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What's digging holes in my yard?
A whole village of little black dirt hills appeared in my yard
seemingly overnight. There must be 20-30 of them in one 10x12 area, most about three inches in diameter. There are similar but smaller villages elsewhere in the yard. I scraped some of the dirt hills away and found a small hole, maybe 3/8" in diameter, under each one. It looks like the hole of a burrowing snake or something. What have I got? Is this thing harmful to the lawn, or does its tunneling help aerate the ground? The areas it has chosen to tunnel in are only sparsely covered with grass, so it really can't do much damage unless it spreads to the healthier areas. Any help is appreciated. Thanks. |
What's digging holes in my yard?
Armadillos looking for grub.
-sw On Sun, 26 Oct 2003 15:07:38 -0600, Brian Anderson wrote: A whole village of little black dirt hills appeared in my yard seemingly overnight. There must be 20-30 of them in one 10x12 area, most about three inches in diameter. There are similar but smaller villages elsewhere in the yard. I scraped some of the dirt hills away and found a small hole, maybe 3/8" in diameter, under each one. It looks like the hole of a burrowing snake or something. What have I got? Is this thing harmful to the lawn, or does its tunneling help aerate the ground? The areas it has chosen to tunnel in are only sparsely covered with grass, so it really can't do much damage unless it spreads to the healthier areas. Any help is appreciated. Thanks. |
What's digging holes in my yard?
If you see a round hole underneath it could be mudbugs.
-- Victor Martinez Owned and operated by the Fantastic Seven (TM) Send your spam he Email me he |
What's digging holes in my yard?
On Sun, 26 Oct 2003 15:46:49 -0600, Steve Wertz
wrote: Armadillos looking for grub. ..... I scraped some of the dirt hills away and found a small hole, maybe 3/8" in diameter, under each one. I missed that part... obviously not armadillos. Probably bugs, as Victor said. -sw |
What's digging holes in my yard?
On Sun, 26 Oct 2003 15:07:38 -0600, Brian Anderson
wrote: A whole village of little black dirt hills appeared in my yard seemingly overnight. There must be 20-30 of them in one 10x12 area, most about three inches in diameter. There are similar but smaller villages elsewhere in the yard. I scraped some of the dirt hills away and found a small hole, maybe 3/8" in diameter, under each one. It looks like the hole of a burrowing snake or something. What have I got? Is this thing harmful to the lawn, or does its tunneling help aerate the ground? The areas it has chosen to tunnel in are only sparsely covered with grass, so it really can't do much damage unless it spreads to the healthier areas. Hmm Could be some sort of wasp. In our yard we get some honking big wasps that dig around in the fern beds by the front door. But the holes are a little bigger than you describe, maybe 15 mm. And they are long gone by now. Earthworms leave castings (worm poop) around their tunnels like you describe but the holes would be much smaller. Perhaps 2 or 3 mm. (Maybe 1/4 inch?) Could be crayfish as Victor suggested, but they leave their diggings in a little levee around the hole. You would not have to scrape anything away to see it. And they dig down to the water table, so if the holes are crawdad holes you have some subsurface irrigation. Lucky you. Cut worms (the larvae of June bugs, aka May beetles) don't leave mounds and the adults are long gone anyway. The May beetle larvae will not hatch until next spring. So, this is not much help except to say that my guess is the holes are most likely some sort of burrowing arthropod or annelid and absolutely harmless to your lawn. Elliot Richmond Freelance Science Writer and Editor |
What's digging holes in my yard?
The insects you describe are probably cicada killers. They look like giant wasps
or bees and make holes, which lead to dens where they lay their eggs and insert a cicada for the larvae to feed on till it is morphed into a flying cicada killer. V On Mon, 27 Oct 2003 04:50:33 GMT, Elliot Richmond opined: Could be some sort of wasp. In our yard we get some honking big wasps that dig around in the fern beds by the front door. But the holes are a little bigger than you describe, maybe 15 mm. And they are long gone by now. Earthworms leave castings (worm poop) around their tunnels like you describe but the holes would be much smaller. Perhaps 2 or 3 mm. (Maybe 1/4 inch?) Could be crayfish as Victor suggested, but they leave their diggings in a little levee around the hole. You would not have to scrape anything away to see it. And they dig down to the water table, so if the holes are crawdad holes you have some subsurface irrigation. Lucky you. Cut worms (the larvae of June bugs, aka May beetles) don't leave mounds and the adults are long gone anyway. The May beetle larvae will not hatch until next spring. So, this is not much help except to say that my guess is the holes are most likely some sort of burrowing arthropod or annelid and absolutely harmless to your lawn. Elliot Richmond Freelance Science Writer and Editor |
What's digging holes in my yard?
