Landscaping help!!!

C

CleanGSR

New member
I've seen some yard/landscaping threads on this forum before so maybe some of you can help me.

Over the past couple weeks I started noticing these "holes". They only go about 1-2 inches deep and then just stop. Since they are really shallow I know it's not moles or anything. Well, being as this was in the back of my back yard, I wasn't too concerned. The problem is that these "holes" have spread through over half of my back yard and are really starting to tear stuff up. It gets worse everyday and I think it's happening at night time. Any ideas as to what's causing these? Here's some pics to show.



yard1.jpg




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This is what it's doing to my yard and it's spreading

Yard2.jpg
 
I had a similar problem this year and they ended up being from flying ants...! It sucked. I saw all of these ants crawling out of these holes this year and sprayed with ant killer. Once they where all gone that is what my yard looked like. I guess they nest in the earth like that.
 
Can you get a ant killer designed for yards? Will it kill all bugs (hopefully)? It has ruined half of my back yard and everytime I look at the holes there is nothing anywhere near them. So should I just go to Lowes and get a bug killer for lawns and sprinkle that on the whole yard?
 
CleanGSR said:
Can you get a ant killer designed for yards? Will it kill all bugs (hopefully)? It has ruined half of my back yard and everytime I look at the holes there is nothing anywhere near them. So should I just go to Lowes and get a bug killer for lawns and sprinkle that on the whole yard?
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It kills ants and some others. I said spray but it is a granual that comes in plastic case or bag and you shake the granuals onto the lawn. If it is what I had they are all ready gone so there really is no need. But I am no lawn care expert. lol
 
My bet would be skunks digging for grubs...especially since it happens mostly at night. They need to dig just below the roots and they eat the grubs. There are two way you can get rid of them (if it is a skunk(s)) Either trap them, or get some grub killer and spread it over the lawn. No more grubs means no more skunks means no more holes. See that was easy!
 
I'm positive that whetever it is, is not gone. I took those pictures yesterday after I mowed and I could go out there tonight and take pictures of spots that weren't there yesterday. It's multiplying and they are doing it pretty dang quick.
 
I'll give that a shot. Hopefully I can find something that will kill grubs and ants just to cover both basis in one. I don't really think I'm up for trapping Skunks. I guess I should keep an eye on my dog that we tie up there before bed to use the restroom. I definately don't want her getting sprayed by or in a fight with a Skunk.
 
Where do you live? Describe the area. Is it near forest, trees? Is it near a wooded park? It could be anything from cicadas to badgers to squirrels.
 
I live in Missouri and on the edge of town (may as well be out of town). Our back yard has one huge Oak tree and the yard backs up to a wooded area. We have a lot of squirels in the big Oak tree, but there is plenty of food on the ground around that tree for them. Enough that they can't even eat all the nuts and stuff. Don't know if it matters but the whole yard slants downhill in one direction. All of the holes are on the upper part of the yard. I can take pictures of the yard itself tonight if that's needed.
 
Try putting the granules down with a spreader, they make ones that will kill pretty much anything that crawls, if it's ants it'll knock them out and if it's rodents it'll remove their food source. If the holes keep coming back, light up a good cigar and get ready for some quality time with an air rifle and a spotlight.
 
Ha. That would be fun to sit out there and shoot whatever it is, but being in the city limits, that's a pretty hefty fine. I just got done spreading the whole backyard with an insect killer that kills about 10 different insects including grubs. I guess we'll see if that works. Oh and yes, there were more spots out there that weren't there yesterday. I think I'll setup the Camcorder to record for about an hour after I go to be tonight.....see if it catches anything. Thanks for all your help.
 
Oh, one other wierd thing. My front yard is all Zoycia grass and I love it. I've planted a couple of plugs in the back to get it to spread back there. I have two pretty large circles that have spread nicely. All of these torn up spots are all around the Zoycia grass but not a single one in the nice Zoycia grass. It's wierd.....kind of like whatever was digging up the ground specifically avoided my nicer grass.
 
If you were in my area I'd be telling you they were squirrels. That looks like the damage a red squirrel does when it gets around Fall. Little buggers dig up everything. Some of them are burying food and others are digging up stuff to build a nest.

Get a live trap. Squirrels or skunks, whatever it is you'll know in the morning. :D



As far as being particular about the grass. As mentioned before they could be digging up grubs. Ever see any white grubs in the lawn? Ever have unexplainable dead spots in the yard? (telltale sign of grubs)
 
Well my backyard is really rocky so I've got quite a few bald spots just from bad dirt. I have seen grubs in the dirt when planting stuff though, so I know that there are some. My only fear is, if I trap a skunk alive.......what then? How do I get rid of it without getting sprayed?



I did a little research on my Zoysia grass and found out that since it's so dense and it's roots grow 2-3 feet deep, I won't have bugs in that grass and it's harder for animals to dig in the Zoysia grass. I can buy enough plugs to do my entire backyard for under $100. Next spring I'll be doing that so I don't have to worry about this again. Hopefully the grub killer will take care of it for now.
 
i live near kc and i have a mole prob. early this summer they were very bad, like four of them were in my yard, some of you might not think that that is alot but what a nightmare and havoc these little critters do. put some cheap granuals down and i guess you get what you pay for in insect and grub killers cause not a single dif was noticed in a weeks time. still had chiggers REAL bad and the ticks were still there (finding on my dogs and myself) and not to mention the ants that were leaving the black crap trail around all my windows. so went out and bought BAYER (the originator for all of the ortho products that bayer has been selling to them) lawn spray. it was about two days later that ALL of the incects were gone and every mole mound and run that i had stomped down did not return untill about four months later (wich was until about two weeks ago :angry and its worse) so its time for another spraying. long story short ha ha dont buy cheap stuff to take care of the prob.
 
I didn't buy the cheap stuff for fear of what you just said. It was the seconod most expensive stuff they had in the granules form. Hopefully it works, but if not, I'll try that spray you mentioned. We have our house sprayed for bugs inside and out every 6 months so we never have a problem except for in the yard.
 
I would have guessed squirrel damage too. That's what they do to my lawn sometimes. Anyway, that definitely looks like animal activity to me too. I don't see insects doing that kind of damage, in terms of holes, to the yard. I have a mole that is kicking my a$$ right now, tunneling all over my yard. I would try a live trap and see what you end up with inside of there in the morning. If you do catch something, hopefully not a skunk, you can always call the city to come and fetch it.
 
Tasty said:
........I have a mole that is kicking my a$$ right now, tunneling all over my yard.........
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Didn't you kill one just a few months back? Seems like you posted a pretty cool mug shot back then. Maybe you need to put down some of that stuff pwrstrk02 used :nixweiss.



Good luck and post another mug shot if you get him/her...
 
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