How to Stop Wild Animals Digging In Your Yard or Garden
Dealing With Animals Digging In Your Yard Or Next To The House
The image of a perfect lawn and attractive flower beds in the yard or next to your home can be perfect when you imagine them, but finding that animals have been digging or burrowing can damage the look of the house. As well as the aesthetic issues, in some cases this kind of wild animal activity can be much more serious causing tripping hazards or even affecting the structural integrity of the property. There are plenty of challenges that homeowners can face, but those caused by digging animals certainly shouldn't be overlooked.
Problems Caused By Burrowing Animals
When it comes to animals digging in the yard, this can often cause issues with regards to flat surfaces such as a lawn, while they can also steal vegetables and fruit, while if they start digging around the base of shrubs or trees, they can even destabilize these plants and cause them to fall over. However, the biggest area of concern will be when animals are digging near the house, particularly if they appear to be removing the dirt around the ground level, as this not only could give them a chance to dig towards a vent or space where they can get into the property, but more importantly it can also affect the structure of the house, weakening the wall itself.
Why Do Animals Burrow And Dig In The Yard?
There are several reasons that animals dig and burrow, and this can vary from moles and other animals that naturally dig and live underground, to different species that dig in order to create somewhere to nest. Another reason that animals may be digging in the yard is that they are finding a source of food there, which can either be related to the theft of fruit and vegetables through to there being a good population of worms and insects in the yard. When animals dig up against the walls of a home, this will usually be to create a nest or den, where the animals can raise their young.
Removing Problem Animals
Because there are so many different species that can be causing these kinds of problems, from groundhogs and chipmunks through to animals such as skunks and rabbits. Trapping and removing problem animals is usually the first step, and it is worth examining the yard to see if the animals are coming in from nearby or are actually living in your yard. Choose a trap that is appropriate to the size of the animal that is causing the issue, and bait this with fruit and vegetables, and once you have caught the animal relocate it in an area at least ten miles from the site where it is causing the problem. Once the animals are gone, you can start to take measures to
Repairing Any Holes In The Yard
Once you have removed the animals, you can then start work to bring the yard back to its original condition, and filling the holes with soil, and stamping it down to make sure the hole is fully filled in. With holes that are located next to the house, it is important to check there is no structural damage before you fill in the hole. If there is any doubt about the wall itself and whether or not it has weakened or sagged with the space provided by the digging animal, and if there are any potential issues it is worth referring to a builder before you fill in the hole.
Preventing Animals From Gaining Access To The Property
Having removed the animals from your property and yard, the next step is to stop them from getting in to the yard, and the first step is to check the fence around the yard. If your fence has a wide mesh that allows smaller animals to get in and out, it is worth putting some chicken wire over the lower part of the fence to help keep these animals out, while making sure the fence is embedded at least six inches into the ground will help prevent animals from burrowing underneath.
Making Your House Less Attractive To Burrowing And Digging Animals
Animals will usually return to an area where they find attractive features such as sources of food or cover, and trying to remove the factors drawing these animals can make your garden less prone to the issues caused by digging animals. One thing that attracts many animals is the amount of cover that is to be found at ground level, so removing things like wood piles and low shrubs can help to remove one of the attractions for visitors. While removing all food sources such as growing plants may not be entirely possible, ensuring that fallen fruit or anything that is rotting or strong scented is removed can also reduce the number of animals drawn to the yard.
Go back to the main How to Get Rid of Wild Animals page for more information about animal trapping and information about HI HEADING.
