Have you been looking for ways on how to stop animals from digging holes in the yard?
It is so unfortunate how most homeowners struggle to make gardens or lawn impressive only to end up getting messed by animals.
In most cases, they dig in search of food and others habitats for their off springs.
They cause a lot of damage that leaves your lawn looking ugly and messed up.
Don’t abandon the damaged areas instead use organic lawn fertilizer to help the grass grow back to its initial state.
Considering your investment in time and money you sacrificed you have to look for a way to stop these animals.
It is essential to understand what may be driving them to keep digging your yard.
There are different animals that are culprits of this damage and include skunks, moles, raccoons among others.
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What animals dig holes in your yard?
There are a number of animals that love to come to dig holes in your yard.
These animals include:
Skunks
They are diggers that tend to leave small holes at night while looking for food.
Their digging is precise and resembles aeration paths on the yard.
Moles
These animals live underground and form tunnels while they burrow on the ground.
They can be easily spotted through the molehill they leave.
Raccoons
They leave more damage than the moles and skunks.
These animals can even flip a whole section of the lawn as they look for food at night.
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However, the damage is easy to repair by simply flipping the sod back and watering it frequently.
Methods On How to Stop Animals from Digging Holes In Yard
1. Get Rid of Grubs
In many cases, animals will dig your yard as they try to look for grubs to eat.
Every square foot of land there are 5 grubs so obviously, your yard has several.
Once the animals find their source of food in your yard they will keep coming back for more.
The sign of grubs in your lawn is the presence of dead grass whose roots have been damaged by them.
To deal with this problem is getting rid of the food source so they will have nothing to come and eat.
There is a method to determine their presence;
- Pick a bottle of liquid dish detergent then add 4 tablespoons to 2 gallons of water.
- Pour the solution to the area with brown grass and some to the green grass nearby.
- If the grubs are present they will start coming to the surface after some minutes.
If you find them you have to look for a way to kill them and this product will be of help.
The use of nematodes is a non -chemical method of getting rid of grubs in the soil.
They are microscopic roundworms that work effectively when used during the summer.
Apply the nematodes every year to ensure your lawn is not infested with grubs.
2. Use Physical Barriers
Just like how we do to keep strangers for our home and properties you will need to build a barrier for the animals.
Note that you’ll have to be sure first that the animals are not living in your yard or compound.
Once you are sure, now you can install the physical barrier to prevent them from entering your compound.
Check for any damages to your fence and ensure that it runs into the soil.
You can use a chicken wire and dig it down to about 6 inches depth to discourage them from digging the ground.
This way the animals will have nowhere to pass to get into your yard.
3. Use traps
Placing traps at the most likely spots where the animals pass into your yard.
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You can use them all around the yard to increase the possibility of catching the culprits.
Once you catch them you can call the animal services or relocate them to a distance of about 10 miles.
For better catch, attract the rodents into the traps like some foodstuff with a strong scent.
Ensure you check all the traps on a daily basis mostly at dawn since most of them prefer digging at night while people are asleep.
If they have been tampered with or dislocated, put them in the right position or replace them if need be.
Don’t put traps that are too small for the animal you are trying to catch instead choose the right size.
4. Use Repellents
Using repellents is another effective way to keep animals away from your property.
Many animal repellents are ranging from natural ones to artificial ones.
Natural ones include herbs like garlic plant or powder which scares away the animals.
There are several commercial products for use as repellents in the market to spray them around the yard and fence.
Once the animals feel the odor, they will not try to enter your yard this way no more holes in your compound.
5. Relocate Attractions
Try not to leave anything that may attract animals into your compound for instance food in your garden.
When the fruits or vegetables are ready for harvest, do it as fast as possible.
An oak tree also attracts rodents with the acorns falling during the day.
Clear the fallen acorns or any ripe fruits in your garden regularly to avoid attracting the animals in your yard.
Keep away substances that are likely to encourage them to come back into your yard to look for food.
6. Use Cayenne Pepper
Cayenne pepper is a favorite for moles skunks and raccoons due to thanks to their sensitive sense of smell.
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It is a strong-smelling spice that will draw the animals away from your yard.
Apply a larger amount for more effectiveness and easy smell
Final Thoughts on How to Stop Animals From Digging in the Yard
Since you know what attracts animals into your yard, try getting rid of the sources.
These include making sure no food is left around the yard at night.
Also, get rid of grubs in your lawn since these animals love eating them and once they find them in your yard, they will keep coming for more.
The above methods will be of help on how to stop animals from digging holes in the yard.
This way you will minimize the extent of damage in your garden or lawn.
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