Something's digging up the place...

[GoDawgs]

Something's digging lots of holes at night. The average hole is 6-8" deep, 4-5" wide at the top and cone shaped. I searched online last year when this was happening (it eventually stopped after a couple of months) and think it's probably either a skunk or armadillo. Haven't smelled any skunk around this year so maybe it's a 'dillo. Whatever it is, it's baaaaaack! Can anyone confirm this or provide another possibility?

Where these clusters of holes are, there are usually about for or five of these large ones and a lot of smaller 3-4" ones. Like maybe it started digging, thought better of it and moved. Yesterday I backfilled fifteen holes in a 20' diameter area with maybe 6 large ones and the rest small ones. I grab a hoe and use that to scrape dirt back into the holes.

Here's one of the larger holes, located at the corner of one of the garden beds. Fortunately they haven't gone into any of those beds. So far, whatever it is has avoided the game cam.

[Nan_PA_6b]

I've seen similar holes over here that were rats moving in, but yours may be slightly bigger. The good news is it isn't eating your garden. What else is in the area that's appealing to it? Bird feeder? It seems weird that a wild animal would want to have a hole in an open space.

Nan

[Douglas_OW]

It doesn't matter what kind of critter it is. You need to discourage it now, before it gets comfortable, and moves into the garden. Once it digs up your plants, it will be too late.
You should consider stringing some electric fence wire around your garden beds. For a small area, you can use a solar powered charger with a few strands placed outside the perimeter of your beds, low to the ground. This will encourage the critter to move on to greener pastures, before your garden is ruined.

Jim

[GoDawgs]

I'm real tempted to stay up all night and check the area every hour on the hour with either the .22 or 20 gauge.....

[Worth1]

Armadillo.
Worth

[Goodloe]

Originally Posted by Worth1

Armadillo.
Worth

Yep, I'd bet on it. I have one that makes a tour through my front yard every so often. Just haven't been able to catch him in the act. I recommend #3 buckshot in your 20 ga.

[rhines81]

Originally Posted by Worth1

Armadillo.
Worth

Sounds like.

12 gauge, buckshot. Yes, you will need to get in a blind or the roof of your house to get rid of them. Shot many of them (when I lived down south), usually they just dig up your yard looking for grubs, but are very destructive and do not go away on their own.

[GoDawgs]

Tonight around 9pm sister Pickles went on the back porch with the flashlight just to have a look around and spotted the armadillo over by the side of the house. I grabbed the shotgun and since it was slowly heading toward the front, we went around the house the other way and waited. All the cats were secure in the house so when it wandered into view, lit up by the security light with a nice broadside view..... no more 'dillo. It was a big male.

It has now been placed a ways off the road shoulder where it will be recycled by the buzzards. Tomorrow I will fill in all the holes it dug last night. Hopefully it will be the last time.

Last week I was pricing a trap at the feed 'n weed and they had grub killer on sale, $8 for a bag that will treat 10,000 sq ft so I got one. When I got home I got out what we used to call the "wheel of fortune" at work (the rolling measuring wheel) and measured the areas of digging activity. I'll need one more bag and the two won't treat the whole place but they will cover the areas where I've seen mole tunnels.

[Worth1]

I have an armadillo waller in one spot of my yard they love the thing.
Worth

[GoDawgs]

Thanks for the help! I haven't checked the game cam yet this morning. I sure hope it shows up and gives me a time frame for when it comes around.

[brownrexx]

We don't have armadillos in PA but our skunks dig small round holes looking for grubs. Their holes are about the size of a quarter and maybe 3" deep. They are also attracted to any blood or bone meal fertilizer so I don't use that.

[imp]

If it's an armadillo, you might have grubs. They are especially fond of grubs, which is good, but bad because they do tend to make holes like the one in the picture. They also like worms a lot, LOL.

If it's an armadillo, castor oil may make them leave.

http://www.havahart.com/how-to-get-r...adillos#choose

[Patihum]

You could set up a trap for it. Get a live cage and place 2 long boards to make a funnel to the opening. Secure the boards with in ground stakes so they won't fall over. We've caught several that way. Firearms are faster but who wants to set up all night waiting for them to show up only to have it be too dark to shoot.

[GoDawgs]

Originally Posted by Patihum

You could set up a trap for it. Get a live cage and place 2 long boards to make a funnel to the opening. Secure the boards with in ground stakes so they won't fall over. We've caught several that way. Firearms are faster but who wants to set up all night waiting for them to show up only to have it be too dark to shoot.

Thanks for that suggestion. I think I'd end up catching one of four very inquisitive cats.

I really wish I could get a game cam shot of one so I could narrow down the foraging time. But it's never too dark to shoot.

[Goodloe]

Originally Posted by GoDawgs

Thanks for that suggestion. I think I'd end up catching one of four very inquisitive cats.

I really wish I could get a game cam shot of one so I could narrow down the foraging time. But it's never too dark to shoot.

A gal after my own heart! You sure you're not from Bama?