What’s That Digging in My Garden?

What’s That Digging in My Garden?

Your garden is a hot spot for animals to dig around in, even if you don’t catch them in action! Knowing which animal caused the destruction is not always obvious, but each animal leaves their own tracks to distinguish themselves. The most common animals that will mess around in your garden are deer, rabbits, skunks, raccoons, squirrels, chipmunks, groundhogs, and gophers. Learn which of these guys are ruining your garden work!

What Animal is Making the Damage?

If it is suspected that there are animals going through your garden, each animal shows a different pattern of damage. Whether it is the bite marks in the leaves or the footprints in the ground, these distinct signs will help you know which repellent to use to get them out of your garden. Below are each of their certain patterns to look for:

  • Rabbits: If rabbits are in your garden you will find cleanly cut damage to your plants and leaves. This damage will most likely be found around ground level. Rabbits will also strip barks and chew the leaves off young trees. If the damage of the tree is up higher than two and a half feet, it is most likely another animal. If there are also small tracks with two different numbered prints, it’s typically a rabbit because they have five toes in the front and four toes in the back. Critter Ridder® Deer and Rabbit Repellent can help get the rabbits out of your garden. The repellent dries odorless to humans, and can be spread up to 40,000 sq. ft.
  • Deer: When suspecting that you have a deer in your garden, look for plants that have jagged edges, as deer don’t have incisors. If there are marks on your trees above 2 ½ feet that is most likely from deer as they will place their front hooves on the tree to reach up and eat the leaves. You can identify their hooves by two oval shapes side by side.
  • Raccoons: If there is a raccoon in your garden you will typically find destroyed and dug up fresh-laid sod. Racoon prints look like human hands, their front feet have long toes that look like fingers, and their back feet are almost identical just larger. If your garbage was raided, then the chances are that it is a raccoon in your garden as well!
  • Skunks: If there are skunks in your yard or garden you will find a lot of holes in your yard, as they leave this evidence when looking for food. It could also mean that there is a skunk den in your yard. These critters are nocturnal animals so they will not be seen often. However, you might spot their tracks, which will show five toes and claws that are long enough to be seen in their prints.
  • Squirrels: Squirrels will dig up the spring bulbs out of the ground and eat them. When these animals start digging the bulbs out of the ground, it leaves holes where they might bury their nuts in. Squirrels are known to attack your bird feeders and climb up lawn decorations.
  • Chipmunks: Chipmunks dig up the bulbs, fruits, and young plants, but perhaps cause the most damage when they burrow. These critters will tunnel through your yard and potentially destroy your landscape and even cause structural damage to your home.
  • Groundhogs: A groundhog will burrow large holes and create piles of dirt at the entrance of their tunnels. Their tunnels have many chambers and are very invasive in your yard, causing damage and potentially collapsing your property.
  • Gophers: Gophers can dig up dirt mounds in your yard and will tunnel underground, eating everything in their path. Gophers will eat through roots, vegetables, stems, tree roots, and even utility wires.

Still not sure what pest is causing mayhem around your property? Visit our solution finder and let us help you ID your pest step by step!

How to Deter Your Pest

Havahart® has a lot of products to help you keep your garden safe from the annoying critters eating your plants or tearing apart the ground. Animal Repellents are a great way to humanely deter these animals, protecting your garden and preventing any more damage from happening.

Havahart® Critter Ridder® Deer and Rabbit Repellent is one of the many repellent products designed to help get the rabbits, deer and squirrels out of your garden. The repellent dries odorless to humans, and can be spread up to 40,000 sq. ft. You can use this liquid repellent on your plants and other places around your garden.

Along with that, there is our Safer® Brand Critter Ridder® Animal Repellents that will repel skunks, raccoons, and squirrels. This product can be spread by hand or with a lawn spreader all over and will last up to 30 days. You can place this around the perimeter of your lawn or garden, along with any surfaces on your property.

deer in garden

Want to Learn More?

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