Help, my lawn has been invaded

[jttheclockman]

I have no idea what has invaded my yard but it has big time. We are having a very dry summer here in NJ and lack of rain has just about killed most of my backyard lawn or at least it went dormant. Has done this before and comes back. But this past week I noticed many many holes dug in the ground. Some are bigger than others All dug on a slight angle and go down about 6 to 8" Some not so deep. There is no pattern but you will see a group in one area and then another group in another area and then some individual ones. Never had this before in the 32 years in the house.

My question is what is it and how the heck do I get rid of it before my entire lawn is a mine field. I thought about moles but never seen them do this. I looked for signs of grubs because I think that is what moles look for but all test hols showed no signs of grubs and I tested pulling up the lawn by hand and that is not happeneing so I do not think it is grubs involved.

Any suggestions and how do I get rid of this. I went outside at night a few times the past couple days to see if I could see something but see nothing. It is getting frustrating. Help SOS!!!!

 

[Sataro]

Sounds like a common Texas armadillo! He may have lost his since of direction & been slowly migrating north while searching for his nightly meals.

He is an elusive creature that loves to forage at night. He will definitely wreck havoc on your yard. My solution is a country solution so if you are a city dweller I cannot help you.

Start checking your yard at different times of the night for this elusive creature. Arm yourself with the weapon of your choice. If your aim is slightly off, you may want to grab your shotgun. If you feel more comfortable with your aim, then grab your favorite pistol. Dispose of carcass as you see fit.

City dweller solution...grab a baseball bat. Once you see creature, start hollering & chase creature off. Do not stop in your first neighbor's yard. Creature will be back. Chase him through several neighbor's yards. Be sure to keep hollering as you go & swinging that bat. You will be amazed at your neighbors new interest in you...

If he looks like this, then I was correct in my assumption of common Texas armadillo!

 

[robutacion]

Well, finding what it is, would help and one of the ways I would do it is to set up one or two train cameras, mostly used bu deer hunters, I'm sure you will know someone that know someone with some. Simply set the cameras and wait, you will get the answer in no time.

After that, you learn the times he rocks up and where, next time you will be waiting for it, with something capable of killing it.

Sure, you can use traps after you know what is is, find the correct bait and wait, disposal or relocation will be required, don't forget.

Let us know the results...!

Cheers
George

 

[jttheclockman]

I posted this question on a couple other sites and the consensus is skunk. They said they look for grubs and other insects in the lawn but i did some testing of the soil and the surrounding grass and have seen no signs of grubs.

I did a couple days ago smell a big time skunk odor at night. It was so bad I had to get up to close the windows. It was actually the first night we could sleep with the windows open and shut the air off. So I was a little peed off.

Will skunk come back and if so what do I do?? Not sure I want to capture a skunk. Not a great white hunter so no guns in the house.

May have to get a lawn service to spray some bug killer. Is there a skunk spray???

 

[Davidh14]

I recently had an armadillo problem. My yard began to look like what you have described. The fella was crawling under my fence to get into my backyard. I had to get traps and set them up where I thought he was possibly coming in at. After about a week and half of sitting out, I finally got him.

 

[Rounder]

I posted this question on a couple other sites and the consensus is skunk. They said they look for grubs and other insects in the lawn but i did some testing of the soil and the surrounding grass and have seen no signs of grubs.

I did a couple days ago smell a big time skunk odor at night. It was so bad I had to get up to close the windows. It was actually the first night we could sleep with the windows open and shut the air off. So I was a little peed off.

Will skunk come back and if so what do I do?? Not sure I want to capture a skunk. Not a great white hunter so no guns in the house.

May have to get a lawn service to spray some bug killer. Is there a skunk spray???

