Holes in yard - Ask Extension
My home is in the center of 8 acres of dense woods. Mature maple, walnut, hickory, oak, paw-paw, and honeysuckle
There is about 3/4 of an acre of l...
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Holes in yard #813965
Asked October 11, 2022, 7:24 PM EDT
My home is in the center of 8 acres of dense woods. Mature maple, walnut, hickory, oak, paw-paw, and honeysuckle
There is about 3/4 of an acre of lawn surrounding the house.
I see very many holes like the ones in the two photos. There are probably hundreds of holes spread through out the lawn.
I do have moles but I did not think moles came to the surface in so many locations so close together.
We also have many chipmunks, squirrels, and snakes as would be expected. I have seen skunks foraging at night.
Do you know what is causing the holes? What can be done to stop what ever is making the holes?
Thanks, Don
Warren County Ohio
Expert Response
Hi Don,
It's difficult to judge the size of the holes from the pictures you sent. But most appear to be small, maybe 2 inches or so in diameter. Are some of the holes are on top of the mole tunnels? If so, I've seen this before. It's most likely a skunk (possibly a raccoon as they dig for soil invertebrates, too), digging into the exposed dirt left by the moles. Can you tell if the holes lead to a mole tunnel? Skunk and raccoon digs are typically shallow and don't go very deep (such as a tunnel dug out from a chipmunk would). However, digging into an already existing mole tunnel can make them appear more extensive than they really are. Skunks and raccoons are attracted to disturbed soil and will often dig there first in search of insects. That said, they will dig in other areas of the lawn as well. Oftentimes, skunks move on before w have time to do anything about the damage they cause.
That said this is also the time of year when squirrels and chipmunks are very active. I don't usually associate hundreds of holes in a yard with chipmunks, but perhaps there are several things are play here. Chipmunks can be trapped to reduce their populations. If you'd like to chat more about this, please feel free to email me at <personal data hidden>.
It's difficult to judge the size of the holes from the pictures you sent. But most appear to be small, maybe 2 inches or so in diameter. Are some of the holes are on top of the mole tunnels? If so, I've seen this before. It's most likely a skunk (possibly a raccoon as they dig for soil invertebrates, too), digging into the exposed dirt left by the moles. Can you tell if the holes lead to a mole tunnel? Skunk and raccoon digs are typically shallow and don't go very deep (such as a tunnel dug out from a chipmunk would). However, digging into an already existing mole tunnel can make them appear more extensive than they really are. Skunks and raccoons are attracted to disturbed soil and will often dig there first in search of insects. That said, they will dig in other areas of the lawn as well. Oftentimes, skunks move on before w have time to do anything about the damage they cause.
That said this is also the time of year when squirrels and chipmunks are very active. I don't usually associate hundreds of holes in a yard with chipmunks, but perhaps there are several things are play here. Chipmunks can be trapped to reduce their populations. If you'd like to chat more about this, please feel free to email me at <personal data hidden>.
