why are squirrels digging in my yard

Why Are Squirrels Digging Holes in My Yard?

As a homeowner, seeing random holes popping up in your yard can be frustrating. While your first thought may be moles or gophers, the culprit is often actually squirrels! Squirrels digging in yards is an extremely common phenomenon, especially in the fall. So why exactly are squirrels digging holes in your lawn?

The Reasons Behind Squirrels Digging Holes

There are two main reasons squirrels may be digging in your yard

1. Burying Food for Caches

Squirrels are natural foragers always on the search for food sources. In the fall, they gather nuts, seeds, acorns, and other foods to store for the winter when food becomes scarce. Squirrels bury these food caches all around your yard in shallow holes, planning to dig them back up later in winter.

Some common signs it’s a squirrel cache hole:

• Small, about the size of a quarter
• Shallow, only an inch or two deep
• Little displaced dirt around the hole

Squirrels have excellent memories and can remember the locations of thousands of caches!

1. Burrowing Species Building Shelter

While tree squirrels don’t build underground burrows, certain ground squirrel species like gophers and prairie dogs do dig tunnels and chambers below ground for shelter and raising young. If you live in an area with ground squirrels, their holes may pop up in your yard as they expand their burrow systems.

Signs of a ground squirrel burrow:

• Larger entrance hole, 5-8 inches across
• Mound of loose soil surrounding the hole
• Connected network of tunnels

Preventing Squirrels from Digging Up Your Yard

While squirrel holes may not cause serious damage, they can be an eyesore in a nicely manicured lawn. Here are some tips to deter squirrels from digging in your yard:

• Eliminate food sources like fallen nuts and seeds, uncovered compost piles, and easily accessible bird feeders. The less food available, the less they’ll cache.

• Use scare tactics like placing plastic owls around your yard. Squirrels see owls as predators and will avoid them.

• Keep dogs and cats outside as much as possible. Their presence and chase instincts will scare squirrels away.

• Use fencing to block off vegetable gardens, flower beds, and landscaped areas prone to caching.

• Maintain a healthy lawn by removing debris, aerating soil, filling in bare spots, and keeping grass thick and lush, which deters holes.

• Consider hiring a professional pest control company to remove problem squirrels on your property humanely and effectively. They can also advise on permanent exclusion solutions to keep squirrels out of your yard.

Dangers and Risks of Squirrels in Your Yard

While losing a few flowers or nuts to squirrels may just be annoying, a full-blown squirrel infestation on your property can cause extensive damage. Here are some of the potential risks:

• Squirrels gnaw through wood, wires, shingles, and insulation to enter homes and buildings. Repairs for structural damage they cause can be extremely costly.

• Inside homes and attics, squirrels tear up insulation for nesting material and chew on wires, increasing fire hazards.

• Squirrels carry diseases transmissible to humans including typhus, fleas, mites, ringworm, and more. Their droppings and nests contain parasites.

• Squirrels have sharp teeth and claws capable of biting and scratching humans. While not aggressive, they will protect themselves if cornered.

• Rotting squirrel caches of food buried around your property can attract other unwanted pests like insects, raccoons, and rodents.

• Squirrels killing ornamental plants, flowers, and stealing fruit/vegetables out of gardens.

As you can see, a squirrel takeover can quickly escalate beyond just a few holes in the yard, which is why prevention and removal is so important.

At-Home Remedies to Deter Squirrels

If you already have squirrels digging up your yard, here are a few simple DIY remedies to try:

• Sprinkle hot pepper powder or cayenne pepper around holes and garden edges. The spicy scent deters squirrels. Reapply after rain.

• Spray squirrel repellent like fox or coyote urine around damaged areas. Search for these at garden stores.

• Place pouches of dried fox or raccoon scent near holes, mimicking natural predators.

• Hang aluminum pie pans or old CDs from trees and fences. The reflection and clanging sounds startle squirrels.

• Play a talk radio station tuned to a news or sports channel outside. The constant chatter disturbs them.

• Use an ultrasonic animal repeller. The high-frequency output annoys squirrels and drives them away.

• Spread chicken wire or hardware cloth over the soil surface in flower beds and gardens to block digging.

• Use a garden hose to briefly flood cache holes and burrows to block them off.

Keep in mind most DIY remedies provide only temporary relief. For permanent squirrel removal and prevention, enlist professional pest control.

Professional Squirrel Exclusion and Removal Services

For severe squirrel infestations causing property damage or posing health risks, contact pest management pros trained in humane squirrel trapping, exclusion, and removal. Here are solutions they may provide:

• Inspecting your home and pinpointing all possible squirrel entry points that need sealing shut

• Trapping problem squirrels on your property and safely relocating them away

• Clearing out litters from your attic or walls and doing biohazard cleaning to remove parasites, urine, and feces

• Installing one-way exclusion doors on attic vents and openings so squirrels can exit but not re-enter

• Putting up chimney caps, wire mesh screens, and other barricades to keep squirrels out of your home

• Removing sources of attraction like outdoor pet food bowls, unsealed trash cans, fallen tree fruit, and more

• Applying squirrel repellent spray solutions to drive them away from your house and yard

• Monitoring your property with trail cameras to identify recurring squirrels that need removal

• Providing advice tailored to your home on permanent solutions to keep squirrels away long-term

By combining professional exclusion work and removing rogue squirrels with some of the deterrent methods above, you can reclaim your yard and protect your biggest investment. No more waking up to new mysterious holes peppering your landscape!

The Bottom Line

Squirrels digging holes may be a nuisance, but their natural caching and burrowing behaviors are tough to stop completely. Your best defense is making your landscape less attractive to them by minimizing food, sealing off dens, and employing scare tactics. For severe repeat offenders causing damage, call in the professionals to remove and exclude problem squirrels humanely and effectively. With some persistence, you can outsmart those shifty squirrels and keep them from treating your yard like their personal winter pantry!