On Mon, 27 Oct 2003 13:20:06 GMT, animaux
wrote: The insects you describe are probably cicada killers. They look like giant wasps or bees and make holes, which lead to dens where they lay their eggs and insert a cicada for the larvae to feed on till it is morphed into a flying cicada killer. V Yep, cicada killers, most likely Sphecius grandis. I did not want to get technical. Cicada killers rarely dig in healthy turf. they prefer well drained, loose, sandy soil. And they are completely harmless except that they can sting but rarely do, unless you step on one or try to catch one in your bare hand. Elliot Richmond Freelance Science Writer and Editor |
What's digging holes in my yard?
On Mon, 27 Oct 2003 23:40:39 GMT, Elliot Richmond
opined: Yep, cicada killers, most likely Sphecius grandis. I did not want to get technical. Cicada killers rarely dig in healthy turf. they prefer well drained, loose, sandy soil. And they are completely harmless except that they can sting but rarely do, unless you step on one or try to catch one in your bare hand. Elliot Richmond Freelance Science Writer and Editor The first spring in this house, we had an infestation of, oh I'd day, about 600 of them. They dug holes all over the place. I didn't have the heart to kill them, but my husband did, one at a time with a tennis racket. The following spring, we had about 100, last spring, about 50...so on. They dug holes in soil which was amended with 12 yards of Revitilizer compost! I had none in the turf. |
What's digging holes in my yard?
Could be the South Texas bolling lizard.
"Steve Wertz" wrote in message ... Armadillos looking for grub. -sw On Sun, 26 Oct 2003 15:07:38 -0600, Brian Anderson wrote: A whole village of little black dirt hills appeared in my yard seemingly overnight. There must be 20-30 of them in one 10x12 area, most about three inches in diameter. There are similar but smaller villages elsewhere in the yard. I scraped some of the dirt hills away and found a small hole, maybe 3/8" in diameter, under each one. It looks like the hole of a burrowing snake or something. What have I got? Is this thing harmful to the lawn, or does its tunneling help aerate the ground? The areas it has chosen to tunnel in are only sparsely covered with grass, so it really can't do much damage unless it spreads to the healthier areas. Any help is appreciated. Thanks. |
What's digging holes in my yard?
On Sat, 01 Nov 2003 01:40:29 GMT, "torresd"
wrote: Could be the South Texas bolling lizard. Thems good eatin' -sw |
What's digging holes in my yard?
Welcome to the wonderful world of armadillos. Pesky little varmits that are
quite difficult to get rid of once they descend on your yard. They dig in search of grub worms so I would suggest checking for and treating for grubs in your yard. Other than that you can use a variety of scents (wolf ****, coyote urine, etc) to scare them off. Mostly blind, they find their way around by habit and by smell. Good luck. Chris "Brian Anderson" wrote in message ... A whole village of little black dirt hills appeared in my yard seemingly overnight. There must be 20-30 of them in one 10x12 area, most about three inches in diameter. There are similar but smaller villages elsewhere in the yard. I scraped some of the dirt hills away and found a small hole, maybe 3/8" in diameter, under each one. It looks like the hole of a burrowing snake or something. What have I got? Is this thing harmful to the lawn, or does its tunneling help aerate the ground? The areas it has chosen to tunnel in are only sparsely covered with grass, so it really can't do much damage unless it spreads to the healthier areas. Any help is appreciated. Thanks. |
What's digging holes in my yard?
Chris wrote:
in your yard. Other than that you can use a variety of scents (wolf ****, coyote urine, etc) to scare them off. Mostly blind, they find their way They don't hurt anything, why would you want to get rid of them. They not only eat harmful grubs, they also help aeriate the soil. -- Victor Martinez Send your spam he Email me he |
What's digging holes in my yard?
