What Animal Digs Apart Tree Stumps For Bugs

Proceeds a better idea of which critter is digging up your yard or garden by the damage they crusade.

"Fee, fie, fo, fum. I see the dirt from some furry bum." Many have walked into the yard and found perplexing piles of soil in their backyard or flower beds. They want to know what critter made the heap and are worried that information technology ways something worse is going wrong. In that location are several animals that are common m visitors. Continue in mind that the usual motivation for digging up yards comes downward to two things: food and lodging. The fourth dimension of the year makes a departure in the frequency of earthworks. Oftentimes, more than damage occurs in the fall and spring. Michigan Country Academy Extension hotlines receive many calls at certain times of the yr well-nigh mystery mounds.

In the fall, animals are trying to choice up equally many calories as possible to make it through the wintertime. The fatter they are, the amend chance they accept of living long and prospering. In the spring, these same animals are trying to regain weight, particularly if there has been a corking deal of snow cover or extremely common cold weather. Food hunting is "task one." Information technology is possible to identify the digger by the clues left at the scene of the crime. Permit's look at the 3 chief suspects.

Shallow holes in the ground, surrounded by a ring of loosened soil

Skunks are often the cause of these clues. The soil disruption happens overnight because skunks are nocturnal feeders. The pigsty is approximately the size of a skunk nose. The skunk presses its olfactory organ to the soil and digs with its long, front claws. Skunky knows that just below the surface is a protein-rich care for, just waiting to exist harvested. In that location can be and so many holes that they coagulate into an area the looks like information technology has been tilled.

Striped skunk. Photo credit: Alfred Viola, Northeastern University, Bugwood.org

In the fall and all during the growing season, skunks are on the patrol for earthworms, grubs and a variety of soil insects. Their diets also include crayfish, minor animals, birds and their eggs, frogs and turtle eggs – if they tin can observe them. Skunks enjoy a diet that extends into fallen fruit similar mulberries, raspberries, cherries and grapes. They don't jump and cannot climb to any extent, so they work close to the footing.

Chunks of sod that have been ripped up and flipped over

Raccoons savour diets that are virtually identical to skunks, but raccoons utilize their front end paws like hands. They volition pull and flip pieces of sod. This beliefs is quite common on newly laid sod or grass with shallow roots. Ripping and vehement is easier. Since skunks and raccoons tin be feeding during the night in the same area, you may wake to a powerful skunk aroma. The gentle skunk is beingness harassed by the backyard bully raccoon.

Mounds of loose soil on the backyard

Moles leave piles of soil on the surface because they are pushing them up from below. There are no visible holes. In warm conditions, the star-nosed mole works about 6 inches or more than below the surface and periodically pushes soil up to brand an air vent. At the same time, the eastern mole is tunneling just below the surface and yous can walk on its created trail.

During the winter when the basis is partially frozen, both kinds of moles will button upwardly piles of soil when they are active. They are feeding on earthworms and possibly grubs and soil insects. For more data on moles, see the MSU Extension commodity "Moles in the lawn."

See my article on what smart gardeners can do to discourage these muddied devils, "Reduce lawn and garden harm caused by moles, skunks and raccoons." Notice that it is "discourage" rather than "eliminate." Information technology's tough to fight Female parent Nature and her gang.

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