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Holes in Lawn

emmaandmarcemmaandmarc Posts: 5
in Problem solving
We have had 5 or 6 holes appear in our lawn recently.  They are about 3 - 4 cm in diameter (pictures attached with my foot for scale!!)  They are in an area of lawn that appears to be sinking.  Having moved to the house 4 years ago and not done anything with the garden we have been told by neighbours that there was an (apple??) tree there that had been removed.  Any ideas what creatures might be creating these or why the lawn might be sinking?  Haven't seen anything about!  Thanks in advance and please don't judge us by our mossy lawn!!
Emma
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Posts

  • wild edgeswild edges Posts: 10,497
    I get similar holes left when squirrels retrieve their buried nuts. If you see hazel shells left near the hole or little oak saplings rising up in the spring then that's also a good sign of squirrel caches. The birds will appreciate that moss for nesting material don't worry :)
    If you can keep your head, while those around you are losing theirs, you may not have grasped the seriousness of the situation.
  • emmaandmarcemmaandmarc Posts: 5
    OK wild edges...that sounds reassuring!  There are certainly plenty of squirrels around here!  I'll investigate around to see if they have left any evidence!

  • DovefromaboveDovefromabove Posts: 88,147
    Hmmm ... to me those look more like entrances to tunnels rather than holes left by squirrels retrieving their nuts.  Any voles in the area?

    Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.





  • wild edgeswild edges Posts: 10,497
    Now you've said it they do look quite deep. Can you poke a stick down there and see how far they go?

    My squirrel holes tend to look like this


    If you can keep your head, while those around you are losing theirs, you may not have grasped the seriousness of the situation.
  • emmaandmarcemmaandmarc Posts: 5
    Oh no!  They are deep - they certainly look like tunnels ...my husband thinks they might be vole holes....if so, what does this mean?
  • wild edgeswild edges Posts: 10,497

    emmaandmarc said:
    Oh no!  They are deep - they certainly look like tunnels ...my husband thinks they might be vole holes....if so, what does this mean?

    It means you have voles. Lovely little animals. Apparently there are more voles in the UK than humans. I've got loads in my garden and we love watching them zipping about. They've been in and out of the stone walls collecting nesting material this week.
    If you can keep your head, while those around you are losing theirs, you may not have grasped the seriousness of the situation.
  • emmaandmarcemmaandmarc Posts: 5
    I haven't seen any - I wonder if they like moss!!  :D:D
    I assume they aren't a pest.....we have glis glis around here and they are a NIGHTMARE!

  • emmaandmarcemmaandmarc Posts: 5
    I've had a look on t'internet at voles - the holes certainly look familiar but there are no apparent 'runs' and there is little/no vegetation for them - apart from my mossy lawn which is generally kept short, there is nothing for them to eat in my garden....I've never caught sight of one either. hmmmmm .....

  • FireFire Posts: 19,096
    I don't think they live underground, though.
  • Pauline 7Pauline 7 Posts: 2,246
    Voles often eat succulent root systems and burrow under plants or ground cover and eat away until the plant is dead. Bulbs in the ground are another favorite target for voles; their excellent burrowing and tunnelling skills give them access to sensitive areas without clear or early warning. The presence of large numbers of voles is often only identifiable after they have destroyed a number of plants. However, like other burrowing rodents, they also play beneficial roles, including dispersing nutrients throughout the upper soil layers.[1]

    Taken from Wikipedia. 
    West Yorkshire
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