On Thu, 06 Nov 2003 05:39:03 GMT, Victor Martinez opined:
Chris wrote: in your yard. Other than that you can use a variety of scents (wolf ****, coyote urine, etc) to scare them off. Mostly blind, they find their way They don't hurt anything, why would you want to get rid of them. They not only eat harmful grubs, they also help aeriate the soil. I think we have a little guy. He snubs his way around and gently knocks things over. I've done some things to keep out cats so they don't kill the birds, but with a backyard wildlife habitat, I welcome the little dinosaurs! V |
What's digging holes in my yard?
animaux wrote:
I think we have a little guy. He snubs his way around and gently knocks things over. I've done some things to keep out cats so they don't kill the birds, but with a backyard wildlife habitat, I welcome the little dinosaurs! We have at least one armadillo, possums, racoons and lot of other critters. We don't mind sharing our garden with them, in our view, it makes it better. -- Victor Martinez Send your spam he Email me he |
What's digging holes in my yard?
"Chris" wrote in message ... Welcome to the wonderful world of armadillos. Pesky little varmits that are quite difficult to get rid of once they descend on your yard. They dig in search of grub worms so I would suggest checking for and treating for grubs in your yard. Other than that you can use a variety of scents (wolf ****, coyote urine, etc) to scare them off. Mostly blind, they find their way around by habit and by smell. You do realize that the wild animal urine and scent business is a horribly inhumane operation for the animals involved? "Brian Anderson" wrote in message ... A whole village of little black dirt hills appeared in my yard seemingly overnight. There must be 20-30 of them in one 10x12 area, most about three inches in diameter. There are similar but smaller villages elsewhere in the yard. I scraped some of the dirt hills away and found a small hole, maybe 3/8" in diameter, under each one. It looks like the hole of a burrowing snake or something. What have I got? Is this thing harmful to the lawn, or does its tunneling help aerate the ground? The areas it has chosen to tunnel in are only sparsely covered with grass, so it really can't do much damage unless it spreads to the healthier areas. Any help is appreciated. Thanks. |
What's digging holes in my yard?
On Thu, 06 Nov 2003 13:41:26 GMT, animaux
wrote: I think we have a little guy. He snubs his way around and gently knocks things over. I've done some things to keep out cats so they don't kill the birds, but with a backyard wildlife habitat, I welcome the little dinosaurs! What have you done to keep out cats? My neighbor's cats run loose and I can't bring myself to call animal control. Elliot Richmond Freelance Science Writer and Editor |
What's digging holes in my yard?
On Thu, 06 Nov 2003 14:02:45 GMT, Victor Martinez opined:
animaux wrote: I think we have a little guy. He snubs his way around and gently knocks things over. I've done some things to keep out cats so they don't kill the birds, but with a backyard wildlife habitat, I welcome the little dinosaurs! We have at least one armadillo, possums, racoons and lot of other critters. We don't mind sharing our garden with them, in our view, it makes it better. We don't have many squirrels here, but last week I heard this rattling in the gutter. The leader, actually. Just scratching and scratching. I noticed the tail was out the bottom and then the legs would also hang out. I thought it was a squirrel stuck in the leader. I tried to tug it out, but was afraid it'd bite. Animal control came in five minutes (holy shit!) and she pulled it out. As I thought, the little guy didn't realize all he needed to do was back out. He was trying to dig up to where he saw light. Poor thing. Last spring and early summer when our peaches ripened, this one sqirrel took one bite of 50 fruits! Fortunately, this tree had about two bushels and we had peaches for every manner of delight. I'm going to plant another peach tree out front so the neighbors can just come and pick their own. Everyone died when they bit into a perfectly tree, ripened, organically grown peach. I could probably sell them for 3 dollars a pound. I have a 'Dixieland' and would like to know if anyone else has peaches with a low, 400 chill hours parameter. I will plant another 'Dixieland' but if there's something else I should know about???? v |
What's digging holes in my yard?
