Something is digging in my yard - Ask Extension
Over the past two nights, about two dozen of these holes appeared in our yard. We've had voles before and have used nematodes to reduce the grub suppl...
Knowledgebase
Something is digging in my yard #899580
Asked May 01, 2025, 2:58 PM EDT
Over the past two nights, about two dozen of these holes appeared in our yard. We've had voles before and have used nematodes to reduce the grub supply. These holes do not have adjacent tunnels, at least not which are visible/noticeable yet. We do have raised produce beds, but the holes are so far only in the lawn. Any idea what might be making these holes?
Wicomico County Maryland
Expert Response
Identifying the culprit behind holes in the yard can be difficult. To narrow-down the candidate list, a process of elimination may help, taking into consideration the size of the holes, whether they continue into tunnels or dead-end, and if mounds of soil are present. Iowa State University’s resource Diagnosing Holes in the Yard may be helpful, even though it’s not a complete overlap with Maryland’s hole-digging fauna, nor is it an exhaustive list. NC State Extension’s “What’s Making This Hole in My Yard?” article is a similar resource that isn't all-encompassing either, but which might provide clues to the culprit.
If you observe a burrow for a few days, see if there are more clues that appear, such as footprints or scat nearby. Does it seem to be a one-time disturbance, or does it look like something is consistently at work in that area? (If you fill the hole in, does it reappear within a few days?) Some gardeners set up a motion-activated trail cam to see if they can catch what animals are visiting, especially overnight.
Since the details of animal behavior and the specifics of burrow construction are outside of the realm of our expertise, you can inquire with wildlife biologists at the MD Department of Natural Resources. An email can be sent to <personal data hidden> (especially if you want to share photos) or, if you would like to speak to someone, they have a Wildlife and Heritage Service phone number at<personal data hidden>. The phone line is staffed during regular business hours, 8:00 am to 4:30 pm, except state holidays and weekends.
Voles do not eat grubs, they eat plant roots and other plant parts. Moles do eat grubs, but they also eat earthworms and other invertebrates, so treating a yard for grubs probably won't reduce their population by much, if at all. (Often lawn damage is mistakenly attributed to grubs when other factors are to blame.) If these depressions are not connected to tunnels, they may just be foraging holes created by skunks or raccoons looking for insects or other invertebrates in the lawn, especially given how many of them appeared in such a short time, more than a mole population would be likely to make. (Lawn invertebrate food could include grubs, but doesn't necessarily have to, or it doesn't necessarily mean that a grub population is high enough to damage the turf and warrant treatment.) There isn't any reliable way that we're aware of to keep skunks or raccoons from digging in a lawn, and they will move on once they've exhausted the food supply or found another food source that's easier to obtain.
Miri
If you observe a burrow for a few days, see if there are more clues that appear, such as footprints or scat nearby. Does it seem to be a one-time disturbance, or does it look like something is consistently at work in that area? (If you fill the hole in, does it reappear within a few days?) Some gardeners set up a motion-activated trail cam to see if they can catch what animals are visiting, especially overnight.
Since the details of animal behavior and the specifics of burrow construction are outside of the realm of our expertise, you can inquire with wildlife biologists at the MD Department of Natural Resources. An email can be sent to <personal data hidden> (especially if you want to share photos) or, if you would like to speak to someone, they have a Wildlife and Heritage Service phone number at<personal data hidden>. The phone line is staffed during regular business hours, 8:00 am to 4:30 pm, except state holidays and weekends.
Voles do not eat grubs, they eat plant roots and other plant parts. Moles do eat grubs, but they also eat earthworms and other invertebrates, so treating a yard for grubs probably won't reduce their population by much, if at all. (Often lawn damage is mistakenly attributed to grubs when other factors are to blame.) If these depressions are not connected to tunnels, they may just be foraging holes created by skunks or raccoons looking for insects or other invertebrates in the lawn, especially given how many of them appeared in such a short time, more than a mole population would be likely to make. (Lawn invertebrate food could include grubs, but doesn't necessarily have to, or it doesn't necessarily mean that a grub population is high enough to damage the turf and warrant treatment.) There isn't any reliable way that we're aware of to keep skunks or raccoons from digging in a lawn, and they will move on once they've exhausted the food supply or found another food source that's easier to obtain.
Miri
