How To Keep Squirrels From Digging In Yard: What You Should Know

Squirrels digging in your yard can be frustrating, especially when they leave behind small holes and damage your lawn’s appearance. These animals are constantly searching for food such as nuts, seeds, and insects, which often leads them to dig and bury items across your property. While their behavior is natural, it can create uneven patches and harm your grass over time. The good news is that there are effective ways to manage and prevent this issue. By understanding why squirrels are attracted to your yard, you can take the right steps to protect your lawn and maintain a clean, healthy outdoor space.

Understanding Squirrel Behavior

Squirrels are intelligent and fascinating creatures that play a vital role in our ecosystem. As part of nature, their behaviors are natural, even if sometimes inconvenient for homeowners. Squirrels are one of several rodent species found in North America, each with unique behaviors and characteristics. To effectively deter squirrels and prevent squirrel damage to your lawn, it’s essential to understand their behavior and motivations. Squirrels are primarily driven by the need to survive and thrive, which means they are constantly searching for food, shelter, and suitable nesting sites. They are also highly territorial and will fiercely defend their territory from other squirrels.

Squirrels communicate with each other through vocalizations, body language, and scent markings. They are highly adaptable and can quickly adjust to changing environments. In the wild, squirrels would face natural predators such as hawks or owls, but in urban environments, the lack of these predators allows their populations to thrive. By understanding these aspects of squirrel behavior, homeowners can develop effective strategies to deter squirrels from digging up their lawns. For instance, knowing that squirrels are foragers can help you identify and remove potential food sources that attract them to your yard.

Why are squirrels digging in my yard?

Squirrels are scavengers. Or, more accurately, they are foragers. This means they look for fruits, nuts, seeds, and other kinds of food on the ground. They will eat not only nuts and fruits but also vegetables and even food scraps left in the yard. Squirrels are attracted to a variety of plants and vegetables, including green beans, which are often targeted in home gardens. Their digging can damage the grass and leave little holes or small holes scattered throughout your property. They don’t dig their nests in the ground because this would make them vulnerable as prey. However, squirrels do use holes for food.

Squirrels may choose to live near your lawn because of the fruits, vegetables, nuts, or water available. Even a sprinkler can attract squirrels. For instance, a squirrel might live in an oak tree on your property or build a house or nest in trees or other sheltered areas near your backyard. When the acorns fall, the squirrel comes down from its tree, eats a few acorns, and buries a few more in your lawn. Other animals, such as chipmunks, rabbits, rats, and groundhogs, can cause similar damage by digging small holes in lawns and gardens. Bird feeders and accessible food sources in the neighborhood can attract squirrels to your backyard. Understanding these behaviors is crucial to effectively stopping squirrels from digging in your yard, and knowing how to fill holes in your lawn and repair dig spots can help restore and maintain your yard after damage occurs.

How to tell if your lawn is being targeted by squirrels

If you notice holes throughout your lawn, what are some ways that you can tell if it’s from squirrels?

After all, other animals can create holes as well. This goes from gophers to moles to even dogs and cats. So here are some signs that the hole is most likely from a squirrel:

• Squirrels typically create small holes or little holes with a diameter of less than 5 centimeters
• Relatively shallow hole
• Not a lot of soil surrounds the hole

How to stop squirrels from digging in your yard

When it comes to preventing squirrels and knowing how to stop them from digging in your yard, you actually have several options. Homeowners across the neighborhood often face the same problem of squirrels digging in their backyard and gardens, as these persistent animals eat fruits, vegetables, and other plants. While some deterrents offer only moderate success, combining several effective solutions can help reduce squirrel activity and protect your yard.

Let’s take a look at the most common methods regarding how to prevent squirrels from digging in yards:

• Install motion-activated sprinklers to startle and deter squirrels, rabbits, deer, and other pests from digging in your lawn or garden.
• Spread cayenne pepper, blood meal, or garlic around garden beds and lawns to deter squirrels, deer, rabbits, and groundhogs. These natural repellents can be effective, but remember to spread them again after rain to maintain their effectiveness.
• Use mouse traps (set safely and humanely) to scare squirrels away from specific areas where they are causing damage.
• Clean up food scraps and fallen fruits regularly to reduce attractants that encourage squirrels and other rodents to dig and eat in your yard.
• Protect plants, especially in spring when new growth is vulnerable, and in winter when food is scarce, and squirrels are more likely to dig for food.
• Choose plants that are less attractive to squirrels and birds, or use physical barriers to protect valuable crops and garden plants.
• Spread deterrents like blood meal or cayenne pepper after rain to ensure ongoing protection.

Don’t leave food for them.

If you’re sprinkling nuts or other food around for squirrels, stop doing that. It might look cute, but it’s going to attract even more of them, and they’ll end up digging more holes in your lawn.

Keep your garbage sealed.

Squirrels like to dig through trash if left unsealed. So don’t give them any opportunities to have more food to bury.

Keep your pet food inside.

Again, the number one reason squirrels live near you is because of food sources. So make sure you’re keeping your cat and dog food inside and out of reach of squirrels.

Wire mesh

If you have a garden, you can use wire mesh to cover the soil. This will make it difficult for the squirrel to dig a hole. However, obviously, this is a little more difficult to do across your entire lawn.

Scarecrows

The scarecrow effect is when you use some kind of fake figure to scare away certain animals. With squirrels, you want to use some kind of bird of prey, like an owl or a hawk.

A plastic figurine placed prominently on your lawn can trick squirrels into thinking they’re in danger. Therefore, they’ll stay away.

Keep your dog outside.

Not only can your dog get more exercise and fresh air, but they’ll also help chase squirrels away. It’s hard to have time to dig a hole when a dog is fresh on your trail.

Keep your lawn clean and maintained.

This is especially important if you have any kind of vegetation that leaves fruits, nuts, or seeds around your yard. Hiring a professional lawn service can ensure that debris and squirrel food are picked up regularly.

Conclusion

Keeping squirrels from digging in your yard requires a combination of understanding their behavior, removing food sources, and using effective deterrents. By maintaining a clean lawn, securing trash and pet food, and using solutions like wire mesh or natural repellents, you can significantly reduce squirrel activity. Consistent lawn care and prevention strategies not only protect your grass but also help maintain a smooth, healthy, and damage-free yard over time.

If you’re dealing with ongoing lawn damage, Absolute Lawn Pros provides expert solutions for Lawn Service in Alpharetta to help restore and maintain your outdoor space. We also offer maintenance, lawn treatment, and tree removal services to ensure your lawn stays clean, healthy, and protected from pests year-round. Contact us today to keep your lawn looking its best and free from unwanted damage.

FAQs

How can I use a bird feeder to discourage squirrels from my yard?

Using a squirrel-proof bird feeder can help discourage squirrels from accessing bird seed, reducing their visits to your yard. Look for feeders with weight-sensitive mechanisms that close off access when a squirrel tries to feed.

Is using chicken wire effective in managing the squirrel population in my yard?

Yes, chicken wire can be an effective barrier to prevent squirrels from accessing certain areas, such as garden beds. It helps manage the squirrel population by limiting their food sources and nesting areas.

What should I consider before deciding to trap squirrels in my yard?

Before trapping squirrels, consider the impact on the local ecosystem and ensure compliance with local wildlife regulations. Trapping should be humane and only used as a last resort, as it can disrupt the family dynamics of a mother squirrel and her young.