Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Are you near water? Looks like crayfish to me. Most common hole diggers here are rats, chipmunks. We don't have pocket gophers here. Voles usually have "runs" across the top of the ground. Moles tunnel beneath the surface. The squirrels we have here don't dig "holes". Cicada killers aren't active yet. We don't have any burrowing snakes here.
Quote:
Originally Posted by LionforLamb
about a month ago I first noticed a couple of small holes (see pictures below). asked the home owner about them and was told it was "probably some critter". now there are dozens of holes with new ones appearing every day!
ive never seen ANY creature in the yard, near the holes or digging, so I tend to think whatever it is must be nocturnal. there are small mounds of loose dirt near the entrances. the holes are approximately 2 inches in diameter.
insects? rodents? please help!
i attached the photos hopefully they came out properly!
there's a wooded area bordering the back of the yard where they're most active. never been back there (overgrown, trees, etc) so not sure if there's any water.
crayfish? i thought their mounds were "muddy"?
Would there be a reason that chipmunks would all of the sudden start digging holes? I have had them ever since I lived here, but the holes are 10 times worse this year.
Does the holes look like something came out of the hole, or was something burrowing in the hole? Sometimes you can tell what it was by the dirt from the hole. If the hole is actually a tunnel, I would suspect moles. If it was burrowing into it, then a squirrel, or chipmunk.
We had moles and voles. Moles are a protected species in NC. If you see chicken hawks they are sitting and and waiting. We had a professional service come in and take care of it. Does your lawn feel like a sponge? Chances are it may be voles and you can buy stuff in the store, but our yard was kinda big so we opted for a professional service. Good luck.
Getting a little confused with who's replying to which post guys-sorry!
Our holes are 2" or less, crescent shape little heap of dirt around part of hole, shallow (I can see where the vertical hole starts to become a horizontal tunnel) and in line with one another, about 3-4ft between each hole.I can't see any tracks above ground, but haven't checked to see if earth between holes feels spongy.
We are across from the lake.
We have a cat, but we've just started keeping her in at night as she's been prone to animal bites (another cat we thought) and abscesses.
In the past she's caught ,what I thought were small mice, squirrels and chipmunks.
Doesn't seem to show any interest in these holes though!
Getting a little confused with who's replying to which post guys-sorry!
Our holes are 2" or less, crescent shape little heap of dirt around part of hole, shallow (I can see where the vertical hole starts to become a horizontal tunnel) and in line with one another, about 3-4ft between each hole.I can't see any tracks above ground, but haven't checked to see if earth between holes feels spongy.
We are across from the lake.
We have a cat, but we've just started keeping her in at night as she's been prone to animal bites (another cat we thought) and abscesses.
In the past she's caught ,what I thought were small mice, squirrels and chipmunks.
Doesn't seem to show any interest in these holes though!
I think the best anyone here with an opinion can do, is give educated guesses. Short descriptions of the holes can only help so much. There is no animal that I know of, other than a skunk, that is often precise in lining up their digging. And skunks only go several inches deep (digging for grubs). Your geometrical layout may be just the personality of that critter or critter family. If you find them with a slide-rule and a pencil behind their ear... that question will be answered
The information I provided earlier is factual. And there is the vole hole photo I sent. I just found a useful website on moles voles & gophers that has more pictures and all kinds of info. You'll just have to wade thru the info and pics and compare with what you see in your lawn. We would need to ask several dozen questions about your lawn, the location, the holes, vegetation, etc, to really nail it down.
By the way... voles have rather short stubby tails compared to mice, so if your cat catches any more, you want to check that.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Vole Holes