On Thu, 06 Nov 2003 17:11:00 GMT, Elliot Richmond
opined: On Thu, 06 Nov 2003 13:41:26 GMT, animaux wrote: I think we have a little guy. He snubs his way around and gently knocks things over. I've done some things to keep out cats so they don't kill the birds, but with a backyard wildlife habitat, I welcome the little dinosaurs! What have you done to keep out cats? My neighbor's cats run loose and I can't bring myself to call animal control. Elliot Richmond Freelance Science Writer and Editor I went around the entire perimeter of the property and made sure they couldn't get in UNder the fence. Patched it with whatever I had to, I used hardware cloth in some places. Then, to prevent them climbing over the fence I bought those really inexpensive one foot tall border fences. They are metal and have tines which stick into the ground. I nailed that on top of the fence all the way around, but on one side the neighbor has a dog and he keeps all cats out on that side. After I nailed it up, I bent it pointing downward so if a cat got up, it couldn't or at least wouldn't risk being impaled. I've seen a cat try to get up and back down. I think I have a photo... http://home.austin.rr.com/animaux/ne...n/Page_6x.html It's not a very clear photo, but it gives you the idea. This type without the tines is on a gate. I used the ones with tines bent down at a 45 degree angle along other parts where we would not be in contact with it. So far, not a cat in the backyard, and I know they are around. It's never their fault, so I would never try to hurt of punish them, but their owners are assholes. What can I say. V |
What's digging holes in my yard?
On Thu, 06 Nov 2003 19:42:16 GMT, animaux
wrote: After I nailed it up, I bent it pointing downward so if a cat got up, it couldn't or at least wouldn't risk being impaled. I've seen a cat try to get up and back down. I think I have a photo... http://home.austin.rr.com/animaux/ne...n/Page_6x.html Thanks. This at least gives me some ideas. I too do not wish to harm the cats, but I would like to keep them out of the yard. Elliot Richmond Freelance Science Writer and Editor |
What's digging holes in my yard?
"Victor Martinez" wrote in message news:X7lqb.4256 Chris wrote: in your yard. Other than that you can use a variety of scents (wolf ****, coyote urine, etc) to scare them off. Mostly blind, they find their way They don't hurt anything, why would you want to get rid of them. They not only eat harmful grubs, they also help aeriate the soil. Hey, Victor- I'm a real animal lover - really. But these little *******s have dug so many holes in my yard sometimes in the morning I come out and it looks like there was some sort of war. And they frequently will get in my flowerbeds and go to town! I have one hole that is (and I am not exagerating) over 3 feet deep and 1 foot wide. They throw all my good, expensive dirt all over the place (not where it belongs), dig up my carefully arranged and expensive plants, break the roots of other plants as they dig and have killed more than one of my favorite plants by repeatedly digging it up. Frankly, I'm really, really sick of them in my yard. If anyone wants them PLEASE come get them. I have at least 6 - one set of 4 who were all born about the same time and two older, bigger ones that live down the street. If anyone is interested in having these little natural aerators (as has been implied in some of the other posts) let me know via this group and I will happily let you come set traps and take them all away. Chris |
What's digging holes in my yard?
"cat daddy" wrote in message ... "Chris" wrote in message ... Welcome to the wonderful world of armadillos. Pesky little varmits that are quite difficult to get rid of once they descend on your yard. They dig in search of grub worms so I would suggest checking for and treating for grubs in your yard. Other than that you can use a variety of scents (wolf ****, coyote urine, etc) to scare them off. Mostly blind, they find their way around by habit and by smell. You do realize that the wild animal urine and scent business is a horribly inhumane operation for the animals involved? Look, I'm not going to get into a ****ing match about being whole for the world and never hurting anything no matter what you do. I do the best I can and try to take care of Mother Earth. You tell me another way to ward off these little hole-digging tanks and I'll be happy to try it. As of right now the only thing that has worked at all is the coyote urine and me chasing them with sticks, yelling and throwing rocks at them. I'm sure my neighbors think I'm crazy but they are just destroying my yard. As I've offered in another post if you want them or want to take care of them PLEASE come get them. I will HAPPILY check your live trap each day and call you when there is a little munchkin in it. Chris |
What's digging holes in my yard?
On Thu, 06 Nov 2003 20:56:55 GMT, Elliot Richmond
opined: On Thu, 06 Nov 2003 19:42:16 GMT, animaux wrote: After I nailed it up, I bent it pointing downward so if a cat got up, it couldn't or at least wouldn't risk being impaled. I've seen a cat try to get up and back down. I think I have a photo... http://home.austin.rr.com/animaux/ne...n/Page_6x.html Thanks. This at least gives me some ideas. I too do not wish to harm the cats, but I would like to keep them out of the yard. Elliot Richmond Freelance Science Writer and Editor This has worked remarkably well. They probably have these little fence things at Lowes, rolled up in packages of 25 feet, each. They cost about 3something each. |
What's digging holes in my yard?
