Anyone know about lawns?

[PaulaSue]

I have never seen this before....In the front and back of my house the lawn is messed up with what look like rivers of ground where the grass should be and bunches of little wholes all over the lawn in those areas.

I can't find anything online with pictures similiar of it to figure out what it is and how to fix it. Everything I can find brings me back to moles and voles but the holes the grass has are "clean" without a bunch of extra dirt around.

I live in PA and we had a TON of snow this year (approx 35'' in 4 days/2 snow storms total) if that makes a difference. We had a problem with mice last year and tried to fix it, also got a cat and I guess I am wondering if it could be a mouse/mice.

TIA

 

[nowellsl]

I have never seen this before....In the front and back of my house the lawn is messed up with what look like rivers of ground where the grass should be and bunches of little wholes all over the lawn in those areas.

I can't find anything online with pictures similiar of it to figure out what it is and how to fix it. Everything I can find brings me back to moles and voles but the holes the grass has are "clean" without a bunch of extra dirt around.

I live in PA and we had a TON of snow this year (approx 35'' in 4 days/2 snow storms total) if that makes a difference. We had a problem with mice last year and tried to fix it, also got a cat and I guess I am wondering if it could be a mouse/mice.

TIA

Sounds like armadillos do they travel that far north?

 

[BalooTheBear]

What you may have is grubworms. And, the holes may be caused by skunks digging for these grubs. We had this problem up in NY. Skunks become active from hibernation mid-February up that way....

 

[PaulaSue]

Don't know about grubworms, will have to check that out more. Thanks!

But I doubt that it is skunks. These holes are tiny and neat compared to the skunks I have seen around here.

 

[MI mom of 3]

Sounds like moles. They make a devil of a mess and are hard to get rid of.

 

[The Mystery Machine]

It has to be voles.

http://landscaping.about.com/cs/pests/a/vole_control.htm

 

[Kies99]

How big are the holes? If they are small, say about the diameter of a pen or a little larger, those are grubs.

If they are bigger then it sounds to me like chipmunks. I'm in PA as well and I've got chipmunk holes in my yard now and have had grubs.

It was funny with the snow as I'd see these little trenches through it with holes at the end. The chipmunks had woken up and had to tunnel out.

 

[TaraPA]

I'm in PA too & once had to get the exterminator for moles & voles. Sounds like what you are describing. We did not have much "digging up dirt" around our holes either, they were clean. I'd have an exterminator come look at it now before they do real damage. Ours got so comfortable around the house they didn't run when they saw us. My kids even had names for them!

 

[ncmickeyluvr]

sounds like voles to me. We have them in our yard. They drive our dogs INSANE!!

 

[PaulaSue]

How big are the holes? If they are small, say about the diameter of a pen or a little larger, those are grubs.

If they are bigger then it sounds to me like chipmunks. I'm in PA as well and I've got chipmunk holes in my yard now and have had grubs.

It was funny with the snow as I'd see these little trenches through it with holes at the end. The chipmunks had woken up and had to tunnel out.

He holes are abobut 1 inch wide. Never seen chipmunks here, but could be, we live near the forest (was forest land before the house was builit 2 years ago).

 

[PaulaSue]

i'm in pa too & once had to get the exterminator for moles & voles. Sounds like what you are describing. We did not have much "digging up dirt" around our holes either, they were clean. I'd have an exterminator come look at it now before they do real damage. Ours got so comfortable around the house they didn't run when they saw us. My kids even had names for them!

yuck!!!

 

[PatsGirl]

It took about three seasons but moles have finally ruined both my front and back lawns to the point that a landscaper has told me that I'll have to dig up the yard and set down new loam and seed. Moles can take down whole neighborhoods...both of my neighbors have had problems with their lawns as well but not to the extent that I have. What once was a beautifully landscaped yard now appears to be over run by weeds and worse now is I have a "moss lawn", yuch!

 

[PaulaSue]

Too Funny! Today the first thing on the living section of the newspaper was an article and picture about my lawn.

Voles is the problem.......

 

[Val]

Maybe I should send you my cats....we live on an acre in the woods (yes, there are woods in central Illinois). We try and maintain some lawn, but we are in "battle" with the local varmits, including voles. Our cats believe that these are a delicacy that should be shared....a rare morning in the spring or summer when I don't get up to a beheaded vole on the front porch. It's as if the cats say "here, I brought you lazy-bums some breakfast"......but I think I will stick to my granola or cheerios and coffee.

We put down the anti-grub lawn weed and feed, which helps, but essentially we have lost the big battle. We also have deer, raccoons, chipmunks, moles, possums, skunks, coyotes, foxes....and a huge snapping turtle who likes to sun on my front porch. I plant double the veggies- one for me, one for the varmits. We cheer for the hawks, owls and even the bald eagle who was hanging around the neighborhood recently.....may they enjoy eating the bad varmits and leave my pets alone!

Good luck.....voles are a pain in the you-know-where!