What animal do I have to deal with?
#1
06-27-16, 09:53 AM
What animal do I have to deal with?
From the picture you can see an animal has taken up residence in a corner of my lawn:
I have chipmunks, but this is nothing like their holes. The hole, itself, is 2 - 21/2" in diameter. The mound is wide and several inches tall. The hole is approx. 30' from a rocky, wooded area and approx. 100 yards from an area considered wetlands although seldom more than damp. I suspect a rat, but don't know.
I have chipmunks, but this is nothing like their holes. The hole, itself, is 2 - 21/2" in diameter. The mound is wide and several inches tall. The hole is approx. 30' from a rocky, wooded area and approx. 100 yards from an area considered wetlands although seldom more than damp. I suspect a rat, but don't know.
#2
06-27-16, 10:10 AM
Group Moderator
My first thought is woodchucks.
from ct.gov
Excellent diggers, woodchucks dig both simple and complex burrow systems, whose depth and length depend on the type of soil. Most burrows are 25 to 30 feet long and from 2 to 5 feet deep, with at least 2 entrances, although sometimes more. The main entrance is often the most conspicuous, with a large mound of freshly dug dirt nearby. The other less visible entrances are used for escape purposes. A nesting chamber for sleeping and raising young is found at the end of the main tunnel; a separate toilet chamber helps keep the burrow clean. Woodchucks may have 2 burrows: a winter den, in a wooded area, that is deep enough to keep them from freezing, and also a summer den, in open flat or gently rolling areas.
#3
06-27-16, 02:38 PM
I found more, at the base of my foundation. It's on a slope so I'm concerned about erosion. Is there a solution other than killing them? I used a mixture of detergent and castor oil that worked for moles and I'll try that tomorrow. Any other suggestions?
#4
06-27-16, 02:44 PM
Super Moderator
I'm pretty sure rats don't dig holes underground. Not sure if a woodchuck is the same as a groundhog, but groundhogs would be my guess. I have holes all over my back. I think you have to bomb their holes closed to chase them away, but they always come back.
My last dog used to wait for them, catch them and kill them, but not all dogs do.
My last dog used to wait for them, catch them and kill them, but not all dogs do.
