Who doesn't know the unsightly holes in the garden. But which animal was up to mischief here? We present the most common garden visitors.
The gaps in the lawn are not always caused by animals. Nevertheless, these often contribute to bare spots through burrowing or foraging. Find out how to identify and drive away the culprit here.
How can you tell which animals dig holes in the garden?
Holes in the garden can have a variety of causes. On the one hand, they can be caused by animals burrowing into the earth. On the other hand, animal feeding activities also cause holes in the lawn. In order to identify who or what is responsible for the holes, one should first consider whether the holes developed over a long period of time or rather appeared very suddenly. The latter usually speaks for animals that live in the earth or search for food. The size, depth and frequency of the holes can be an indication of which animal it is. Finally, the area around the hole in the ground is to be considered. Pay attention to whether there are heaps of earth or what traces of excrement can be seen. Ideally, you should simply observe the holes over time or set up a photo trap to identify the culprit.
Which animal digs holes in the garden?
By carefully inspecting and observing the holes, you can find out which animal it is and then take appropriate countermeasures.
Rat holes in the garden
Rat holes in the lawn can be recognized by their size and location. Rats dig larger holes than mice, 8 to 20 cm in diameter. The holes like to be in the compost or under flagstones and tree stumps or trunks. These lead vertically into the ground. Rats also leave spindle-shaped, shiny droppings. If you have a rat infestation or suspect it, you should report it to the public order office. Rags soaked in turpentine, which you lay out in the garden, are suitable for driving away. In addition, hot spices such as pepper or chilli powder can be used on paths or in front of the holesbe deployed. Used cat litter can also help to drive them away.
This is how you can tell rat holes in the garden:
- Round opening (8 - 20 cm tall)
- No dirt pile
- Rats can often be seen running around at dusk
Mouse holes in the garden
Mouse holes in the garden are not uncommon. The cause can be shrews or voles, sometimes also field mice. In contrast to the shrew and field mouse, the vole's holes are usually provided with a mound of earth next to it. These tend to be small and flat in contrast to the mole's larger and more rounded mounds. Mice droppings look very similar to rat droppings, but are smaller. While shrews are welcome guests in the garden as they eat pests, voles can cause a lot of damage. As a rule, field mice do not have to be fought - unless they appear in large numbers.
The burrows of the mice run flat beneath the surface of the earth. Roots of fruit trees or vegetable plants are eroded to just below the soil surface, resulting in stunted growth. Here, too, one can rely on scents for the expulsion. Mice, for example, do not like the smell of garlic. But the rat remedies mentioned above also help against a mouse infestation. If deterrence doesn't work, there are other ways to control voles.
Warning: Some shrew species are specially protected and may not be killed.
This is how you can tell mouse holes in the garden:
- Oval opening with corridor behind
- Shrews and field mice: about 2 - 5 cm tall
- Voles: With a flat mound of earth
Tip - Reseal holes in the lawn: Although some holes in the ground also indicate visitors who are useful and eat vermin, the lawn should look uniform again afterwards. Once the culprits have been driven away, you can get your lawn in shape. Our Plantura lawn repair, for example, is ideal for closing the gaps. The high-quality mixture consists of lawn seed from various grasses, organic lawn fertilizer, growing medium and lime so that the lawn can grow quickly and densely. Loosen the soil in the gaps and remove weeds if necessary. Apply the Plantura Lawn Repair to the area and hold itearth moist. In this way, a gapless, lush green lawn is created again in no time.
Holes in the garden caused by raccoons
The raccoon doesn't dig real holes or even underground passages, but digs up the ground to search for food. Therefore, scratch marks can often be found around the depression in the lawn. If the raccoon stays in your garden for a long time, you should definitely make possible food sources such as garbage cans or fallen fruit inaccessible to them.
This is how you can tell raccoon holes in the garden:
- Agitated Deepening
- Very superficial
- Scratch Marks
Hedgehog holes in the garden
Hedgehogs make holes in the lawn when they are looking for food. The hedgehog forages in the soil and churns up the soil, which can create funnel-shaped holes in the garden. This is usually a one-off event. In addition, there are some pests on the hedgehog's menu. Flat indentations and small holes remain, but these can easily be filled up again by sowing the lawn.
Hedgehog holes in the garden:
- Funnel Shape
- More of an indentation than a hole (about 2 cm in size)
Earthfly holes in the garden
Mead wasps leave about 1 cm holes in the lawn. These are usually not particularly annoying, but can be dangerous if you enter the garden barefoot. To deal with earth wasps, it is best to ask qualified personnel for help. Some earth wasp species are even under protection. In the fall, you can seal the ground wasp hole to prevent them from moving in next year.
This is how you can tell earth wasp holes in the garden:
- Round opening (approx. 1 cm)
- Busy
Birth holes by birds
Even birds can leave holes in the garden. These are usually around 2 cm in size and, like hedgehogs, arise when they look for food. Hanging bird feeders can lure birds away from your lawn.
This is how you can tell bird holes in the garden:
- About 2 cm tall
- Area distributed
Tip: Birds especially like to root in the lawn whenincluding grubs or cutworms. If they cause a lot of damage in the garden, cutworms and grubs can be fought. You can find out how this works successfully in our articles on cutworms and grubs in lawns.
Holes in the ground caused by mole crickets
If there are several small, round holes in the lawn or bed that are smaller than 1 cm, it may be the mole cricket. In addition to the holes, there are usually fist-sized, bald patches. Here are the nests underground. The roots of the grass are eaten away by the insects and die off above ground. If there is no major infestation, however, mole crickets do not cause particularly great damage and do not need to be fought. They also eat vermin, so they are quite useful. Unfortunately, mole crickets are becoming increasingly rare, especially in Northern Germany.
This is how you can tell mole cricket holes:
- Less than 1 cm
- Bald patches on the lawn
- Eaten roots in the bed
Holes in the garden caused by other animals
There are some other animals that can cause holes in the garden. Most of the time, however, the visitors disappear on their own or do not cause too much damage. Many animals are sensitive to smells, light or noise and can thus be driven away.
- Fox: Several large holes in the ground can be the entrances to a fox's den, or they can also serve as hiding places for prey or food.
- Rabbit: From time to time a wild rabbit can get lost in the garden and leave larger holes.
- Ant lions: The tiny larvae of the ant lion, a pretty dragonfly, dig small funnels in sandy soil to catch prey.
- Cats: House cats also sometimes dig holes in the ground and bury their droppings there. With the help of suitable cat scaring methods, however, you can easily scare away the four-legged friends.
Lawn damage can occur not only from animals, but also from care errors or drought. Here's how to patch and repair your lawn.