Yes a skunk will come back if he has found a deli in your yard. They eat more than grubs and if you smelled him, that is probably what it is. Probably has a den somewhere close if it is continuing to happen. Solution? Lead poisoning. Trap and move. Patience and hope it moves on. I have trapped many around my house as they like to dig under the underpinning and try to move in. I don't use any bait in the trap. It is more about location. They are kind of like mice when up close to the house. They like to follow the wall so that is where I place the trap. To approach a trapped skunk, I use a cheap plastic table cloth and hold it in front of me as I approach the cage. When close enough just cover the cage with the table cloth. If he can't see you, he won't spray you. Or they never have me. Also if it is a big skunk in a small cage, I don't think they can spray if they can't raise their tail. Though I never have personally tested this theory. The consequences of failure of that test are not appealing. The tricky part about trapping though is if you are doing catch and release. How do you open a trap and let the skunk out without getting sprayed? First, skunks have poor eyesight. I leave the cage covered. (P.S. I always wear leather gloves just in case it were to attempt to scratch or bite though has never happened). Next, I have a small bungee cord and pull the trap door open so it stays. I have never had one immediately run out as they feel safe with the cage covered. I then pull the table cloth and back away with the cloth in front of me. It can take some time before he decides to leave the cage but when they do, he is not in your territory any more. Or I give them lead poisoning while in the cage. But that has a tendency to stink up the cage.
Good luck and safe skunking.

 

[jttheclockman]

Looks like I will have to monitor the system here. I will fill in all the holes and see if any more are dug in the next few days. I just wish it would rain here already. The ground is so dry and hard as a rock. This has been one dry summer in NJ. Thanks everyone.

 

[Skie_M]

Question concerning that "lead poisoning" .... would that be the high velocity .22 caliber type?

You may want to double check your local or city ordinances regarding the discharge of a firearm within city limits ect ... Some of my relatives have gotten in trouble before just for hunting squirrels in their own back yards just to get rid of the pests, as they had a habit of getting into the attic and tearing things up.

 

[TellicoTurning]

At first I agreed with Billy, my first thoughts were armadillos, but not likely that far north (Yet- they are moving though I've heard)... so likely it is skunks... we have lots around my area, but so far (Knock on wood) haven't had any in the yard, except the ones the dog has killed and brought home. I have outside dogs, so don't have any idea how to get rid of them beyond what has been suggested.

 

[jttheclockman]

Question concerning that "lead poisoning" .... would that be the high velocity .22 caliber type?

You may want to double check your local or city ordinances regarding the discharge of a firearm within city limits ect ... Some of my relatives have gotten in trouble before just for hunting squirrels in their own back yards just to get rid of the pests, as they had a habit of getting into the attic and tearing things up.

That is an easy one. Not a great white hunter so no guns in this household and yes there is no discharging of firearms in the back yard allowed

 

[ed4copies]

John,

I'd call a pro. I have had raccoons, pro's trap and remove, yes they do skunks, I have asked. They say they relocate. Costs about $200. here.

 

[MTViper]

Unless you want to deal with an angry skunk yourself, I'd recommend the local animal control folks, if they trap and move, or a pest control company. I've dealt with skunks in the country and they are never pleasant, alive or dead. Best to hire a professional. A game camera in the back yard is not a bad idea either. That way you can positively identify the culprit.

 

[Charlie_W]

Having seen a ground hog near the house one day and a hole under the front porch, I set a box trap!.....

I was working nights and my wife called me and was not happy at all.
Middle of the night, she heard all this ruckus outside....sounded like a baby screaming. She opened the door to find a skunk in the trap and another nearby!
My final course of action and have used this a couple more times was to fill our big roll around trash receptacle with water, use a long pole and pick up the entire trap and skunk and dunk them. Go inside and come back later tip the bin over and then get the trap out, and dispose of the body.
They will release some spray when they expire but being underwater, it is not near as bad as when they spray in the air or on objects.

I too am in a subdivision and am not supposed to discharge a firearm...

....however, a .22 shot shell from a pistol out the kitchen window took care of a rat one time!:biggrin:

 

[Sappheiros]

My family out in NJ were having a rabbit problem and apparently you can take powdered hot pepper and sprinkle it in the yard to get rid of it. They had a couple of those huge jugs of spices from Costco and they sprinkled the two kinds in the yard.

 

[Rounder]

Question concerning that "lead poisoning" .... would that be the high velocity .22 caliber type?

