Yard Mystery! Help us solve.

[Elmorton]

So, this morning, my DH woke up and looked out the back window, and we had this patch that looked like a very bad golfer was using our backyard as a driving range.

Anybody ever seen something like this? What is it, and why is it doing this? How can we prevent it??

We assume it's some sort of animal, and we live in the Midwest - in a regular ol neighborhood (not rural) - if that helps. I have a few photos to follow.

TIA!!

 

[Elmorton]

Didn''t attach first time - here''s another try -

 

[Elmorton]

A close-up.

 

[Paz]

My first guess is moles' our yard had similar holes all over. We live in FL and our yard was decimated by armadillos and moles! My husband put mole traps in the areas with the most damage and it worked well (except for all the dead moles in the backyard).

I believe Home Depot and Lowes have mole/rodent stuff to treat your lawn with. I'd give your local home improvement store and ask them what they recommend.

I hope your yard gets back to normal soon!

 

[Little Monster]

It was ME!! (but aren''t I cute?!?)

(hint... search for ''mole'' and ''mole damage'' with google images)

 

[Elmorton]

DH doesn't think it's moles, because as far as we can tell, they aren't tunneling. It just looks like golf divots. Maybe we're just in denial, because LM, that photo is TERRIFYING!!

Paz - what did you do with all of the dead moles???

I also posted my pics on FB, and so far, one vote for squirrels, one for moles, and one for drunken aliens. Anybody have any experience with digging squirrels?

Also - if it is moles, will we be able to shine the porch light out on them tonight and see them??

 

[Paz]

Date: 10/11/2009 7:38:44 PM
Author: Elmorton
DH doesn''t think it''s moles, because as far as we can tell, they aren''t tunneling. It just looks like golf divots. Maybe we''re just in denial, because LM, that photo is TERRIFYING!!

Paz - what did you do with all of the dead moles???

I also posted my pics on FB, and so far, one vote for squirrels, one for moles, and one for drunken aliens. Anybody have any experience with digging squirrels?

Also - if it is moles, will we be able to shine the porch light out on them tonight and see them??

My husband threw some of them into trash bags (if it was close to trash day) or into the "jungle" behind the house.

Not sure if you''ll be able to see the moles if you shine light on them, but it''s worth a try!

 

[jewelerman]

i agree that its an animal that tunnels or burrows.Had the same problem this summer with ground hogs.

 

[diane5006]

We had the same thing last year @ this time (small area) and blamed it on the dog our neighbor also had it...then we got it this srping too...they ate up huge areas 10x30 or so and some others

It is skunks digging for grubs...they do it at night...and I saw them once or twice...

we had the yard treated for grubs...we missed the treatment last year cause we had just moved here...and thn reseeded the lawn all better now...

if you google you will find pictures that look just like your lawn

diane

 

[Maria D]

Do you have raccoons around? Looks like the damage raccoons make when searching for grubs.
Check out this link.

My yard is full of moles. I know this only because my cats keep catching them and leaving them dead on my doorstep! I have never seen any live moles or mole tunnels. But years ago when I lived in a place with lots of raccoons (Toronto, believe it or not) my yard looked a lot like yours. Sometimes the raccoons would even "peel back" parts of the lawn as if it were sod.

 

[diane5006]

It could be racoons as well...but I have caught skunky in the act

 

[Elmorton]

I think it may be a raccoon - I just flipped on our porch light and a large cat-sized, tailed creature went running from the side of our house (and you can bet I screamed a little!)

But now I''m freaked that it''s a skunk! I never thought of the possibility. Thanks for the heads up, diane. And Maria, that link looks EXACTLY like my lawn.

Okay - so - next step: grub treatment??

 

[IdLikeToBuyAVal]

When I lived in southern Missouri we had some very similar damage and it turned out that we had an armadillo. They''re nocturnal so it was pretty hard to figure out what was causing all the damage. I''m not sure what kind of critter control options you have for armadillos but maybe you can have someone trap and remove whatever it is??

 

[cammy85]

I have something similar in my yard as a midwesterner too. I think it''s either skunks, racoons or squirrels

 

[soocool]

Pull the dead grass back and take a look. It will probably be grubs that become japanese beetles next summer. The grubs feed on the grass roots. We just went through this and this is how our lawn looked.

If they are grubs, then get some Grubex and kill them off. Then you should rake out the area, add compost, and reseed.

Let me know what you find.

ETA: Animals may be feeding on those grubs and that is why you are finding those holes.

 

[Tropicmaster]

My vote is for squirrels. This is the time of year that they bury their winters food supply. I have hundreds and maybe thousands of those exact holes in my yard. Our yard is 2 acres so thats why so many holes in mine, and we are surrounded by acres of hardwoods. We sit on the screen porch and watch the squirels dig the holes and bury acorns in them. Whats funny is that I have read that thye recover only about 10% of what they bury.