View Single Post
  #10   Report Post  
Old 09-10-2012, 01:53 PM posted to alt.home.lawn.garden
[email protected][_2_] trader4@optonline.net[_2_] is offline
external usenet poster
 
First recorded activity by GardenBanter: Mar 2011
Posts: 237
Default Help! Lawn damage

On Oct 9, 8:22*am, Dave wrote:
On Tuesday, October 9, 2012 8:15:11 AM UTC-4, Frank wrote:
On 10/8/2012 5:09 PM, Dave wrote:


On Monday, October 8, 2012 7:55:05 AM UTC-4, Pat Kiewicz wrote:


Dave said:


Here are some pictures - I tried to post them earlier but a Comcast problem interfered.


http://home.comcast.net/~dg_moore/la...awndamage.html


Very typical of skunks digging for grubs and worms. (Racoons are another possible


culprit, but skunks would be my primary suspect.) *This time of year they are working


hard to fatten up, doubly so as they probably had a tough time of it over the summer.


They tend to avoid thick, uniform stands of turf and concentrate on areas where the turf


is thinning, patchy or otherwise varied.


--


Pat in Plymouth MI


"Yes, swooping is bad."


email valid but not regularly monitored


Interesting - we do smell skunks around here regularly, but I haven't actually seen any. Wonder how to deal with them, if the culprit turns out to be skunks. Maybe if I catch them in the act I could run toward them, yelling and waving my arms? I don't see how that could go wrong...


As Pat points out, skunks are fearless. *You back off, not them.


You can actually catch them in a Hav-a-hart trap and dispose of them if


you have the nerve. *You throw a tarp over the trapped skunk and haul it


away and release it by opening the trap from a distance.


*From discussion, I suspect dogs. *I have not seen that much lawn damage


from skunks and other critters.


Interesting discussion. I still don't know what, if anything, I can do about this. I think I'll set up a motion activated camera and see if I can catch anybody in the act.

Thanks to all!
Dave- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -


Squirrels also dig holes to bury nuts in the Fall. But since
it's apparently happening at night, that would rule them out.
Skunks and raccoons dig for grubs. I'd suggest lifting a
square foot section of turf in a few places adjacent to where
the digging has occured. If you find grubs, that would suggest
treating for them could solve both the grub problem and
the digging. Depending on where you are, it's late to
treat for grubs now though.