Do Squirrels Dig Holes? (and How To STOP Them)

As a nature lover and dedicated squirrel observer for many years, I’ve become fascinated by these nimble critters. One question I get asked a lot is: do squirrels dig holes? The answer is yes, they absolutely do! But why, you may ask? In this blog post, I’ll uncover everything you need to know about squirrels and their digging habits.

Why Do Tree Squirrels Dig Holes?

Tree-dwelling squirrels such as gray, red, and fox squirrels dig holes mostly to store food. Here are some of their key reasons for digging:

• Caching nuts and seeds – Squirrels dig shallow holes in gardens, lawns, and under trees to bury and hide nuts and seeds as food reserves for winter.
• Remembering cache locations – Squirrels have excellent long-term memory and can remember cache spots for up to 2 years. But they still regularly dig around old cache sites to remind themselves.
• Stealing caches – Sneaky squirrels will try to dig up and steal food caches made by other squirrels.
• Decoy caches – Squirrels make fake caches without food to fool thieving squirrels.

What Do Squirrel Holes Look Like?

Identifying squirrel holes is easy once you know what to look for. Here are the telltale signs of a ground squirrel hole:

• About 2 inches in diameter
• Fairly round in shape
• Approximately 2 to 3 inches deep
• Dug in loose soil or mulch
• Usually has no dirt mound around the rim
• Often contains a nut or seed

On the other hand, tree squirrels will only create holes to cache their nuts and acorns for winter. Those holes are usually much smaller and, unless you have many of them, they shouldn’t cause significant damage to your lawn.

Where Do Squirrels Dig Holes?

Squirrels dig holes pretty much anywhere they can easily access soft soil. Some favorite squirrel digging spots include:

• Flower beds and vegetable gardens – freshly cultivated soil is easy to dig and may contain buried seeds or bulbs.
• Around trees – allows quick retrieval of cached nuts from oak, hickory, walnut, and other trees.
• Yards and lawns – grass seeds and insects draw squirrels, and irrigation softens the soil.
• Flower pots and planters – the loose potting soil is a perfect place to hide nuts.

Do Squirrel Holes Damage Lawns and Gardens?

For the most part, occasional shallow digging by tree squirrels causes only minimal damage. But frequent digging in the same areas can leave unsightly patches and holes in the lawn. Gardens are more prone to damage when squirrels uproot plants or eat seedlings.

Extensive burrowing by ground squirrels is far more destructive. The tunnel system undermines the soil structure, leaving it unstable. Mounds of dirt alter lawn drainage patterns. Collapsed tunnels lead to dangerous sinkholes. And voracious ground squirrels will ravage garden produce.

How to Stop Squirrels from Digging Up Your Lawn

Squirrels digging holes all over your nicely manicured lawn can be extremely frustrating. But there are several highly effective solutions to deter these persistent pests and protect your yard.

Use Physical Barriers

Creating obstacles to digging can be very effective:

• Place wire mesh or hardware cloth over the soil around flower beds and trees.
• Install fences made of solid metal or wood around vegetable gardens.
• Spread protective mesh or netting over the lawn.
• Use motion-activated sprinklers to startle squirrels whenever they enter the yard.

Apply Repellents

Squirrels dislike strong smells so make your yard inhospitable with:

• Sprays containing black pepper, capsaicin extracts, or garlic oil.
• Granules are made with predator urine or hot pepper.
• Dustings of dried chili powder or cayenne pepper around plants.

Scare Them Away

Try using frightening sights and sounds to scare squirrels off:

• Set up realistic plastic predator decoys like owls, hawks, or snakes.
• Install flashing lights, aluminum pans, mylar tape, or wind chimes to startle squirrels.
• Play recorded distress or predator calls to trigger the squirrel’s instinct to flee.
• Let dogs patrol freely as their presence and barking deter squirrels.

Modify Landscaping

Making the habitat less inviting can go a long way to stopping digging:

• Trim back tree branches overhanging the house.
• Remove dense brush piles and thick ground cover they use for nesting.
• Plant flowers with strong scents like daffodils, lavender, and mint.
• Switch to low-maintenance grasses like fescues that stay green in winter.

Remove Food Rewards

The key is to eliminate the food sources attracting squirrels to dig in your yard. This involves:

• Pick up fallen tree nuts, acorns, seeds, and fruit immediately.
• Take down bird feeders with accessible seeds.
• Secure trash bins and compost piles so squirrels can’t access scraps.
• Keep pet food indoors and supervise pets while eating.
• Clean up under fruit or nut trees promptly.
• Remove vegetation-producing seeds or nuts.

When to Call a Professional Squirrel Removal Service

For severe squirrel infestations causing extensive damage, it’s wise to call in professional removal experts. They can humanely trap squirrels and perform exclusion work to permanently block burrows or entry points into homes.

Signs you may need professional squirrel control services include:

• Tunnels are causing structural instability or sinkholes.
• Squirrels entered the attic or walls of your home.
• Squirrels are chewing on wiring or insulation.
• Gardens are suffering major losses due to voracious feeding.

Do Ground Squirrels Like Prairie Dogs Dig Burrows?

Unlike tree squirrels, ground squirrels like prairie dogs, California ground squirrels, and chipmunks do construct permanent underground burrow systems. Reasons they dig burrows include:

• Raising young – Burrows contain nursery chambers lined with dried plants to protect newborn pups.
• Sleeping and resting – Cool below-ground nest rooms allow ground squirrels to escape the elements.
• Food storage – Deep larder chambers hold seeds, nuts, roots, and other food reserves.
• Hiding from predators – Multiple tunnel entrances and exits let ground squirrels avoid predators and quickly take cover.

Ground Squirrel Burrow Identification

Ground squirrel burrows have distinct characteristics that set them apart from other animal dens:

• Numerous entrance holes about 4 inches wide.
• Fan-shaped mounds of loose dirt around entrances.
• Tunnel systems up to 30 feet long and 6 feet deep.
• Network of interconnected tunnels and chambers.

Conclusion

There you have it! So, do squirrels dig holes? Squirrels can certainly cause frustration and damage with their digging habits. But rather than getting mad at these spunky creatures, take a proactive approach. Eliminate tempting food sources, apply deterrents, and modify your landscaping to prevent squirrel holes.

When issues escalate, call in trained professionals to safely and humanely remove squirrels and seal up entry points. With persistence and patience, you can reclaim your yard and reach a peaceful coexistence with your nut-loving neighbors.

After all, their playful antics and industrious ways remind us to slow down and appreciate nature’s small wonders. I hope this guide gave you helpful solutions to protect your landscape. Let me know if you have any other squirrel-digging dilemmas!

You may also be interested in reading:

• Do Squirrels Eat Plants? (and How to PROTECT Your Garden)
• Do Squirrels Eat Bird Eggs? (and How to Keep Them AWAY)