Have you ever wondered what causes those unsightly holes in your lawn? These holes might affect the overall health of your grass and make your lawn and landscape less attractive. When these holes first appear, you might think it is just through normal wear and tear. But what are these holes, and what causes them? These are some of the questions you must ask yourself to take care of your lawn. Knowing the answers to these questions will help you maintain a healthy and beautiful lawn.
What Causes Holes in My Lawn?
There are many reasons why your lawn might have holes in it. Some of the most common causes include:
1. Animals:
Animal activities, like digging for food or shelter, can cause holes in your lawn and landscaping. Most professional pest controls claim that common culprits include moles, voles, gophers, and squirrels. So if you have holes in your lawn that look like they were dug from the bottom up, chances are an animal is responsible.
Moles: Moles are small, burrowing animals that can do a lot of damage to your lawn. Although they don't eat plants, they create underground tunnels and chambers that can undermine the grass's roots, causing it to die. Moles also eat insects, grubs, and earthworms, damaging your lawn further.
Moles damaged on the lawn look like raised volcano-shaped dirt mounds. If you have these types of holes/mounds in your yard, then you most likely have a mole problem.
Voles: Voles are another type of small, burrowing animal that can damage your lawn. They are also known as field mice, with sizes ranging from 4-8 inches with shorter tails.
Unlike moles, vole burrows look like small tunnels around the bases of the trees and do not feature soil mounding. Voles create these burrows for nesting and travel, often leaving surface-level runways in the grass.
Gophers: Gophers are medium-sized rodents growing up to 14 inches in length. They are known as pocket gophers because they have fur-lined cheek pouches in which they can store food. Gophers dig burrows 2-3 inches in diameter and can reach up to 20 feet in length. These burrows can damage plant roots, kill grass, and create unsightly mounds of dirt on your lawn.
Gophers dig down at an angle, and their burrows typically feature a small "kick" of dirt at the entrance. If you see these types of holes/burrows in your lawn, you may have a gopher problem.
Squirrels: Squirrels are small to medium-sized rodents growing up to 20 inches in length. They are known for their bushy tails and love to eat nuts and seeds. Although they don't usually dig burrows, they sometimes dig small holes to bury their food. These holes can damage plant roots and kill the grass.
2. Insects:
Insects are another common cause of lawn holes. Certain insects, such as grubs and chinch bugs, can damage your grass and cause it to die. These insects feed on the roots of your grass, which can cause the grass to die. As the insects continue to feed, they will create larger and larger holes in your lawn.
Grubs: Grubs are the larval stage of certain types of beetles. They are small, white, C-shaped insects that feed on the roots of your grass. As they feed, they damage the grass and cause it to die. Unfortunately, grubs can also attract other animals, such as skunks and raccoons, which will dig up your lawn in search of food.
Chinch Bugs: Chinch bugs are small, black insects that feed on the stem of grass plants. As they feed, they damage the grass and cause it to die. Chinch bugs are most common in lawn areas that are stressed from heat or drought.
3. Diseases:
Lawn diseases can also cause holes in your grass. Certain fungi, such as dollar spot and red thread, can kill your grass and cause it to die. As the fungi continue to spread, they will create larger and larger holes in your lawn.
Dollar Spot: A dollar spot is a fungus that causes small, circular patches of grass to die. The patches are typically 1-2 inches in diameter and are most common in lawn areas that are stressed from heat or drought.
Red Thread: Red thread is a fungal infection found on the lawn. There are two stages of the disease. The first sign of Red Thread is thin, red strands that extend from the grass blade. As you move towards second-stage infections, these needles become shorter and thinner until they disappear entirely into cotton wool like mycelium found where blades meet, at which point it can smother the grass and cause it to die.
How to Prevent Holes in Your Lawn
Practicing regular lawn maintenance is the best way to prevent holes in your lawn. This includes mowing your lawn regularly, watering it deeply and evenly, and fertilizing it regularly. Additionally, you should remove any dead grass, leaves, or debris from your lawn so that insects and diseases don't have a place to hide. You can also use a trap or animal repellent to keep gophers, voles, and other rodents away from your lawn. Lastly, you should always inspect your lawn for signs of damage so that you can address the problem early on.
