Hi Phyllis,

Thanks for reaching out to Ask Extension! Thankfully, these holes are likely made by a beneficial insect that rarely causes problems with pets or humans. We consulted with an entomologist at UVM who says this looks like the nest of a Great Golden Digger Wasp (Sphex ichneumoneus). Similar to our native solitary bees, these solitary wasps are not aggressive in the same way that many social wasps are. Since a single insect does all of the jobs of maintaining a nest at once (foraging/hunting, nest construction, egg laying, etc), they don't have specialized nest defenders. This means that they generally leave humans and pets alone and save their stings for hunting prey. 

Here are a couple of resources about this species:

https://mdc.mo.gov/blogs/discover-nature-notes/great-golden-digger-wasps-scary-good

https://www.canr.msu.edu/news/michigan-insects-in-the-garden-week-6-great-golden-digger-wasp

Hope this helps!