You walk around your lawn sometimes only to find piles of dust? Or you have ever found some animals very busy digging up and don’t know what to do about it? Animals can be disastrous if they keep on coming to your lawn and digging it up.
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They tamper with the beautiful grass and leave ugly sites. Mostly, they will dig up in search of food. Fortunately, there are various methods you can use to stop them from digging your lawn.
Why Do Animals Dig Up Lawns?
Many animals will dig up your lawn as they look for food. If they get there and find food, they will always frequent the place. Others will get there to make shelters for their young ones.
Common Animals That Dig Up Lawns
1. Skunks
Skunks dig up holes and leave soil piled up on the sides. They usually dig up the holes in search of earthworms and other insects. If you have a corn farm near your lawn, skunks might be more particularly interested in it.
They also eat grass and damage it as they dig up, making them a nuisance. To keep them away, spray a mixture of water, castor oil, and dishwashing soap. Keeping lights on at night is also an effective method of keeping skunks away. They are nocturnal and love to dig in dark lawns.
2. Raccoons
just like skunks, raccoons will dig up a lawn at night. They don’t dig up the soil. Instead, they rip up grass turf as they look for insects to feed on. They particularly love shallow-rooted grass and sod that has just been laid.
3. Moles
You can easily identify a mole on your lawn. They are tiny creatures whose muzzles are pointed. Moles dig up the lawn and leave soil pile-ups on the surface, just like skunks. Spray cayenne pepper or castor oil on some parts of your lawn to keep moles away. You can also buy a mole trap to catch them. Follow the usage instructions so that you can set it properly. Moles do not only damage your lawn; they also give way to other animals to inhabit there.
Mice and other destructive insects may hide in their holes and come out at night to eat plants in the garden. There are also mole repellents available in stores. Always read the usage instructions when using the repellents so that they will serve their intended purpose without posing dangers to grass, people, and pets.
4. Armadillos
Armadillos will dig up a lawn as they look for food or a hiding place. The digging is destructive as it damages the grass and leaves ugly sites. To keep them away, erect a fence around your lawn.it doesn’t have to be very tall since they don’t jump very high. Traps are also effective in catching them. Place them in strategic places where the animals are more likely to go. The smell of cayenne pepper is not appealing to them, and will avoid getting into a lawn that has pepper-sprayed on. Having a dog will also keep them away. Armadillos don’t like the scent of dogs and their barks.
5. Pocket Gophers
Just like moles, pocket gophers will dig tunnels in your lawn and leave piles of soil on the surface. one gopher is enough to cause great destruction in a lawn. They leave ugly sites and chew grass roots, leaving brown patches on your lawn. If there are trees and flowers near your lawn, gophers will dig tunnels and start chewing their roots from below. The holes are also hazardous as someone might fall after stepping on them.
Buy traps to catch the animals and transport them elsewhere. The animals also hate the scent of peppermint oil. Pour some drops in your lawn to keep them away. They also hate the smell of marigolds. Planting them around your lawn will keep the animals at bay. Ultrasonic devices are also effective for deterring gophers from damaging your lawn. They emit vibrations that cause them discomfort. This makes them avoid getting into your lawn.
What Problems Can It Cause?
- Produce unattractive holes in the lawn. These damages can be an eyesore, particularly if you have a flat-surfaced lawn.
- If creatures dig in the soil around the base of trees or shrubs, it can intrude on these plants. Eventually, they may cause trees and shrubs to fall over.
- If animals are digging in your lawn to look for food, then they can also eat or steal the fruits and vegetables planting in your garden.
- They may unintentionally dig and destroy your vent or pipes in your water system.
- Digging near the home may also give these animals access to places where they can do extensive damage to the structure of the house. They can cause the wall to weaken if this occurs.
Methods to Deal with the Problem:
1. Remove the Animals
Set traps at strategic points of your lawn to catch the animals digging it up. Take them far away to where they cannot easily get back. If that seems to be too much work for you, seek the services of professional animal trappers.
2. Erect Barriers
A fence acts as a physical barrier. Chicken wire is usually effective since it has small spaces where most animals cannot pass through. When erecting it, ensure that part of it goes under the soil so that the animals won’t dig under the soil ad get into the lawn.
3. Get Rid of Their Food
One of the main reasons why animals will dig up your lawn is the search for grubs. If they find them on your lawn, you can be sure that they will be frequent visitors. Apart from attracting animals to your lawn, grubs develop into beetles, which damages the lawn and leaves brown patches. A small population of grubs isn’t bad for the grass. It gets worse when they are more than 10 of them in a square foot. They feed on the grassroots, reducing their ability to absorb nutrients and water. This makes the lawn have some brown patches. The only way to chase them out is by getting rid of the grubs using the below methods.
4. Apply Nematodes
Nematodes are worms that will naturally get rid of grubs without posing any danger to you or your pets. since they are live creatures, apply them in your lawn as soon as you buy them. Nematodes will eat grubs and other insects that damage lawns. They won’t harm your crops or prey on beneficial insects.
Apply nematodes around September every year since that’s the period they will be most effective.
5. Apply Milky Spore
Milky spores are effective for getting rid of Japanese beetle grubs. Although it might be hard to identify which types of grubs are on your lawn, applying milky spore will eliminate Japanese beetle grubs just in case there are any. Apply it two times in a year, for 3 years. That will be enough to protect your lawn for up to 10 years. Follow the usage instructions of milky spores. Just like nematodes, it is a non-toxic method to keep grubs off your lawn.
Frequently Asked Questions
Moles will dig up a lawn during the day and night. They particularly love damp soil and will frequent a lawn after rain.
Coffee grounds will repel gophers since they don’t like its smell. It’s a natural and safe way to keep them off your space.
Insects such as grubs and earthworms will attract armadillos to a lawn since they are their sources of food.
Armadillos can transmit diseases to humans if they come into contact with them. They don’t bite but can scratch animals or people using their sharp claws.
Raccoons are nocturnal. They are mostly active during the night and will avoid a lawn that has a bright light at night.
