To stop animals from digging holes in yard, you can set traps, use repellents or put up a fence.
Browse through our comprehensive guide to find out what types of animals might be attacking your garden and how you can deal with them using our favorite tips and tricks. Stopping nocturnal animal attacks on your lawn has never been this easy.
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How To Stop Animals From Digging Holes in Yard?
Setting traps, using repellents, and building a fence around the property will stop animals from digging holes in yard. Animals digging holes in yard is a nuisance that you don’t have to deal with anymore. Get ready to face this problem head-on and learn the time-tested methods and tricks that are given below.
– Choose the Grass Seeds in Your Garden Carefully
This is a great preventative measure to stop unwanted nocturnal animal attacks when planting your own lawn or yard. You should always choose grass that has longer and denser roots than other grasses. Such a lawn will hold the ground firmer than the usual grass and make it difficult for animals to dig up small holes in lawn overnight.
Personally, we always prefer the Tall Fescue type of grass seeds for our yards as it fulfills all the above-mentioned requirements. This method is, of course, only useful against small rodents. Bigger animals will find little hindrance in ripping apart any type of grass in your lawn.
– Set Live Traps at Night
Setting live traps for these animals is another convenient method to rid yourself of this issue. This method works best with smaller animals like mice, rats and moles.
You will need to choose a trap that is not harmful to the animals or tortures them in any way. One issue with live traps is that they must be put up every night and then regularly maintained.
All traps are animal and species-specific. You should always identify and confirm the type of animal that is disturbing your yard first so that you can place an appropriate trap for it.
– Use Repellent Vibration Devices
One of our favorite methods of preventing animals from digging holes in the lawn or a yard overnight is to use electronic vibration devices that repel these animals. Most of these devices use ultrasonic sounds that trigger the animals in question and make them run away from your lawn.
The best thing about these devices is that they don’t harm the environment or other living beings. They are also safe for children as you simply have to dig them deep enough in the soil that they don’t come out easily.
Most modern repellants come with detection facilities that can sense animals from as far as fifty feet away. They can detect all types of lawn digging animals such as raccoons, skunks, rats, bears, etc, and are highly effective in their function. The only downside to using these ultrasonic repellent devices is that they are pretty expensive to buy and maintain.
– Build a Fence Around Your Property
You should definitely consider fencing your property if you are serious about maintaining a well-kept yard. The best type of fence is one that is made up of wire meshwork. Ideally, your fence should encircle the entire property and be dug 30 inches into the ground and at least 6 inches above it. This will prevent the entry of even those animals that tend to dig a bit deeper than others.
In order to build a fence, you will first need to dig a trench that is at least two feet deep all around your yard, then bend the wire meshwork 90 degrees at the bottom to create a flat surface that is then placed at the base of the trench for additional protection.
Remember that planting a fence is hard work and quite labor-intensive. It will also need maintenance on a regular basis.
While fencing might prevent your yard from a wide variety of burrowing animals, keep in mind that even this is not a fail-proof solution. Animals such as small critters can burrow around fences and often lead to their failure.
– Use Olfactory Repellents To Turn Animals Away
Most of the animals that dig holes in the lawn have a very strong sense of smell. You can use this against them by installing olfactory repellents to keep them away. These repellents use chemicals that are unbearable to the lawn-digging animals and make them go away.
– Use Cayenne Pepper To Make Animals Run Away
Cayenne pepper is a cheap alternative to using expensive olfactory types of animal repellents in the yard. You can spray a generous amount of cayenne pepper in your garden at night to stop animals digging up lawn or your yard. Spray especially into and close to the holes dug by these animals, since they tend to return to previously dug holes again and again.
– Take Advantage of Nematodes
The most common reason for any animal digging in yard is in search of food. Grub is the food most commonly sought by these animals. Removing this food source is a clever method to stop animals from digging holes in your garden.
Our favorite non-chemical method to get rid of grubs is to treat the soil with nematodes, which are microscopic creatures that will move underground to hunt and kill grubs. Apply them during the April-May season until September, and once applied, they remain effective for up to two whole years.
Problems
Let’s face it. A yard or lawn dug up by animals looks unsightly regardless of whichever angle you look at it from. You might spend days maintaining it only to find everything turned upside down by animals at night.
Read below to find out some of our biggest issues with animals digging holes in yard or gardens.
– These Holes Ruin the Look of Your Garden
You can say goodbye to your dreams of owning a well-manicured and well-maintained lawn. As long as animals keep digging holes in your yard at night, your garden is bound to look messy and unkempt.
– Destruction of Plantation
These animals will also destroy any plants, trees or shrubs that you might be growing in your garden.
Whether in the form of food or simply collateral damage, your precious plants are surely bound to suffer.
– Destruction of Property
Animal digs holes in yard at night also cause significant damage to property. Fences, posts, lawn chairs, it seems as if nothing is safe from these animals. Animals that burrow deeply have even been known to cause serious and costly damage to the foundation of entire houses.
– Your Pets Might Be at Risk
Your pets might be at risk of being harmed by some of the larger animals that come scavenging your lawn for food and shelter.