On Thu, 06 Nov 2003 23:45:20 GMT, "Chris" opined:
"Victor Martinez" wrote in message news:X7lqb.4256 Chris wrote: in your yard. Other than that you can use a variety of scents (wolf ****, coyote urine, etc) to scare them off. Mostly blind, they find their way They don't hurt anything, why would you want to get rid of them. They not only eat harmful grubs, they also help aeriate the soil. Hey, Victor- I'm a real animal lover - really. But these little *******s have dug so many holes in my yard sometimes in the morning I come out and it looks like there was some sort of war. And they frequently will get in my flowerbeds and go to town! I have one hole that is (and I am not exagerating) over 3 feet deep and 1 foot wide. They throw all my good, expensive dirt all over the place (not where it belongs), dig up my carefully arranged and expensive plants, break the roots of other plants as they dig and have killed more than one of my favorite plants by repeatedly digging it up. Frankly, I'm really, really sick of them in my yard. If anyone wants them PLEASE come get them. I have at least 6 - one set of 4 who were all born about the same time and two older, bigger ones that live down the street. If anyone is interested in having these little natural aerators (as has been implied in some of the other posts) let me know via this group and I will happily let you come set traps and take them all away. Chris Chris, are you sure it's armadillo's? This sounds more like skunks or raccoons to me. Instead of urine, you may want to try a thing they sell which shoots out a jet of water when movement is nearby. I can see why you are frustrated. My garden is not neat, it's there for wildlife. My style of gardening can tolerate some damage. I suppose we have much different circumstances, which is fine. See if you can actually identify the animal. Go out late at night with a flashlight and see from afar. You definitely do not want to be sprayed by a skunk! Victoria |
What's digging holes in my yard?
On Thu, 06 Nov 2003 23:49:55 GMT, "Chris" opined:
Look, I'm not going to get into a ****ing match about being whole for the world and never hurting anything no matter what you do. I do the best I can and try to take care of Mother Earth. You tell me another way to ward off these little hole-digging tanks and I'll be happy to try it. As of right now the only thing that has worked at all is the coyote urine and me chasing them with sticks, yelling and throwing rocks at them. I'm sure my neighbors think I'm crazy but they are just destroying my yard. As I've offered in another post if you want them or want to take care of them PLEASE come get them. I will HAPPILY check your live trap each day and call you when there is a little munchkin in it. Chris Nobody is in a ****ing match. This is a very friendly group. Maybe your style of gardening for the location needs to be tweaked. Sometimes we want to force a certain style and circumstances force us to either surrender or be at the end of the rope. What type of garden is this? Is it a formal garden, or cottage, or native Texas, or what? Maybe we can help with managing the problem with the use of plants which work with the situation. There is always a remedy. Deep breath. Nobody is on the attack. Let's see if a solution is out here. victoria |
What's digging holes in my yard?
OK, it's late. Favorite squirrel story:
This occurred about six years ago when we still lived in town (Rosedale/South Allandale). We had put "extenders" on our gutter downspouts to get the rain water away from our pier and beam foundation. The landscaping over the years (60 year old house) had built the yard up above the level of the original underlying grade, and rainwater had tended to pool under the house with interesting (very, but other story) consequences. Anyway, I came home from work one day to find my wife and our male beagle in the side yard. She was watching him terrorizing one of the downspout extenders, to the point of crushing and ripping the end of the aluminum. We talked briefly, and she told me that she had heard some noises from within the drainpipe, although she did not know the cause. I asked her to restrain the dog, and then removed the extender from the downspout (easy because they were not riveted, so we could mow). A little shaking and listening revealed that there was, indeed, an animal of some type inside. I took a relatively serious baseball-type swing with the pipe, which was about 5 feet long, and launched one of the most surprised looking squirrels I have ever seen about 30' across the back yard. His alarm lasted about 1/2 second beyond his landing, because the beagle had torn loose from my wife's grip and was closing quickly. No blood, no foul, but it was about the second or third most amusing interaction with the wildlife we encountered while living in town. |
What's digging holes in my yard?
