Clusters of holes are being seen in many areas of my yard and are killing the grass... - Ask Extension
I am seeing many holes in my yard that are larger than an ant hill. Some have long irregular shaped holes (See photos). An exterminator said it didn...
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Clusters of holes are being seen in many areas of my yard and are killing the grass... #768928
Asked August 24, 2021, 1:15 PM EDT
I am seeing many holes in my yard that are larger than an ant hill. Some have long irregular shaped holes (See photos). An exterminator said it didn't look like ants because there is no pile around the holes typical of ant hills. He thought maybe they are caused by earth worms. On closer examination, digging into the holes we saw a huge number of very tiny red colored ants.
The yard is infested with them. What are they called and how do I get rid of them?
Marquette County Michigan
Expert Response
In order to identify the ants, we would need you to submit a specimen to our Plant and Pest Diagnostic Laboratory: https://www.canr.msu.edu/pestid/
It could be that the ants have been there all along and have been going unnoticed until another animal (e.g. a skunk) came along and dug the holes that you are seeing. Not all ants create "hills". The appearance of ant nests depends on the soil type, the ant species, and the age of the colony, to name just a few things.