– They Might Destroy Pipes and Water Systems
Animals that dig holes deep enough might get access to the water drainage system of your home and cause damage to it. This is, again, a cause of much concern among homeowners.
Types of Animals That Dig Holes in the Yards: Learn How To Stop Them
Imagine building and looking after a yard with all the care in the world, only to wake up one day to find it dug out by animals over the night. This nightmare scenario is something many yard keepers experience and struggle with.
Read below to find out what types of animals might be responsible so you can learn how to deal with them appropriately.
– Rats
Rats are annoying rodents that often dig long holes in gardens and yards in search of food and shelter. Rat holes are narrow and often found near dense bushes and plants. You can also recognize rat holes in yard by the greasy residue that these rodents leave behind from their bodies.
Simply fill in this hole to get rid of the problem. Easy! You can also use rat traps or poisonous rat biscuits if the problem persists.
– Raccoons
Raccoons are very smart diggers that scourge your yard in search of grub and trash. They are notorious for creating a huge mess; turning over large sections of the yard inside-out in search of insects. They are known for digging very precise holes, and their memory is so good that they might return again and again to the same spot in search of their favorite food.
Prevention is the best cure when it comes to getting rid of raccoons. Make sure to totally remove anything that might attract them, and always put a lid over trash cans and trim tree branches that act as their nesting grounds.
In case of a serious problem, we suggest to not take matters into your own hands and contact the wildlife department to deal with a raccoon invasion. This is because these animals can get pretty violent when they are riled up, which is extremely dangerous as they also carry rabies and are a danger to both humans and pets.
– Rabbits
Rabbits can destroy a yard within weeks if left on their own. They make long, deep interconnected borrows all over a yard that take ages to fill back. They also attract other predators, causing further problems for you.
To keep rabbits away, mow your lawn frequently and use rabbit repellent substances to prevent them from making your yard their home. These substances can be store-bought products or natural ones like onions.
– Skunks
Skunks are another animal that digs holes in lawn repeatedly. Despite being such large animals, the holes they dig tend to be much smaller. This is because they dig using their noses and claws only.
You should take skunks very seriously because they have been known to carry rabies and are a potential health hazard. Furthermore, the smell they release when they feel in danger is very strong and will take ages to get rid of from your lawn.
The good news is that skunks mostly dig holes in search of food like grubs, so getting rid of their food source will be enough to deter them from returning again.
– Moles
Moles are easily identifiable by the tiny mounds they create near the tunnels that they dig up in your lawn. This is because unlike the other diggers on our list, moles dig from the ground upwards. You will not see any visible holes, only mounds.
These animals are pretty destructive and create interconnected tunnels below your entire yard, so it’s no wonder many gardeners are worried sick about them.
You can get rid of moles using rat poison or other such chemicals. You can also try setting live traps for them, but the best method is to invest in an ultrasonic repellent device and bury it in your yard. It will make all the rodents, including these moles, run away for good.
FAQ
Do coffee grounds keep animals from digging holes in the yard?
Coffee grounds may deter animals from digging holes in the yard due to their strong smell and potential irritation to their sensitive noses and paws.
Can pinwheels keep animals from digging holes?
Pinwheels may deter some animals from digging holes in the yard by creating visual and auditory disturbances, but effectiveness may vary based on the animal species and their motivations.
What animals are known to dig holes in mulch?
Animals like squirrels, rabbits, skunks, and raccoons are known to dig holes in mulch.
Conclusion
We’ve learned a lot about animals digging holes in yards at night today. Let us go over some important points one more time.
- For yard owners, animals digging up their lawns at night is a big problem.
- These animals cause property and plant damage and must be made to stop.
- For smaller-sized animals, you can start by planting grass that has long, dense roots that are difficult to uproot.
- For smaller animals like rats and mice, set up live traps every night to catch them.
- You can also invest in animal repellent devices that use ultrasonic sound waves to turn these animals away from your lawn.
- Spray the holes that you find in the morning with olfactory repellants. These chemicals are unbearable to these animals and make them run away.
- A cheaper alternative is to spray your garden with Cayenne Pepper.
- Build a fence made of metal meshwork around your entire property. This fence should be at least 30 inches into the ground and 6 inches above it to be effective.
- A lot of animals dig holes in the yard in search of food such as grubs. Getting rid of this food source will also save your lawn from these animals. Introduce nematodes in your lawn to get rid of grubs.
- You can identify a raccoon attack on your garden by the large mess they create. You should take preventative measures against raccoons such as keeping your yard clean, covering trash bins, and getting rid of grubs. For a serious raccoon problem, you will need to call the wildlife department.
- You can identify rat holes as they tend to be very deep and narrow. Simply fill these holes to get rid of rats.
- Holes dug by moles are not visible on the surface, but you can identify a mole infestation by the mounds spread all over your lawn. Use rat poison or repellent devices to get rid of them.
Saving your lawn from attacks on animals at night is no easy task, but with our guide at your disposal, we believe you can finally get rid of them once and for all.