Wish someone could tell me what to do about neighbors' cats short of
poisoning them. Complained to one woman that her cats were using my larger potted plants as litter boxes, and that they had even gotten into my larger bag of expensive soil. She told me to "keep a spray bottle close by and squirt them with it" when I caught them on my balcony (yeah... Not in a ground-based yard, but on my BALCONY) and I asked her why I needed to train HER CATS??? My dogs were NEVER found on her balcony! Is antifreeze on sale anywhere this weekend? On 11/6/03 11:11 AM, in article , "Elliot Richmond" wrote: On Thu, 06 Nov 2003 13:41:26 GMT, animaux wrote: I think we have a little guy. He snubs his way around and gently knocks things over. I've done some things to keep out cats so they don't kill the birds, but with a backyard wildlife habitat, I welcome the little dinosaurs! What have you done to keep out cats? My neighbor's cats run loose and I can't bring myself to call animal control. Elliot Richmond Freelance Science Writer and Editor -- |
What's digging holes in my yard?
Frankly, this is a good job for Animal Control.
"Fred G" wrote in message ... Wish someone could tell me what to do about neighbors' cats short of poisoning them. Complained to one woman that her cats were using my larger potted plants as litter boxes, and that they had even gotten into my larger bag of expensive soil. She told me to "keep a spray bottle close by and squirt them with it" when I caught them on my balcony (yeah... Not in a ground-based yard, but on my BALCONY) and I asked her why I needed to train HER CATS??? My dogs were NEVER found on her balcony! Is antifreeze on sale anywhere this weekend? On 11/6/03 11:11 AM, in article , "Elliot Richmond" wrote: On Thu, 06 Nov 2003 13:41:26 GMT, animaux wrote: I think we have a little guy. He snubs his way around and gently knocks things over. I've done some things to keep out cats so they don't kill the birds, but with a backyard wildlife habitat, I welcome the little dinosaurs! What have you done to keep out cats? My neighbor's cats run loose and I can't bring myself to call animal control. Elliot Richmond Freelance Science Writer and Editor -- |
What's digging holes in my yard?
Unless you are kidding, you should go take a nice swig of anti-freeze.
If you're not kidding, put a layer of pea gravel on top of your pots and the cats will stay out. If you kill them, don't announce it here because I will find you and press charges. It's not the cats fault. On Sat, 08 Nov 2003 04:22:13 GMT, Fred G opined: Wish someone could tell me what to do about neighbors' cats short of poisoning them. Complained to one woman that her cats were using my larger potted plants as litter boxes, and that they had even gotten into my larger bag of expensive soil. She told me to "keep a spray bottle close by and squirt them with it" when I caught them on my balcony (yeah... Not in a ground-based yard, but on my BALCONY) and I asked her why I needed to train HER CATS??? My dogs were NEVER found on her balcony! Is antifreeze on sale anywhere this weekend? On 11/6/03 11:11 AM, in article , "Elliot Richmond" wrote: On Thu, 06 Nov 2003 13:41:26 GMT, animaux wrote: I think we have a little guy. He snubs his way around and gently knocks things over. I've done some things to keep out cats so they don't kill the birds, but with a backyard wildlife habitat, I welcome the little dinosaurs! What have you done to keep out cats? My neighbor's cats run loose and I can't bring myself to call animal control. Elliot Richmond Freelance Science Writer and Editor |
What's digging holes in my yard?
Something to look at is just how are the cats getting up to the balcony? Is
there a tree nearby? Can the branches be trimmed back? "Fred G" wrote in message ... Wish someone could tell me what to do about neighbors' cats short of poisoning them. Complained to one woman that her cats were using my larger potted plants as litter boxes, and that they had even gotten into my larger bag of expensive soil. She told me to "keep a spray bottle close by and squirt them with it" when I caught them on my balcony (yeah... Not in a ground-based yard, but on my BALCONY) and I asked her why I needed to train HER CATS??? My dogs were NEVER found on her balcony! Is antifreeze on sale anywhere this weekend? On 11/6/03 11:11 AM, in article , "Elliot Richmond" wrote: On Thu, 06 Nov 2003 13:41:26 GMT, animaux wrote: I think we have a little guy. He snubs his way around and gently knocks things over. I've done some things to keep out cats so they don't kill the birds, but with a backyard wildlife habitat, I welcome the little dinosaurs! What have you done to keep out cats? My neighbor's cats run loose and I can't bring myself to call animal control. Elliot Richmond Freelance Science Writer and Editor -- |
What's digging holes in my yard?
