A Gardeners Forum Forums Gardening Reference Gardening in 2006 Something ALIVE making holes in yard.

There are little holes that pop up in different places in my yard. They are numerous in my bird area, which makes me think that the creature that makes them likes to eat bird seed. I just finished a stone walkway and there are several of these holes in the dirt between the rocks.
I have never seen anything (alive) around these holes. I've gotten up at different times throughout the night and gone outside with a flashlight to try to see what is making them! They are just big enough to stick your finger in, but I don't dare stick my finger in one of them! Some are smaller, some larger.
Does anyone know what creature is doing this? There is no slug slime around the holes.
Thanks for any info.
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I had photos on here, but they keep disappearing!
So, maybe by the description someone can give me an idea.

Gopher???? :rolleyes:

Be careful...snakes like gopher holes and gophers <img border="0" alt="[clappy]" title="" src="graemlins/clappy.gif" /> Ground squirrels will also use their runs...as well as irrigation drain pipes.

Do you just have mounds or do you have an uplifting trail of dirt/grass?

Gophers rarely come to the surface but when they do my cat is there waiting for them....in fact he just got 2 more this week.

Moles have the raised trail!

Catlover

I wish I could get a photo to stay on here! (Don't know what I'm doing wrong, but it's here for awhile, then when I check back later...GONE!)
These holes are small...too small for something with fur. I could put my finger down in several of them, but that's about it. I'd say "finger-size" is a good description of the width. There is dirt piled around them like crawldad holes (uhh...does the rest of the world know what a crawldad hole looks like?). These look like miniature crawldad holes! It really has me baffled. I have lost sleep trying to catch SOMETHING out there digging these holes, but for a YEAR now I haven't been able to catch the culprit! They aren't hurting anything really. I have a lot of grubs here and slugs, but like I said...no slug slime around them. It's just bugging the *"%#! out of me wondering what in the world it could be!

In my "Bugs, Slugs and Other Thugs" book, it says to sprinkle flour around the holes and then check the next morning to see what kind of l'il footprints you have....

Email those Pics to me Cindy, I "think" I know what your CREATURE is! wwd479@netscape.net

Now I'm a very curious Catlover....what is it Phil?

Well.....
"Phil and Laura" say it might be ........
.............TOADS!

I have spread flour down around the holes, and with my forensic experience I should be able to tell if it's a toad track that I find. (Doubt if it'll come out tonight, though...supposed to be 26 degrees tonight!)
Let's see...a preying mantis has kicked my #%! and I was almost killed by a chicken. What can I expect from a toad?????

WARTS?

<img border="0" alt="[clappy]" title="" src="graemlins/clappy.gif" />

The reason that I am guessing toads(and sorry for the brevity of my email Cindy, was really tired) is that I sit old small terra cotta pots in the garden for the toads to hide under, and in hot weather, they burrow down under them, to get even cooler. The holes look the same, also I have watched at night and from the light of the dusk to dawn light I watched toads come from the flower garden by the house foundation, when I checked it out there were holes, relative in size to the toads!BUT WITH YOUR HISTORY I'd be careful Cindy

Cindy....did you happen to find out who the little culprit was?????

Now Cindy will be coming back with a question on how to read flour tracks.

That was a good idea Jillie....using the flour.

I don't have any toads/frogs here!!!

My sister lives about 8 miles from my house and all you hear is frogs/toads all night! When they first moved in....my sister went to open the front door and there was one of those frogs that have suction cups for feet attached to the glass part of her door..... I didn't even have to get involved to hear her scream.LOL

Curious Catlover

Well, my parrot started barking last night and I looked outside to find my neighbor's dog licking up the flour!
(I wasn't going to mention that, because I'm sure you all already think I'm a nut case. Just seems like nothing is SIMPLE for me! Everything I do seems to turn into an "episode". But, since you asked.....)
SO...tonight I am going to put a big bucket over the hole so the dogs can't destroy my crime scene investigation. (I watch too much t.v.)

With my luck, the poor little creature will be out doing something and won't be able to get back home because of the bucket!

well, cindy inquiring minds want to know

O.K....if you really want to know.
It's an extra-terrestrial!
What else could it be?
No prints last night in the flour, but the hole is bigger!
My brother is in the Home Security business, and if it doesn't leave prints tonight I'm going to borrow a "Mini-Frog-Hole-Cam" from him tomorrow.

sound like a plan to me

Sounds like you could have shrews, they are tiny little meat eating machines that live in lawns. They look simular to a small thin mouse but are not rodents. They leave small holes in your lawn with little to no soil accumulated around the out side of the hole. We have had quite a few customers get them in this area. They will not erally damage your lawn but can be a unsightly pest for a little while.
There is no real way to get rid of them, you don't want to go after their food supply because they eat earth worms, and with out them, your lawn would turn into rock.
The good news is that they rarely stay in one area for more then a season before moving on.

Hope this Helps

Mike

Mike,
I thought you were bull#%@*ing me about the shrews!
(I thought a shrew was a fictitious animal that lived around fairies.)

But, I looked it up on the internet.
They have their own websites!
Man, thoses suckers are SMALL!
I hope that's what it is, because the website said that, according to Chinese folklore, if you have shrews that means you have money coming.
I could use some money!

Hey are they miner bees?

I have those but usually a bit later in the year when it is warmer but you are further south than me.

When the sun is out lay down and look across the whole you will see the bees coming and going. They stay inside when it is cold and rainy.

Cindy

In that case I hope they are shrews and I hope you get the cash!


Rue Anemone

The only minor bees that I know of that can make a hole that big around would be the cicada killer wasp, and I don't think they come out until about mid August. It may be a bit earlier down south like you mentioned and I don't know for certain.
Either case shew or bee I would not go dangling my finger down in the hole. It could wind up being a really big OUCH!!!

You guys are making me soooo curious I am about ready to fly there and dig into that hole myself.

I'm going to try again to put a photo on here.


Right now I have flour all around the hole, and a few little pieces of raw steak. It has me so curious that if I don't get any footprints tonight, I'm going to have my brother come this week-end and set up a surveillance camera, complete with a web address so I can watch it from my computer. Don't worry...I'll give you guys the address so if you get REALLY bored, or can't sleep, you can stare at the "Mystery Hole" for awhile!
Gee...I need to get a life, don't I?

i dunno cindy, sounds like you got a pretty good life to me i'd like to know what the critter is too, and if you get the webcam set up, i definitly want the address!

Not trying to sound CRUEL here but before you Call up CSI, Sherlock or Miss Marple and have a live camera crew "ON THE SCENE" Why don't ya try a little water from your garden hose trickling into the hole that is the largest, and watch. Something is BOUND to make an exit! <img border="0" alt="[perplexed]" title="" src="graemlins/confused.gif" />

You know, I thought about that , but didn't know if it would kill whatever was in there. Plus, I didn't want to p*$$ it off in case it WAS a shrew, to make sure I get my money! (Chinese shrew folklore didn't specify a dollar amount, so I haven't actually SPENT it yet, however there were SEVERE conseqences involved if you harmed one!)
But, I guess when it rains water goes in, so I may as well try it. There was definitely activity around the hole last night, but it's little feet are so small that I could just see the flour messed up, but not a specific "print".

Cindy,

Would it be a snake???

Not sure what brand you have down there,
would they dig in?????

Is there a second hole??
Usually they have an escape route....

Weezie