A hole’s diameter alone is not enough to identify what is digging in your yard. Check its shape, nearby soil, tunnels, tracks, droppings, plant damage, and timing to distinguish animals that are feeding from those excavating a den. Identify the likely cause before using traps, pesticides, or exclusion measures.
Before filling a hole, photograph and document it. An occupied burrow may run beneath a structure or contain young, so do not seal it until you have established whether it is active.
Start by documenting the hole
- Measure the opening at its widest point. Record whether it is round, oval, cone-shaped, or part of a tunnel.
- Photograph the hole and surrounding soil before filling or disturbing it. Include a ruler or familiar object for scale.
- Look for associated evidence: a mound, fan, or plug of soil; raised tunnels or surface runways; freshly turned soil or claw marks; tracks, droppings, fur, feathers, or food remains; and gnaw marks on bark, roots, bulbs, or branches.
- Check nearby features. Note whether the hole is near a wall, patio, steps, foundation, fence, compost, food sources, or dense vegetation.
- Check the timing. If damage appears overnight or you never see the animal, a motion-activated trail camera can help show which animal uses the site and when.
Yard-hole identification guide
| What you see | Likely cause | Clues to confirm it |
|---|---|---|
| Scattered, shallow dead-end holes resembling golf divots | Skunk, raccoon, or gray squirrel | Skunks commonly leave cone-shaped holes or patches of overturned soil while searching for grubs and insects. More holes may appear in spring from squirrels and in fall from skunks or raccoons. |
| Sod peeled back like carpet, with dead or dying grass beneath | Raccoon, skunk, crow, or mole feeding where white grubs are abundant | Lift about 1 square foot of turf and inspect the top 2–4 inches of soil for C-shaped white larvae with brown heads and legs. Heavy grub damage can make sod lift easily. |
| Raised, shallow winding ridges or circular soil mounds | Mole | Molehills are circular mounds around a vertical shaft; raised surface tunnels are another strong clue. Moles eat earthworms, grubs, and other insects—not plant roots. |
| Crisscrossing runways about 1½–2 inches wide, clipped grass, small openings, or bark gnawing | Vole | Look for grass clippings, rice-shaped droppings, and irregular gnaw marks near tree bases. Voles may also make roughly 1-inch holes when reaching bulbs or tubers. |
| Fan-shaped mound with a plugged opening | Pocket gopher | Pocket gophers work mainly underground. Their fan-shaped mounds and sealed openings are more reliable evidence than a direct sighting. |
| Clean, open hole about 2 inches wide with little or no mound | Chipmunk | Entrances are often beside a wall, patio, steps, or foundation. Chipmunks carry excavated soil away in their cheek pouches, so there may be no visible mound. |
| Large entrance about 10–12 inches wide, with a conspicuous mound | Woodchuck, also called a groundhog | The burrow often starts near a foundation, fence row, stone wall, tree, or brush and descends steeply before narrowing. |
| Burrow about 2 inches or more wide near garbage, pet food, bird feeders, compost, low vegetation, or concrete | Norway rat | Look for droppings, gnawing, greasy rub marks, and activity after dark. Norway rats commonly nest in ground burrows and beneath concrete slabs. |
| Tiny openings about ⅛ inch wide with small conical mounds | Cornfield ants | These holes are often in thin or bare grass during spring or summer, with small brown ants nearby. |
| Several holes about 2 inches wide in a sunny, well-drained area | Cicada killers or yellowjackets | Cicada-killer entrances commonly have a noticeable soil mound; yellowjacket entrances generally do not. Cicada killers are large black-and-yellow wasps active in mid-to-late summer. |
How to tell the common look-alikes apart
Moles versus voles
Moles create raised tunnels and molehills while feeding on soil invertebrates. Voles leave surface runways, clipped vegetation, small burrow openings, and gnaw marks on bark. Voles may use existing mole tunnels, so mole-like ridges alongside plant damage do not necessarily mean moles caused the damage.
Clipped grass, disappearing bulbs, or bark girdling near the soil line point more toward voles than moles.
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Skunks versus raccoons
Skunks commonly make individual cone-shaped holes or small patches of overturned soil while hunting grubs. Raccoons may make shallow divots but are more likely to roll back or tear up recently installed sod. Both may be responding to grubs, so inspect the soil before assuming the animal is the primary problem.
Chipmunks versus rats and mice
A chipmunk entrance is often a clean, open hole with little displaced soil, located near cover or a structure. Rat and mouse burrows are more likely to be associated with droppings, gnawing, food sources, dense vegetation, or debris. Rat burrows are generally at least about 2 inches across; mouse holes are smaller.
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Check the lawn for grubs before blaming an animal
Skunks, raccoons, crows, and sometimes moles may be searching for white grubs rather than excavating a permanent den. If patches of sod lift easily, inspect the upper 2–4 inches of soil for C-shaped, white larvae with brown heads and legs.
Confirm whether grubs are present before assuming the animal is the primary problem. An animal may be responding to a food source, and hole patterns alone may not identify the cause.
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Use a camera when the evidence is unclear
A motion-activated trail camera can help identify an unknown animal and determine when it uses the area. Aim it to capture the hole and surrounding ground, and check whether pets are triggering it.
When a hole may not be from an animal
A sudden, large, deep, expanding, or apparently bottomless hole may indicate soil subsidence or a sinkhole rather than wildlife activity. Do not approach or enter it; contact the relevant local emergency, utility, geological, or municipal authority. Surface appearance alone may not reveal the cause.
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Common claims that are wrong or misleading
- “Every mound is a molehill.” Pocket gophers, ants, cicada killers, and other animals also produce mounds. Raised tunnels and molehills are stronger clues for moles.
- “Moles eat plant roots.” Moles primarily eat grubs, earthworms, and other insects. Voles are a more likely cause of clipped grass runways or bark-girdling damage.
- “A 2-inch hole proves it is a chipmunk.” Chipmunks commonly make entrances that size, but cicada killers and yellowjackets can also make openings of about 2 inches.
- “Treat the animal first.” Raccoons, skunks, crows, and moles may be responding to white grubs. Check for grubs before assuming the animal is the primary problem.
- “Fill every hole immediately.” First establish whether it is active, whether it runs beneath a structure, and whether a wildlife den may contain young. Sealing an occupied burrow can trap animals inside.
FAQ
What animal makes small holes all over the lawn?
Skunks, raccoons, and gray squirrels can make scattered, shallow holes while feeding. Skunks commonly leave cone-shaped holes or overturned soil; raccoons are more likely to pull back recently installed sod. Check for grubs and consider a trail camera if the animal is unclear.
How can I tell if a hole is from a mole or a vole?
Moles create raised ridges, shallow tunnels, and circular molehills. Voles leave surface runways, clipped grass, small openings, droppings, and gnaw marks on bark or roots. Plant damage is more characteristic of voles.
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Should I fill a hole in my yard immediately?
No. First determine whether it is active, connected to a structure, or could be a den with young. Sealing an occupied burrow can trap animals inside.
When should I get help with a yard hole?
Keep clear of a sudden, large, deep, expanding, or apparently bottomless hole and contact the relevant local emergency, utility, geological, or municipal authority. A hole’s surface appearance alone may not reveal whether it is an animal burrow or subsidence.
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