I live on the end of my building and there is a "catwalk" (ironic) that
hides cable and phone lines. They walk across that and make it to the balcony. I hate to poison them, and animal control won't do anything about cats usually. As I said, I don't think it should be my responsibility to train her cats, but if she's not willing to keep them inside. BUT found this morning that one had actually crapped on the concrete (and the cat must have been sick... YUK!) that I had to go clean up. I've tried cactus-type of plants on the ledge to block them, but they've managed to knock them off and I'm out the cost of the pots and plants. |
What's digging holes in my yard?
Animal control might let you borrow a trap for critters such as possums and
raccoons, and you might be able to get a cat to get into one of those for a cheap catnip toy. "Fred G" wrote in message ... I live on the end of my building and there is a "catwalk" (ironic) that hides cable and phone lines. They walk across that and make it to the balcony. I hate to poison them, and animal control won't do anything about cats usually. As I said, I don't think it should be my responsibility to train her cats, but if she's not willing to keep them inside. BUT found this morning that one had actually crapped on the concrete (and the cat must have been sick... YUK!) that I had to go clean up. I've tried cactus-type of plants on the ledge to block them, but they've managed to knock them off and I'm out the cost of the pots and plants. |
What's digging holes in my yard?
"Fred G" wrote in message ... I live on the end of my building and there is a "catwalk" (ironic) that hides cable and phone lines. They walk across that and make it to the balcony. I hate to poison them, and animal control won't do anything about cats usually. As I said, I don't think it should be my responsibility to train her cats, but if she's not willing to keep them inside. BUT found this morning that one had actually crapped on the concrete (and the cat must have been sick... YUK!) that I had to go clean up. I've tried cactus-type of plants on the ledge to block them, but they've managed to knock them off and I'm out the cost of the pots and plants. Go to Home Depot or Lowes and ask for "hardware cloth". It's large and rigid wire screen. Cut to the diameter of the pot, snip to the center and cut a hole the size of the plant. They probably also have a larger screen for multi-stemmed plants that could grow right through. You could probably use a bit of screen to block off the catwalk, as well. |
What's digging holes in my yard?
If these are the same thing I've got, they're definitely *not* armadillos
(unless they are *extremely* tiny armadillos). These are little mounds of dirt. 2-3 inches in diameter ~1 inch in height. with a small hole, maybe 1/4 inch or less under each mound (see original post). Also, far too many, and the wrong time of year for cicada killers. They are also not mudbugs, (crawdads) the area is way too dry. Any more guesses? "Chris" wrote in message ... Welcome to the wonderful world of armadillos. Pesky little varmits that are quite difficult to get rid of once they descend on your yard. They dig in search of grub worms so I would suggest checking for and treating for grubs in your yard. Other than that you can use a variety of scents (wolf ****, coyote urine, etc) to scare them off. Mostly blind, they find their way around by habit and by smell. Good luck. Chris "Brian Anderson" wrote in message ... A whole village of little black dirt hills appeared in my yard seemingly overnight. There must be 20-30 of them in one 10x12 area, most about three inches in diameter. There are similar but smaller villages elsewhere in the yard. I scraped some of the dirt hills away and found a small hole, maybe 3/8" in diameter, under each one. It looks like the hole of a burrowing snake or something. What have I got? Is this thing harmful to the lawn, or does its tunneling help aerate the ground? The areas it has chosen to tunnel in are only sparsely covered with grass, so it really can't do much damage unless it spreads to the healthier areas. Any help is appreciated. Thanks. |
What's digging holes in my yard?
This description actually sounds like ants, especially with the "way too
dry" area. Take a peek here and compa http://www.insectlore.com/xinsectuca..._activity.html "OtherOne" wrote in message ... If these are the same thing I've got, they're definitely *not* armadillos (unless they are *extremely* tiny armadillos). These are little mounds of dirt. 2-3 inches in diameter ~1 inch in height. with a small hole, maybe 1/4 inch or less under each mound (see original post). Also, far too many, and the wrong time of year for cicada killers. They are also not mudbugs, (crawdads) the area is way too dry. Any more guesses? "Chris" wrote in message ... Welcome to the wonderful world of armadillos. Pesky little varmits that are quite difficult to get rid of once they descend on your yard. They dig in search of grub worms so I would suggest checking for and treating for grubs in your yard. Other than that you can use a variety of scents (wolf ****, coyote urine, etc) to scare them off. Mostly blind, they find their way around by habit and by smell. Good luck. Chris "Brian Anderson" wrote in message ... A whole village of little black dirt hills appeared in my yard seemingly overnight. There must be 20-30 of them in one 10x12 area, most about three inches in diameter. There are similar but smaller villages elsewhere in the yard. I scraped some of the dirt hills away and found a small hole, maybe 3/8" in diameter, under each one. It looks like the hole of a burrowing snake or something. What have I got? Is this thing harmful to the lawn, or does its tunneling help aerate the ground? The areas it has chosen to tunnel in are only sparsely covered with grass, so it really can't do much damage unless it spreads to the healthier areas. Any help is appreciated. Thanks. |
What's digging holes in my yard?
