What's Digging Holes in My Yard? Identifying and Solving Lawn & Garden Holes

Mysterious holes in the lawn or garden can be frustrating. The culprit could be animals, children, rotten roots, flooding, or irrigation issues. Size and location are your best clues. Small holes usually come from insects, invertebrates, or burrowing rodents; larger holes signal more serious causes that must be identified and fixed. Use a process of elimination to solve the mystery.

Clues from Hole Size & Location

• Lawn-wide small holes: Often voles, moles, or insects. Mole hills have a soil mound; vole holes don’t. Birds peck for worms/grubs. Earthworms make pencil-sized aeration holes.
• Insect egg-laying: Some wasps lay eggs in sod, creating holes. Excavate a few to check for eggs or tunnels.
• Pets & children: Dogs dig; kids build forts and tunnels. Rule these out first.
• Garden/soil holes: Birds, squirrels, and other animals dig for insects or buried food. Animals also burrow and nest underground.
• Near tree snags/roots: Could be rat or chipmunk burrows.
• Large holes (foot-wide): Armadillos or groundhogs. Watch at dawn/dusk.
• Wet/boggy areas with mud towers: Crayfish (2–4 inch towers with hole at top). Trapping or pro removal may be needed.

Seasonal Patterns

• Spring: Earthworms active (granular towers around 1-inch holes). Insect larvae hatch, leaving pinprick holes. Winter-killed tree roots may collapse. Sprinkler leaks create boggy fissures.
• Other seasons: Insect life cycles vary; observe timing.

Follow the clues—size, location, season, and direct observation—to pinpoint the cause and take appropriate action.