i just moved to a house in the woods an yesterday i discovered about 10 holes/tunnels close to my house …i don’t know whats making these holes? i did see chipmucks in my yard…could that be them making holes??? theres no dirt piles, just round holes that seem to go into the ground a good foot ot more…what should i use to stop whatever is doing this???
Small holes or tunnel activity in the yard is probably the result of some small animal. Though one might think of MOLES initially, they tend to make tunnels but if any light gets inside the tunnel, they close it up. Since you’re seeing open holes that appear to be used, I don’t think moles are involved. It is possible that the tunnels were originally made by moles but several animals like to take advantage of abandoned mole tunnels including SHREWS, CHIPMUNKS and VOLES.
One cannot rule out the possibility that you have some NORWAY RATS burrowing, but based on you stating you’re in the country, I think we can rule them out. And if it were chipmunks, I’m sure you’d be seeing them throughout the day. If not all day, certainly early morning for several hours. They’re active most any morning and not afraid to be out and about so you’d be seeing them for sure. Since it doesn’t sound like you’ve seen any evidence of any animal, I’m thinking it’s most likely a vole.
If you take some time to read our article on VOLE CONTROL, you’ll learn these guys can cover lots of ground. They typically make tunnels like moles but will have lots of exit/entrance holes that can be found throughout the yard. They love plants but will feed on bird seed too and many times live under or close to bird feeders. And though they’re active anytime, they don’t like to be out in the open so they’re hard to sight. Even when they emerge on the surface of the lawn they don’t linger. In most cases they’re gone in 1-3 seconds so it’s hard to catch them unless you know what you’re looking for.
At this point I would say the best approach would be to use some of the WHOLE CONTROL REPELLENT. This bad tasting deterrent will cause them to dig elsewhere and in most cases, does a good job of keeping them off your property. If you note some other animal like chipmunks using any of these burrows, you can then opt for some of the items we have listed in our CHIPMUNK CONTROL article. But for now, the Whole Control would be your best option. I just know voles are extra active in the spring and what you describe fits them pretty well. If it’s them, the repellent approach will do a good job and should get them to clear out of the yard.
Here are direct links to all the information I posted above:
Give us a call if you have any other questions or concerns. Our toll free is 1-800-877-7290.
jonathan
Emily says
I have small dirt tunnels in my drive way and the tunnel in not deep..My husband and I ran a blade of grass lighty over the dirt which fell apert like quick sand and quick as lightning a flash of a claw sprung out and quickly back into the dirt. My husband grabed at the dirt and then very delicate bug with a huge claw came out of the dirt in his hand and walked backwards trying to burrow itself head up under the dirt between my husbands fingers..He calls them “ant eaters”…What are they? there are tons of quick sand pits with these things all over the drive way..
admin says
@Emily: I would have to see this insect to help identify it. Can you take a picture of it and send it to me? There are many large ground living insects that emerge at different times of the year and some that live there all year long so my list of guesses would be quite long. Send a picture or at least a detailed description and perhaps I can further assist.
Jenny says
I have ‘holes’ in the yard also, mostly in the dirt where the grass won’t grow, base of trees. We’ve found them to be caused by big, huge beetles. They seem harmless enough. BUT…my question is (i’m searching for answer myself, thus I came to this site) what are the dirt tunnels I have popping up all over my yard? They look like dry small hollowed dirt tunnels. They crumble easy and I’ve seen small yellow ? termites? if I look really closely. I don’t have termites on my home (recent reno done). I’ve tried Amdro for fire ants (they are not fire ant mounds). Seems the only thing I can do at this point is water like crazy! But w/in a day, they are back with a vengence. They seem to eat the grass until only dry vines are left. We have St Augestine grass, we live in San Antonio Tx. My neighbors who don’t have St Augestine, have no grass left at all. Just dirt! So they don’t care what grass they eat. I have no idea what to put out. I’ve even tried Seven powder. Help! I’m loosing the battle to save my lawn!
Tech Support says
@Jenny: I would refrain from treating until you actually capture one and get it identified. There are just too many possibilities and without knowledge of just what is causing the damage, there is no “one” treatment that can cure everything. You must first narrow it down and this will require a specimen someone can see.
Barb says
I live in sw PA and moved here 4 yrs ago. Clearly I have moles in my yard, but they don`t seem to go to the neighboring yards…now this winter something is burrowing holes in a large potted plant I have in my living room. There is a small hole opened in the baseboard where possibly it was a cable opening from previous owner of the house. Also small beads on my sofa pillows are being chewed off but left. I did use the worms (poison) in the plant soil but what now? Have they moved in? Also, across the street, a new house is being built…excavation…we have mild weather, are they being disturbed maybe? Help!
Tech Support says
@Barb: First, I don’t want to scare you but this is definitely not a mole. My guess is a mouse or rat or maybe a shrew. You can read up on all three here:
Rat and Mouse Article: http://www.bugspray.com/article/rats.html
Shrews: http://www.bugspray.com/article/shrews.html
For now, don’t panic. But before you do anything, I have to ask if you have a pet? Because if you have a cat or dog and place food out in the open, this could very well explain what’s happening. This time of year pet food is highly desirable and will bring many animals inside seeking it.
So if you do, use some of their food and place out 3-5 pieces where you’re finding activity. If the placement is taken, great. You should know in one day. If not, change the food to maybe some fruit or nuts or bird seed or any food item you have loose around the home, either inside or outside, which might be something this creature has found.
You should also get one of the small live traps we have listed in our articles. The one that will cover all three of these animals is the little LT3310. You can see it here:
Trap: http://www.bugspraycart.com/traps/cage/live-trap-3-x-3-x-10
Now once you find out what kind of food this guy will eat, you’ll use it for bait and place some in the trap, behind the trip pan, and set the trap where you were able to get this guy to feed. Chances are high you’ll nail him within a day and since this trap will handle any small animal like you have, it’s a good all around device to use. If you have further questions or concerns, give us a call toll free at 1-800-877-7290 and we’ll walk you through the process but I’ve dealt with situations like this before and they’re pretty easy to handle.
Barb says
Yes, I have a dog, and today I found a pile of dog food behind my entertainment center! It sits right next to the potted plant which I moved to the garage. I now believe I`m dealing with a mouse or maybe even rat, ugh, but I didn`t know they would dig in soil like that! Regardless, a trap is what I need, but how do you kill them? Or do you turn them loose somewhere? yuk!
Tech Support says
@Barb: Once caught, it’s entirely up to you what you want to do with it. Some people will drop the trap and all into a bucket of water which will drown the critter quickly. This is humane. But if you don’t want to destroy it, take it at least 5 miles away and release it in a wooded area.
As for the digging; many animals will dig including rats, mice and shrews. But there are a lot more. Still, I bet it one of the three I already mentioned and the dog food will be the way to go for a quick catch. Good luck!
clark weber says
I see occasional holes, but there are many very soft areas where my foot actually sinks into the ground. Are there any insects that could cause this type of damage?
Thank You
Clark
Tech Support says
Clark,
There are a few insects that can excavate enough dirt to make the ground “soft”. Ants, yellow jackets, mole crickets and various digger wasps can have such an impact. But its more likely one of the animals listed above are involved. And since moles, shrews, voles and rats aren’t active out in the open, their tunneling can occur down in the ground out of sight. The net impact is many times a “soft” layer of top soil which gives as you walk over it.
Technical Support
U-Spray Bugspray
http://www.bugspray.com
1-800-877-7290