Probably worm castings. I have them all over the place and I welcome them and
love them! Best fertilizer money can buy. On Tue, 11 Nov 2003 07:35:27 -0600, "OtherOne" opined: If these are the same thing I've got, they're definitely *not* armadillos (unless they are *extremely* tiny armadillos). These are little mounds of dirt. 2-3 inches in diameter ~1 inch in height. with a small hole, maybe 1/4 inch or less under each mound (see original post). Also, far too many, and the wrong time of year for cicada killers. They are also not mudbugs, (crawdads) the area is way too dry. Any more guesses? "Chris" wrote in message . .. Welcome to the wonderful world of armadillos. Pesky little varmits that are quite difficult to get rid of once they descend on your yard. They dig in search of grub worms so I would suggest checking for and treating for grubs in your yard. Other than that you can use a variety of scents (wolf ****, coyote urine, etc) to scare them off. Mostly blind, they find their way around by habit and by smell. Good luck. Chris "Brian Anderson" wrote in message ... A whole village of little black dirt hills appeared in my yard seemingly overnight. There must be 20-30 of them in one 10x12 area, most about three inches in diameter. There are similar but smaller villages elsewhere in the yard. I scraped some of the dirt hills away and found a small hole, maybe 3/8" in diameter, under each one. It looks like the hole of a burrowing snake or something. What have I got? Is this thing harmful to the lawn, or does its tunneling help aerate the ground? The areas it has chosen to tunnel in are only sparsely covered with grass, so it really can't do much damage unless it spreads to the healthier areas. Any help is appreciated. Thanks. |
What's digging holes in my yard?
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What's digging holes in my yard?
I never ask anything from anyone in this or any newsgroup, but I will now. Can
we all please ignore this Fred. He's a troll. |
What's digging holes in my yard?
Could be the South Texas bolling lizard.
"Steve Wertz" wrote in message ... Armadillos looking for grub. -sw On Sun, 26 Oct 2003 15:07:38 -0600, Brian Anderson wrote: A whole village of little black dirt hills appeared in my yard seemingly overnight. There must be 20-30 of them in one 10x12 area, most about three inches in diameter. There are similar but smaller villages elsewhere in the yard. I scraped some of the dirt hills away and found a small hole, maybe 3/8" in diameter, under each one. It looks like the hole of a burrowing snake or something. What have I got? Is this thing harmful to the lawn, or does its tunneling help aerate the ground? The areas it has chosen to tunnel in are only sparsely covered with grass, so it really can't do much damage unless it spreads to the healthier areas. Any help is appreciated. Thanks. |
What's digging holes in my yard?
On Sat, 01 Nov 2003 01:40:29 GMT, "torresd"
wrote: Could be the South Texas bolling lizard. Thems good eatin' -sw |
What's digging holes in my yard?
Welcome to the wonderful world of armadillos. Pesky little varmits that are
quite difficult to get rid of once they descend on your yard. They dig in search of grub worms so I would suggest checking for and treating for grubs in your yard. Other than that you can use a variety of scents (wolf ****, coyote urine, etc) to scare them off. Mostly blind, they find their way around by habit and by smell. Good luck. Chris "Brian Anderson" wrote in message ... A whole village of little black dirt hills appeared in my yard seemingly overnight. There must be 20-30 of them in one 10x12 area, most about three inches in diameter. There are similar but smaller villages elsewhere in the yard. I scraped some of the dirt hills away and found a small hole, maybe 3/8" in diameter, under each one. It looks like the hole of a burrowing snake or something. What have I got? Is this thing harmful to the lawn, or does its tunneling help aerate the ground? The areas it has chosen to tunnel in are only sparsely covered with grass, so it really can't do much damage unless it spreads to the healthier areas. Any help is appreciated. Thanks. |
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