Yard divots - Ask Extension
We keep having small divots occur around our yard (mostly in the lawn area-which is mostly weeds, not grass), but there are not actual holes present. ...
Knowledgebase
Yard divots #794664
Asked June 07, 2022, 10:47 AM EDT
We keep having small divots occur around our yard (mostly in the lawn area-which is mostly weeds, not grass), but there are not actual holes present. The divots are 1-2” wide at most and up to 1” deep max. There is an over abundance of rabbits in our neighborhood, but otherwise we have not seen any pests. We do have a dog, but she is not a digger. Can you give some direction on how to determine what’s creating the divots, what problems, or not, could come from the culprit, and how to handle/stop the divots?
Thank you,
Courtenay Brooks
Henrico County Virginia
Expert Response
Hello Courtenay:
I believe what you are describing and what the photos illustrate is the work of a striped skunk. Skunks frequently make shallow excavations, often in grassy "lawn" areas, as part of their searching behavior for food (for comparison, do a quick "Google Image" search on "skunk foraging damage" and you'll see pictures similar to your photos). Some of a skunk's preferred foods include primarily insects, insect larvae (grubs), and earthworms or night-crawlers, but they also will feed on seeds, fruits, and occasionally tuberous roots. These shallow "dig-outs" occur at spots where the animal has detected the possible presence of food just under the surface and the result is their attempt to get to it by scratching out a shallow depression. In the course of single night, a skunk can create hundreds of these divots across a large section of lawn, especially where the abundance of insects and grubs is high. Although this foraging activity can leave a messy and unattractive landscape, these holes can be repaired fairly easily by simply scratching the disturbed soil back into the hole and tamping it down; the grass typically will recolonize the area in a matter of a week or so.
In terms of trying to prevent this type of activity, it likely will be difficult to accomplish effectively, given the abundance and potential variety of food sources that may be present. Chemical approaches often are not successful nor environmentally sound because applications of broad-spectrum insecticides also will serve to disrupt or eradicate beneficial insect/larval communities necessary for a healthy lawn. I have found over the years that what skunks seem to concentrate on are often the types of insects many would characterize as "pests" or undesirable (e.g., Japanese beetle or June bug larvae, cutworms, etc.). So, if you can tough-it-out and let them do what they do, they may be helping to rid the yard of more serious problems ... just repair the aftermath as it occurs and you'll probably not be able to tell where this digging had occurred in a very short period of time.
I believe what you are describing and what the photos illustrate is the work of a striped skunk. Skunks frequently make shallow excavations, often in grassy "lawn" areas, as part of their searching behavior for food (for comparison, do a quick "Google Image" search on "skunk foraging damage" and you'll see pictures similar to your photos). Some of a skunk's preferred foods include primarily insects, insect larvae (grubs), and earthworms or night-crawlers, but they also will feed on seeds, fruits, and occasionally tuberous roots. These shallow "dig-outs" occur at spots where the animal has detected the possible presence of food just under the surface and the result is their attempt to get to it by scratching out a shallow depression. In the course of single night, a skunk can create hundreds of these divots across a large section of lawn, especially where the abundance of insects and grubs is high. Although this foraging activity can leave a messy and unattractive landscape, these holes can be repaired fairly easily by simply scratching the disturbed soil back into the hole and tamping it down; the grass typically will recolonize the area in a matter of a week or so.
In terms of trying to prevent this type of activity, it likely will be difficult to accomplish effectively, given the abundance and potential variety of food sources that may be present. Chemical approaches often are not successful nor environmentally sound because applications of broad-spectrum insecticides also will serve to disrupt or eradicate beneficial insect/larval communities necessary for a healthy lawn. I have found over the years that what skunks seem to concentrate on are often the types of insects many would characterize as "pests" or undesirable (e.g., Japanese beetle or June bug larvae, cutworms, etc.). So, if you can tough-it-out and let them do what they do, they may be helping to rid the yard of more serious problems ... just repair the aftermath as it occurs and you'll probably not be able to tell where this digging had occurred in a very short period of time.
