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Northwestern Gardening

What the heck is digging in my raised beds?

16 years ago

I go out to putter around my raised beds and it looks like something has been digging in them during the nights. Now, it's probably not cats because they just dig one spot to cover their poop, and I'm not finding any poop. It's not dogs because they'd dig big holes. These look like holes made by robins or something. Some kind of bird tossing around the mulch in search of worms, or maybe some kind of birds digging little holes everywhere looking for seeds. I don't think it's rabbits or squirrels, because we live in a spot that doesn't seems to have either of them. Can birds make this big of a mess? They seemed to have either eaten or accidentally dug up any snow pea seeds I've planted a few times. Thanks for any thoughts!

--Katy

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Comments (8)

Embothrium
16 years ago
Towhees go for peas.
southsounder
16 years ago
Do you live near a salal or blackberry patch? You could have a Booomer (Mountain Beaver). They love digging in gardens, and you will never catch them in the act because they do it late at night.
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thecitychicken
Original Author
16 years ago
You know, I'm starting to think it might be the Varied Thrushes that we have a lot of around here. From what I read they like to dig in the mulch.
trilliumgreen
16 years ago
It could be birds taking "dry-baths". Sparrows have been doing that in my flower bed.
buyorsell888
16 years ago
squirrels dig to bury nuts
reg_pnw7
16 years ago
Birds can make a huge mess.

Rabbits and squirrels are everywhere. Rabbits are nocturnal so you wouldn't necessarily see them.

Boomers dig BIG holes and make a HUGE mess, orders of magnitude beyond what a bird will do.

There are lots of ground feeding birds that do what you're describing. They're not going to differentiate between the forest floor or meadow that they'd normally have, and your garden. Robins, towhees, sparrows, thrushes, flickers, all are ground feeders and will dig and poke and scratch and toss. Crows and starlings will do it too. And chickens! they're as bad as dogs in the garden.

I always start my peas and beans inside, to prevent their being eaten by rats and birds. Bird scare tape helps too.
thecitychicken
Original Author
16 years ago
Thanks, reg_pnw7. I agree that it's probably birds. We have a ton of birds right here: All the species you mentioned. I love birdwatching and put out feeders. It's probably all the birds. The holes are many and shallow. The "mulch" I have on the top of all my raised beds is dirty litter from my chickens. It's pine shavings from one of those compressed bales. It holds water a little too well so I think the birds are finding a lot of worms and seedlings in there.

I am going to go indoor-start some pea seedlings right now! Last year I direct-sowed them, but this year it's not working out too well! The ones that have sprouted out in the garden are not being bothered by the birds.

Thanks, all!!
John (PNW zone 8)
16 years ago
My neighborhood is having the same issue, and some forgetful squirrels are the culprits. They hide food in the garden all fall and winter, and apparently they can't remember exactly where they buried their treasures (or they're trying to find the cache of their fellow squirrel), because my garden looks like a mine field this time of year. Later in the year, I tend to have peanuts, walnuts and acorns sprouting here and there...each one buried several inches under the soil.

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