If you lived here, I'd say you have armadillos. They are like rototillers and make the biggest mess! Gently ease the rootballs back into the soil and cover with mulch. If it doesn't freeze too soon, they'll probably be alright.

If the critter(s) are active, now is the time to put down poison. Kill them quick.
Kathy

My neighbour had a large hole under one of her plants in her front garden...it was a bunny hole.
My neighbour on the other side was digging under a bush at her cottage and found a bunny nest with baby bunnies in it. They like to dig under plants and bushes so it very well could be a bunny making a nest to have her babies.
gg

we have holes all over the lawn and through my beds - someone told me it may be a skunk digging for grubs because no plants have been eaten. It sure does destroy any direct sowing of seeds.... Wish I could find out what it was...

Carrie

I would venture squirrels. #$%&! squirrels. They are constantly digging up my yard and in particular the beds. The stupid things first dig things up to plant their acorns, and then I swear they forget where they planted them so they dig up everything in sight.

I really don't like squirrels....

Dee

If it's rabbits, try to capture them and release them somewhere else. It could be a mole or voles, they tunnel and eat grubs. You can buy traps for them. I have a hard time with harming animals, I would try to have a sheltered area for them. They need a place to shelter.
We have rabbits, and they do not bother us. They live under one of our shrubs. We place carrots out for them to eat.
I'm sure that isn't the response you wanted to hear, but animals are having their habitats taken from them at alarming rates, where are they supposed to go?
Good luck.

I'm with Dee, I REALLY don't like squirrels. Rats with bushy tails is what they are LOL! They have pretty much dug up all the smaller bulbs that I planted this past fall and they are now strewn all over the beds and lawn freezing and turning into mush at every warm spell!

Marianne

I totally agree primgal! :) My neighbour was just sick and near tears when she disturbed the bunny nest. She tried to put it back as best she could, but she felt so bad for a long time.
gg

There ARE ways to deter this. It does involve some work. There is a book called "200 Garden Projects", I picked it up at Borders. You can take mesh screen and make a frame which you place your bulbs inside. There are other details, but I know there's chicken wire involved. It deters them from digging them up.You sink it under the soil.
gg- I know, my dog, when he was a year old, killed two bunnies. He wanted to play with them, he didn't understand. Now he knows to let them alone. He is 5 now.
I felt so bad. We really are trying to create a refuge for the animals. We have planted pine trees and different shrubs for food and shelter for bunnies and birds. We have to give something back when so much is being taken away.

primgal - there are a few rabbits in our woods - I do the same - put carrots out for them (or they rummage through the compost looking for lettuce - which is fine with us). I have learned to live with the animals - but I still want to know what is digging the holes... If they are looking for grubs... hey, maybe I'll have let Jap Beetles this year!!

Carrie

Carrie,

My parents have a beautiful property with extensive lawns. A couple of years ago, they noticed the lawn being dug up. At first the problem didn't appear to be a big issue, but as the days wore on, it was becoming a really big problem. They called in somebody who said it was racoons coming at night and feasting on the grub under the lawn. (Money wasted since I had already told them this.)

This 'somebody' advised them he could fix the problem by putting chems on the lawn and killing the grub for quite the amount of $$$. I advise my parents to go to the local coffee shop - they live three hours away so couldn't have my UCG stash - get the used coffee grounds, mix with ashes from their wood stove, and 'fling' the mixture on the lawn so it didn't land in clumps.

The day they did this, the racoons stopped coming. With the UCG/ash mixture, their lawn is much healthier. They actually canceled their lawn service two years ago and my father is now complaining that the grass is so healthy and grows so fast he has to mow twice as much. Ah, well, there's a price to pay for everything, eh? :O)

Basically, most critters hate the smell of coffee. As you know, coffee is also a good amendment for the soil. In addition, we have extremely acidic soil here, hence the addition of ash to help the soil increase in alkalinity and provide great conditions for the lawn. The grub population has also decreased since the soil is much healthier.

Voles will eat the roots of plants - the way you can tell a vole is at work is to tug at the plant and it comes up in your hands because it has no roots. I had this happen to a bed of roses with perennials and bulbs - nothing was left. Now I put mouse poison down in an open tin can with the opened lid bent so birds and other critters can't access it.

thanks, tiff - we are now drying the UCG and have leftover ash from a burn pile - great info - hope this critter stays away for good... (wishful thinking)

Carrie

I'm glad you're not using poison outdoors. Too many other innocent animals could get into it. Some people consider it an easy fix, but it's not a safe solution if you have pets or like to attract birds. I like the UCG mixture. I tried spreading coffee one year as a soil additive (with the filter) but it just attracted more squirrels who were curious about what I had buried. Spreading it makes more sense. Milorganite discourages critters also. Stinky smell..not as nice as coffee and not as cheap as UCG.

I wouldn't discount RATS, particularly if you or a neighbor have a compost heap. We have been troubled with rats for the last 3 winters. They like to dig up my Lily bulbs (haven't bothered any other types) and love to eat my Helleborus flowers. I known it's rats, 'cause I trapped 'em. Won't poison them because we have 2 dogs, don't want the dogs to start chewing on poisoned rats now, do we.