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Lawn pest identification southern wake county #752683

Asked May 28, 2021, 10:38 AM EDT

I found a pile of dirt in my lawn yesterday. I sifted thru it and found no sings of insects. I rake the pile out. This morning there was a fresh pile there. Trying to figure out what it is. I am guessing not a vol or mole? Picture attached. Any help would be appreciated. Tyler

Wake County North Carolina

Expert Response

Very curious.  In wet areas crayfish can create mounds in lawns.  See https://content.ces.ncsu.edu/crayfish-in-turf. Is your lawn wet?

Voles can’t make tunnels, and moles make tunnels, not kicking out so much soil in a single location.  And it’s not like an ant mound. 

Thanks for the quick response! Definitely not wet enough for crayfish. 

On May 28, 2021 9:27 PM, Ask Extension <<personal data hidden>> wrote:
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Dear Tyler, here's the response to your question:

Very curious.  In wet areas crayfish can create mounds in lawns.  See https://content.ces.ncsu.edu/crayfish-in-turf. Is your lawn wet?

Voles can’t make tunnels, and moles make tunnels, not kicking out so much soil in a single location.  And it’s not like an ant mound. 


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Louise Romanow
Entomologist
Master Gardener Volunteer
Extension MG Program, Wake County



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The Question Asker Replied May 30, 2021, 12:23 PM EDT

I’ll send in on to NCSU's PDIC for their advice.  This may take a few days. 

Here’s what NCSU team wrote:

Mounds like this can be difficult to identify as several larger digging arthropods and vertebrates (moles and voles as you said) can cause them. If they see something going in and out that may help, but otherwise the soil would need to be removed from the surface and activity be monitored to see if a culprit can be found. Some likely culprits other than what's been mentioned are mole crickets, Earth-boring dung beetles (Geotrupidae), and some digging wasps (though there would likely be external holes for them).Please let me know if they find some other evidence.Matt

Looks like you’ll have to do more investigating





Thanks for the help. I never identified what they were, but a granular insecticide took care of them. I have been doing less of that for the last couple of years, and maybe that caught up with me!

 

From: Ask Extension [mailto:<personal data hidden>]
Sent: Tuesday, June 01, 2021 11:35 AM
To: Tyler H Robeson
Subject: Re: Lawn pest identification southern wake county (#0022614)

 

The Question Asker Replied June 18, 2021, 6:34 AM EDT

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