If you have a raccoon, mole, or some other type of animal constantly digging holes in your backyard, you should try one of the following techniques to stop the animal in its tracks:
- Get rid of grub in your yard
- Add nematodes to the yard
- Seed regularly
- Add fences around the area
- Use animal repellent
- Call a pest control specialist
By using one or more of these techniques, you can discourage the animal from coming into your yard and digging.
To learn more about preventing animals from digging holes in your backyard, read below.
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6 Ways to Stop Animals From Digging In Your Backyard
Raccoons, skunks, and moles are the three most common animals that like to dig in backyards.
Almost always, these animals are digging in search of food.
To prevent the digging, you will need to eradicate the food source, deter the animals, or eradicate the animals entirely.
Here are six ways to stop animals from digging holes in your backyard.
1. Get Rid of Grub
The main reason that animals make holes in yards is that they are looking for food.
The most common food source that these animals are looking for is grub.
Grubs are different types of beetle larvae. They are often fat, white, and shaped like the letter C when underground.
If you notice dead patches of grass appearing suddenly in your lawn in addition to holes being dug up by animals, you likely have a grub problem.
Not only are the holes unsightly, but grubs can cause lawn damage and eventually lead to an infestation.
If it looks like you have grubs in your yard, you need to get rid of them.
Always Good Idea: You can take preventative measures by using a bug destroyer. In a worst-case scenario, you can contact a specialist to kill the grubs for you.
2. Add Nematodes To Your Yard
A nematode is a certain type of worm.
Whereas grubs are bad, these small worms are great for your soil.
In fact, the more nematodes there are in your yard, the fewer grubs there will be.
By adding more nematodes, the food source of the animals causing all the trouble will begin to die off.
Of course, adding nematodes might not solve the problem immediately, but it will slowly benefit your soil and deter animals from coming back for more grubs.
3. Seed Regularly
The more seeds that are in the ground, the more root systems can grow.
When root systems are particularly complex and thick, it is more difficult for small animals to create holes in the ground.
By seeding regularly, you help to strengthen your yard and prevent animals from causing damage to it.
4. Add Fences
If you know that the animals causing all the trouble are coming into your yard at night, you can consider fencing in your yard.
Fencing in your yard may not prevent all animals from digging holes, but it will certainly make the task much more difficult.
Much like humans, animals are particularly lazy when they can be.
As a result, the animals will likely look for other grubs in areas that are not fenced in.
Remember to check local regulations and laws concerning adding fences to the property before installing one around your yard.
5. Use Animal Repellent
If you cannot install offense or the fence is not working, you can add animal repellent around your home.
There are a variety of animal repellents to select, some of which are toxic while others can be found in your kitchen cabinet.
Some of the most effective animal repellents are powders and liquids that you can purchase from home improvement stores.
Although these are effective, they are often toxic and include a lot of chemicals.
A more natural alternative is sprinkling cayenne pepper around your yard.
For an even cheaper solution, you can make a soapy water mixture.
Pour the mixture into the already damaged areas. This will deter animals from digging in those holes again and may even cause the animals to seek out different yards.
In Most Cases: A mixture of cayenne pepper and soapy water is enough to keep animals from digging up yards. It is largely because these animals have much stronger senses of smell and taste than us. A single whiff of soap and pepper, as well as the taste of it, keeps the animals at bay.
6. Call Pest Control Specialists
In a worst-case scenario, you may need to call a pest control specialist.
The specialist will get rid of the problem entirely by either killing or removing the animals from your property.
If you do not want to harm the animal, you can contact a specialist that will trap the animals and take them to another location.
Even if you call a pest control specialist, you should likely focus on the grub problem too.
After all, the problem is most rooted in an infestation of grubs, not an infestation of the animals.
If you do not remove the grubs, you will have to continue calling pest control specialists to get rid of the animals.
Conclusion
If animals are digging holes in your yard, you likely have a grub infestation.
Grubs are the primary food source of a number of digging animals.
For this reason, we recommend beginning the deterrent process by getting rid of the grubs.
From there, you can build fences and deter animals from coming back.
Only call a specialist if you have no other alternative.
