Holes size of my fist....

[Captain B.R.K]

Are showing up frequently in my newly laid sod. When I see some rooted up grass, I pull it out and there is a hole the size of my fist!

What is making such a mess in my yard?

I found it interesting that I saw one hole one night and the next night another hole no more than a ruler size apart was another!?!?!

[jps]

I had a similar situation a couple years ago. Three skunks later the holes failed to appear!!! Hope that is not your problem. I guess racoons can do the same thing. Guess their looking for grubs. jps

[IFallsRon]

Maybe the squirrels in from my yard like your yard better.

[LABS4ME]

We see this quite often in newly sodded yards, especially when the yard is near trees or are wooded lots. They generally are varmints like racoons and skunks. They come out at night and are digging for grubs and worms. As the yard becomes more established and drier the frequency of these guys diminishes. You can buy a grub killer like grub-x to knock down the population which makes it less desirable for these guys to root around in your yard. This goes for guys that have moles... kill the grubs and the moles go away. They are only there for their primary food source... grubs.

Good Luck!

Ken

[Mark Christianson]

I have spread grub killer 3 times in the past 2 weeks, and my moles are up 3 to 0 on me.

They wont go away!

Oops. Didnt mean to hijack the thread. Desperation is taking over my senses.

[LABS4ME]

Even if the grub-X kills the grubs within th e2 week span you're talking about, the moles will continue to tunnel to look for food until they give up and move on. Years ago I had a real mole problem and it took a couple of months for them to fully move over to my neighbors... , I apply the grub-x every other year and have not had a mole since.

Good Luck!

Ken

[stmichael]

If I recall correctly the stuff you want to get rid of moles is called castor(sp) oil. The grubs get covered in the oil and the mole eats it and goes away...never to return...at least that one. It may not be potent enough for the larger critters, and, it is spendy.

[Mark Christianson]

Tried that too.

Mole/Vole repellent made by Liquid Fence. No workee.

Sent a note to the company I was disappointed, and they said to send in the label and they would refund it.

[fishnhooks]

I too am having a mole issue in my yard. I have been told to not put mole killer down if I have a dog and as you can see by my avatar I have a dog. So, I wasn't for sure what to do. Is it O.K to put a mole killer down?

"hooks"

[LABS4ME]

Mole killer should be renamed mammal killer... If it kills moles it could kill you, the dog, kids, cats, and most anything with 2 or 4 legs... trust me kill the grubs and the moles will leave. It's not a 24 hour cure. It takes time for the chemical to move through the soil (especilly without rain to percolate it down through the soil) kill all the grubs and the moles to eventually move out. Once they are gone, if you keep up with the grubicide they will not return.

Good Luck!

Ken

[The Grebe]

BRK...Skunks will dig for grubs and leave holes, rabbits will dig holes to stash their young, if you find the sod rolled right over, it's a good bet it's a coon, they aren't big into digging holes, they seem to have short attention spans and are always on to the next thing.

A fox will also dig a hole looking for grubs, or stashing some chow. Lots of hole diggers out there...if you suspect they are a smaller type of burrowing rodent and you figure they are still in the holes, hook a flex hose up to your car exhaust, put it down one of them holes and try a little carbon monoxide on them suckers!

[Captain B.R.K]

Thanks for the reponses on this. I live in a new part of Sartell that doesn't have a tree around it bigger than 10ft for over a mile away I don't think it is a raccoon.

I won't rule out a mole, though wouldn't a mole dig under the ground and make a line. Perfect example for me to describe what I'm saying is "the line that darn varmit leaves in the golf course in Caddyshack." I know it won't be that extreme, but wouldn't it make a visible line?!

[Neiko]

I just put a yard in this year in Monticello and I had a mole running from the grass on the first time I cut it. Well I found some holes popping up the next few days that weren't too big. I got some Mole-tox and put it in there just like it said. Well a couple days later I noticed a bigger hole by them. I did the Mole-tox and then I out a mouse trap with Peanut Butter on it right by the hole and covered it with a bucket secured by a big rock. A day later I went out and lifted up the bucket and the mouse trap was pointed down the hole. I lifted it out and noticed some weight to it. I didn't know at first what it was. It had the digging claws and choppers but it also had a long tail and was twice the size of a mole. I found out it was a shrew. The thing was barely kicking so I finished it off with the rock and threw it in the garbage. I ran the hose in the hole for awhile and then packed it with dirt and have not had any new holes since. I did see another mole run when I was cutting the grass but he headed over to the neighbors and into the weeds that are behind us. Hopefully he stays there or the neighborhood cat gets his paws on him.

[MIKE IN lINO III]

jps, how did you get rid of your skunks?

Both my dogs found a skunk this morning.

Mike