Strange dirt pile

9 years ago

My neighbor has a pile of loose dirt that looks like it was pushed out from his stone retaining wall. The dirt pile has not increased in the year it has been there. I estimate it would nearly fill a 50-gallon drum. About 2 months ago the space under my house got a similar large pile of loose dirt near an area where the cement foundation had a triangular opening. Just outside that wall is a cement gutter next to the house and a sidewalk. About three weeks ago. a friend and I poured about a 6-inch thick wall to seal the area and fill the hole. Today I checked and see another large pile of loose dirt just next to where we put the new cement.
More cement work is needed, but what animal could be doing this? There are no signs that the dirt pile has been crawled on, it is even and broken up. The walking area under the house has packed, hard dirt. I don't think there is anything in the dirt pile area that an animal could eat.
Thanks

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Comments (4)

lassemista
9 years ago
Here in mid-michigan woodchucks do such damage. Besides decimating gardens, they do costly damage to structures with their burrowing.

They are usually too clever for Havahart traps, but if you were to try them, apples and other pome fruits are the best bait. Also there are restrictions on where the animals can be released. My neighbor hired an exterminator, who charged $200 for thee visits- no guarantee. (They did get one.) When the real estate is to their liking, more tend to move in though.

They are diurnal, and can be asphyxiated in their dens at night. Your cooperative extension give you the details. One problem is the burrows have two or more opening which have to be covered simultaneously. Often one of the holes is on a neighbor's property! Probably you can't use this tactic under your house.

This past summer I had the best luck with a campaign of harassment. When I find a new pile of dirt, I put litter box gleanings down the hole, then backfill with the dirt and pile boards and rocks on top. This requires constant vigilance, but I'm retired and am out in the garden anyway. When I see a woodchuck through the window, I run outside and scare it off. (I guess I'm my own guard dog.) One day I saw one munching on my snow peas, and chased her right into the netting.

A fence at least 4' tall and 18" underground has been suggested, but again, they are clever.

I'd like to be zen about this. Fretting over wildlife is not good for the blood pressure. I hope you don't have woodchucks.

-Judy
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gwJerry
Original Author
9 years ago
In my neighborhood in California there are moles and gophers. I would think that such rodents would not be interested in what's under my sidewalk and foundation. We also have gray squirrels, racoons, and once I saw a possum in the back yard at night--big as a cat.
The plan is to board up the small cavity at the bottom of the foundation under the house, make a hole in the cement gutter outside the house, and pour in cement to fill the cavity.

Thanks Judy for your comments. My boroughing pests remain a mystery.

Jerry
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ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5
9 years ago
filling the hole is probably not going to dissuade the critter ... especially if they already have made a home there ...

they are digging machines.. thinking nothing about moving over a few feet.. and digging faster than you can fill it in ...

i dont know about the cement part ... might be a future nightmare when a different project comes along ...

ken
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woohooman San Diego CA zone 10a
9 years ago
I'd say gopher also. But it's just a guess, a California guess. And don't be surprised what they may be going after. They'll dig anywhere! I've had them dig in my dead front lawn only to get stopped by massive tree roots. Sounds like a massive mound for a gopher though.

Got a pic?

Kevin
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