles do wreak havoc in the soil. Moles eat earthworms and small invertebrate creatures in the soil. The tunnels moles create are basically worm traps. The mole senses when a worm falls into a tunnel and can quickly capture and eat its victim. To dig these tunnels, however, moles have to dig away the roots of grass and plants. This often kills the plant. If you make your living from the plants the moles destroy, you may not be happy to find them in your soil. Furthermore, the earthworms moles eat are extremely beneficial to the soils. They loosen the soil and add nutrients that benefit crops. Having a large infestation of moles may make your fields less productive and less healthy.

In addition, the holes and tunnels make walking treacherous for livestock and humans. Moles often push soil and rocks to the surface. This can damage farm equipment used to work crops. In addition, these rocks and the holes can be hazards for cattle or other farm animals that may trip on them. However, these inconveniences hardly justify the fury with which moles have been pursued.

On the contrary, moles actually provide many benefits. They eat and remove crop-damaging grubs. They aerate the soil, loosening it up and improving drainage. They bring organic matter down into the soil with them, adding further nutrients. Any damage they do is largely temporary. Compared to the lengths humans go to get rid of them, moles seem to have very little negative impact on the environment.

All this is not to say they are not troublesome. Large-scale farms can certainly suffer great damage and costly expenses because of moles. However, for most of us, they are just strange creatures we almost never see and seldom think about. It's quite amazing that a creature has learned how to survive underground eating worms and digging holes. Perhaps it's time the lowly mole earned some respect.

Which line from the passage states a reason moles may be helpful? (1 point)

This can damage farm equipment used to work crops.
They eat and remove crop-damaging grubs.
All this is not to say they are not troublesome.
Perhaps it's time the lowly mole earned some respect.