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laceyvail

I've never seen anything like it!!!!

laceyvail 6A, WV
9 years ago

I've been vegetable gardening for almost 50 years. I've gardened in 4 states and several localities in each state. For about 30 years, I've done permanent beds, mulched with hay and the paths mulched with wood chips.
I've lived in my present location for almost 20 years. For the first few years, my garden wasn't fenced at all; I had good dogs. Then I put up a single strand electric fence which worked great as long as I had the dogs. Never had deer get in, though I do still struggle with moles and voles.

The dogs are gone and this year I bit the bullet and had an 8 ft fence put in--locust posts wrapped with heavy duty black plastic mesh, the bottom part reinforced with galvanized fencing.

Early in the spring, squirrels climbed the fence and dug all over the veggie garden looking for their buried nuts. I've never ever had this happen before, but hey, it was a hard winter and I guess they were really hungry. It was a pain in the neck, but I was able to cover planted areas with netting; that worked well.

For the last few weeks, the squirrels have left the garden alone. But this morning the entire garden path areas, 8 of them, all about 20 ft long, were heavily dug, all up and down the paths right next to the beds. In some places it almost looked as if a tiller had gone through. Digging had also been done all around the compost pile. But, thank God, there was no digging in the beds.

But what the hell was it? The holes were bigger than what squirrels dig; their holes were even sized and neat. This almost looked as if a dog had been digging. And why only in the paths? There is one spot under the big fence door that a skunk might possibly have gotten in, but it really didn't look like the neat little holes skunks dig in the lawn looking for grubs. On the other hand, it's been very dry, the lawn is hard, and those paths are really easy to dig. But so are the beds, which were left alone.

I'm really baffled. And it's not fair to have such a mess after spending $1300 on a serious fence!

Anybody have any ideas?

Comments (13)

  • glib
    9 years ago

    so only the paths? and the paths are wood chips, right? sounds like something looking for earthworms, but then why not get into the beds? do you have wild boars too?

  • planatus
    9 years ago

    I think it could have been a raccoon after the grubs and worms under the moist grass. It has been dry, and if a big one got in and found lots to eat, they could do that.

    We our elderly dog died, the wildlife knew it and moved in closer by the day. With new dogs on duty we see few incursions during the day, but by the way the dogs act first thing in the morning, there are mysterious visitors every night.

  • galinas
    9 years ago

    Skunks doing this in my yard, usually looking for slugs. They know exactly where they are hiding.

  • slowjane CA/ Sunset 21
    9 years ago

    I woke up one morning to find neat little holes dug all around the edges of my beds - not under plants, mind you, just neatly all around the perimeter. I know we have (many) skunks so that's what I assumed did it but i couldn't figure out why they skipped the plants - maybe after the grubs instead....who were all strangely along the edges...? Who knows the ways of grubs.... ;)

  • laceyvail 6A, WV
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    What makes this even stranger is that I have extensive ornamental gardens too--all mulched with wood chips. In fact the veggie garden is only a couple of feet from very large beds on two sides--no digging at all in the ornamental beds.

    I've spoken to several people who are pretty good on wildlife and guesses range from skunks to raccoons--though the coon would have had to climb the fence--and I've never heard of them doing that unless they're after corn. And I've seen no scat around the yard, and when I had a coon a few years ago and had only a single strand electric fence and a short galvanized wire fence that I stepped over, the coon didn't attempt to enter the garden until the first corn was just about ready.

    I just hope it never happens again; after all how long before it starts on the bed?. I'm quite nervous about tonight, I must admit.

  • fmart322
    9 years ago

    Post a few pictures. Could it be a ground hog?

  • glib
    9 years ago

    I would try very hard to mend the fence. Can you plant stakes where the breach occurred?

  • Mecdave Zone 8/HZ 9
    9 years ago

    Do you have armadillos up that way? With their hard shells they can sorta plow under a fence.

    A trick I learned on fencing in a digging dog works on keeping critters out if done to the outside instead. Bury some of the galvanized a few inches deep lying flat. A 1 foot wide strip works best. Attach the flat fence where it meets the vertical fence

    A lot of work, but it works. Once the animal starts digging, it's claws will encounter the fence a couple inches down and quickly become discouraged.

  • laceyvail 6A, WV
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    Well, I did stop up the hole under the gate and when I went out with a flashlight a little after 5, the garden looked ok, although I took only a very quick look through the fence.

    No armadillos in this part of the world. I'm still thinking skunk although i've never heard of them acting like that and all the holes I've ever seen them dig have been neat little round holes.

  • pnbrown
    9 years ago

    Skunks do that kind of digging around here - almost like hogs do.

  • fmart322
    9 years ago

    I asked Giorgio Tsoukalos what it could be. He said you have Aliens. Maybe even Ancient Aliens. So be careful.

  • laceyvail 6A, WV
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    Ha! Don't know who Giorgio Tsoukalos is, but I'm leaning heavily now to skunks. Or maybe aliens.

  • fmart322
    9 years ago

    He's the guy with crazy hair on the tv show ancient aliens.

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