You may want to double check your local or city ordinances regarding the discharge of a firearm within city limits ect ... Some of my relatives have gotten in trouble before just for hunting squirrels in their own back yards just to get rid of the pests, as they had a habit of getting into the attic and tearing things up.

You are correct on the .22. If trapped, I would take them out of town to release or lead poison.

 

[raar25]

Chipmunks dig holes as well.

 

[jimmyz]

I had a problem with racoons a couple of years ago. They don't dig holes, but they "flip up" the grass all over, looking for grubs. Went out at midnight one night and shined a light to see him. I was afraid it was a skunk. Since it was a racoon, I set up a live trap and caught him. Tried the next night and caught another. Same thing the following night and then no more. Figured I caught Mom, Dad, and kid. Naturally, you don't want to trap a skunk! I have religiously applied grub control the last few years and no more problem. Don't know if you can find someone to trap one for you - not a fun thing to do. Also, local animal control was no help. Good luck!

 

[Lucky2]

John, it more than likely is a skunk, I have the same issue here. I did away with two myself, then I started trapping them in a live trap. It's fairly easy to live trap them, just set up the trap and use dried dog food as bait. The secret to live trapping them without getting sprayed, is to use a small trap. One small enough to prevent the skunk from arching their back, and lifting their tail. If they can't do that, then they can't spray you. Once the skunk is trapped, you can pick the trap up and do what you want with it. An easy way to dispose of the skunk, is to take it to your local natural resources office and let them deal with it. Around here they are supposed to take them to an uninhabited area, and set it free. I never ask what they did with the skunk it doesn't make any difference to me. Once they do what they do, they bring back the live trap.
So far this summer, I've had three dogs and one SIL sprayed by skunks. All four times, they got a direct shot right into the face. Even the SIL got a direct shot to his face, the skunk was only 16" away from his face.

 

[Skie_M]

I keep an air rifle (fires 6mm BBs and pellets) to deal with minor pest issues. Air rifles are not considered firearms, so it's perfectly legal for me to use it to defend my house from pests like squirrels, skunks, raccoons, cats, and dogs (the latter being strays, of course). I also use it on rats, wasp nests, and for general target practice to stay in practice for hunting.

I don't use the air rifle itself for the purpose of hunting, but if a shot into the ground at the critter's feet won't scare it off, then I aim for the rump. I don't aim for the head (kill shot) unless it's a dangerous critter that is acting unusual (rabies is a concern in the area).

Setting up a motion activated solar powered spotlight or two in the back yard may be enough to scare them off as well. Just make sure that it can detect and turn on for something as small as a cat and you should be good to go. Also, making sure it doesn't shine on your house windows at night would be a good idea.

 

[leehljp]

I agree with Skie above. IF you decide on a pellet gun, there are two basic versions. One with 600-800 feet per second muzzle velocity and the other with 1000 to 1200 feet per second. The 1200+ ones pack as much power as most .22 shorts. I have one of these for keeping squirrels out of my peach, plum and apple trees. These don't violate our local firearms ordinance laws. There are some that are not as noisy as others and as a result, don't create neighbor's noise complaints.

Also, a good motion activated light would let you know what it is. Solar, battery or 120v. The 120v are more powerful. The battery ones don't last long enough for me. I have three solar ones and a 120v. The key is setting it up to the right sensitivity. Takes a couple of days to get it right. I had mine set too sensitive and it came on with each little breeze, a limb or a leaf fluttering by set it off, all hours of the night.

Once I got ours set up, I discovered a few night cats roaming our back yard. I let the dog out a couple of times and it has basically stopped that. It has become a great security feature for us too. While the solar ones are OK, the 120v motion light is very bright and will scare light evading animals and people away. Look for with with CREE lighting over normal LED. Much brighter.

 

[jttheclockman]

So far this looks like a one night thing. have seen no more digging. I have a motion sensor light set on my shed and and one on the back porch. It basically lights the whole yard up. I had the one on the shed turned off due to the sensitivity thing and it would come on every time a leaf blew by. But I have since turned it back on. That is the one that will turn on if they show up the most. Hopefully they did not find enough food and just moved on. Maybe that was the reason for that many holes. Not enough to fill them up.