Naked Science Forum

Life Sciences => Plant Sciences, Zoology & Evolution => Topic started by: graham.d on 09/04/2011 17:03:30

Title: What is digging holes in my garden?
Post by: graham.d on 09/04/2011 17:03:30

This is probably more for "Gardener's question time" but I thought I would try here. Something has decided to start digging small holes in the lawn. The holes are roughly 4 inches (10cm) in diameter and 3 to 4 inches deep. If I fill them in they get dug out again. There seems to be a sort of "track" visible joining up some of the holes; it is hard to describe, but the lawn looks different inside the tracks from the surrounding lawn but is not very pronounced.

The main animals we see are foxes (no. 1 suspect), squirrels (no. 2 suspect) and various garden birds (though apart from possibly Crows or Magpies, I can't see that they would be able to do this. Someone suggested that we may have cockchafers under the turf and the foxes are digging them out.

Any ideas?

Title: What is digging holes in my garden?
Post by: RD on 09/04/2011 18:03:12

At the risk of stating the obvious ...

(https://www.thenakedscientists.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fecx.images-amazon.com%2Fimages%2FI%2F51G2lB4gekL._SL500_AA300_.jpg&hash=654e970346b9c7957f7bf78e599ba40f) (http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0028K2WBA/ref=asc_df_B0028K2WBA2527849?smid=A3P5ROKL5A1OLE&tag=googlecouk06-21&linkCode=asn&creative=22206&creativeASIN=B0028K2WBA)

[ NB: In reality moles (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mole_%28animal%29) do not wear protective headgear ].

Title: What is digging holes in my garden?
Post by: graham.d on 09/04/2011 19:43:14

Moles leave very neat hills when they make holes and the holes extend into tunnels. These are just blind craters.

Title: What is digging holes in my garden?
Post by: Geezer on 09/04/2011 20:27:32

I think you might have voles and the foxes are going after them. I'm pretty sure you don't have gophers  [:D]

BTW - what's a cockchafer? That's a new one on me.

(No Neil, don't even think about it!)

Title: What is digging holes in my garden?
Post by: neilep on 09/04/2011 20:37:48

Quote from: Geezer on 09/04/2011 20:27:32

I think you might have voles and the foxes are going after them. I'm pretty sure you don't have gophers  [:D]

BTW - what's a cockchafer? That's a new one on me.

(No Neil, do even think about it!)

...but...oh......ok !   [;)]

Title: What is digging holes in my garden?
Post by: Geezer on 09/04/2011 23:00:51

Typo! It was supposed to be "Don't even think about it."

Title: What is digging holes in my garden?
Post by: RD on 10/04/2011 06:46:24

Molehills near the golf hole here …

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http://www.bbc.co.uk (http://www.bbc.co.uk/cbbc/shaunthesheep/swf/championsheeps.swf?config=/cbbc/shaunthesheep/swf/config.xml?a)

NB: the laws of physics have been bent in this (Adobe flash) game.

Title: What is digging holes in my garden?
Post by: graham.d on 10/04/2011 09:58:37

For Geezer and Neil... http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cockchafer

I don't think the holes are caused by a burrowing animal like a vole. It looks more like the result of a scrabbling fox or squirrel digging for something. As I have a problem with foxes, these are the prime suspect, though I expect there is something specific they are after and that's why they're digging.

Title: What is digging holes in my garden?
Post by: Geezer on 10/04/2011 18:43:44

Thanks for the link Graham. Nasty looking characters they are too!

Yes. I think foxes are digging the the holes to catch voles. That's what I was trying to say  [:D]