As winter is coming closer, the number of holes in your yard is getting larger. Wondering why these cute little squirrels are digging holes in your yard? Squirrels dig holes to bury and store their food for winter. When food gets scarce in winter, they return and search for their buried nuts, digging more holes.
Allowing certain wildlife in your garden can be vital for the overall health of your landscape. Squirrels are one of those creatures that seem playful and harmless. But digging multiple holes in your yard isn’t cool, huh?
In this writing, I’ll unleash the reasons behind the squirrels digging up your yard. Followed by the tips and tricks to stop them from doing so. Tag along, you’ll thank me in the end!
How To Identify A Squirrel Damage?
Imagine one fine morning you’ve been confronted by multiple holes in your yard. How do we know if squirrels do this? Of Course, you want to remove squirrels from your yard or prevent future damage, but first, be able to identify the signs of squirrel damage. Plenty of other lives may reside in your garden, but squirrels have specific signs.
Damage To Plants:
Flowers and shrubs may fall victim to naughty squirrels. They chew on certain petals and leaves with their sharp teeth. So keeping an eye out for small bites and damage to stems and buds may be useful.
Damage To Tree Barks:
Squirrels scale up on trees frequently with their sharp claws. This can hurt the softer surface of woods which eventually causes tree diseases. So look for damaged surfaces of trees to identify squirrel invasion.
Damage To Bird Feeders:
Bird feeders are artificially installed bottles filled with bird seeds to feed wild birds. But squirrels are so nuisance that they climb up to these bird feeders and ruin them. Look for scratched or broken plastic netting, and you’ll know who is responsible.
Damage To Crops:
Crops are always at risk from all kinds of pests and insects and of course squirrels. So missing crops and bite marks may be a result of squirrel damage but it’s not certain.
Damage To Rubbish Bags:
Squirrels are so greedy that they are always looking for food. They don’t even leave your rubbish bags alone. So, if you find holes in bin bags left outside this is a sign of squirrel damage.
Holes in the Yard:
The obvious sign is the holes in your yard that we’ve started with. Squirrel holes are two inches in diameter, shallow, and usually have no surrounding soil. These types of holes are unique and you’ll easily be able to differentiate them from other rodents.
These holes are perfect for hiding nuts and seeds for winter. Soon they’ll come back to find them and the number of holes will rise exponentially leading your yard to decay.
Why Are Squirrels Digging In My Yard?
Why do you think squirrels are digging in your yard? Maybe they’re playing a treasure-hunter game! Jokes apart. Squirrel invasion if uncontrolled may cause you quite a headache. These clever, food-stealers damage tree buds and bark, bird seed, ripe fruits and vegetables, flower blooms, and whatnot.
And the worst thing they do is dig holes in garden soil and plant pots. The reason may be either to bury food or search for them. Here are 5 reasons why squirrels dig up your yard:
1.To Bury Food:
Though winter may be cozy and comforting for us, it is really hard for wildlife. Food gets scarce and they’ve to live on stored food. The same fact applies to squirrels. During the autumn squirrels try to collect as much food as they can.
And where to store the collected food? They bury it in multiple holes in the ground. And plan to come back in the winter and dig up their meal. Simply, it’s their survival theory.
Studies show that a squirrel can bury up to 3000 nuts a year. These food storage holes are named “ caches”. All Gray squirrels, red squirrels, and southern flying squirrels follow this process. Caches tend to increase mostly in the fall, from October to November.
2. To Eat Bulbs:
Another fine reason why a squirrel may be digging up your yard is to get at bulbs. The bulb is one of the squirrel’s favorite food sources, especially tulip and crocus bulbs. However, you can put a net around to stop squirrels from doing so. Or simply don’t plant these specific species until the squirrels are removed.
3. To Regain Food:
You already guessed the third obvious reason for digging, right? Yes, it’s to find the foods they buried once. They will do this throughout the winter making your yard more damaged. Squirrels are genetically very good at finding the spot where they’ve hidden something. Still, they keep digging multiple holes because they are nuisance little critters.
4. To Find Shelter:
Additionally, some species of squirrels dig holes in the ground for shelter. Sometimes they dig a long tunnel towards the inside of your house to stay warm in winter.
5. For No Good Reason:
Squirrels dig holes in your yard because they are simply squirrels. Stories of squirrels digging up yards are ancient. Squirrels are very playful and inquisitive by nature. So, sometimes they keep digging holes because they have to keep doing something. Squirrels are called scavengers or foragers.
How Do I Stop Squirrels From Digging Up My Lawn?
It is quite disappointing to see all of your efforts in the yard getting ruined by squirrels, right? It’s not a problem to be solved by itself. To stop squirrels from digging up your yard, you’ve to keep them away.
The best way is to make your yard unattractive to them. Here are some handy ways to keep squirrels away:
Remove The Readily Stealable Food Sources:
Squirrels are foragers by nature, so they pick up fallen foods like nuts, fruits, and seeds. If food is made readily available, squirrels will be attracted to reside around to return frequently to collect food. In turn, they’ll dig more holes to hide those foods.
So, you’ve to remove all the fallen food sources from time to time and keep your yard clean. Simply, no food, no squirrels.
Frighten Them Away:
Leave your dogs outside, they’re very good at chasing squirrels. Another way is to plant some technology like garden spinners, aluminum tins, pinwheels, motion-detecting sprinklers, etc. All these are good squirrel deterrents.
Spray Repellents:
Squirrels hate the smell of chili peppers, mint, black pepper, cinnamon, and cloves. So, spraying these can be an excellent home remedy. Spray these in the areas where squirrels usually flock together. And make sure to keep re-spraying frequently and immediately after rain.
Spread Mulch:
You can discourage squirrels from digging up and help protect seedlings by covering the soil around your plants with a single layer of mulch.
Use Nets Around Plants:
Protect your plant from squirrels with plastic netting, fencing, or chicken wire. Also, you may use mesh netting down to the ground in the early stages of growth. With this, squirrels won’t be able to dig up bulbs and roots.
Keep Rubbish Bags Sealed:
If you leave stray waste outside, squirrels and other scavengers take this as welcoming. Keep your rubbish in tightly sealed bags or containers. Or you can just put them indoors and dispose of them at a convenient time.
Reconsider Keeping Pet Food And Birdfeeders:
You must have noticed by now that the pet foods left outdoors and bird feeders are easy targets for squirrels. They feast regularly with this and dig numerous holes in your yard. Keep dog and cat food indoors and use stronger bird feeders that are not destroyed by a squirrel.
Stop Them Access Your House:
When squirrels are in large numbers, they can get into your house to find food and shelter. Keep windows closed when you’re not home. Otherwise, squirrels will easily contaminate food, scatter litter and disturb your pets.
Plant Natural Repellents:
Instead of spraying repellents, you may opt for planting lemongrass, daffodils, rosemary, peppermint, lavender, etc for naturally removing squirrels. It’s a durable and eco-friendly solution.
Conclusion:
Squirrel holes may seem harmless initially but they pose a potential threat for property owners like weakening the structural integrity of building foundations, sidewalks, and patios. Also, holes ruin the aesthetic of the garden and harm plants and vegetable growth. As certain species of squirrels are protected by law, consider the laws in your region before taking any measures yourself.
Though there are many DIY ways to remove squirrels, for me the best way is to take expert help. They can safely and humanely remove the squirrels. So, what are you waiting for? Act today and let the squirrels go dig elsewhere. You deserve to enjoy every bit of your yard. Best of luck!
