Your best guess the animal that lives under my yard

[opinterph]

Are the holes that big? We had chipmunks that used multiple holes (they'd go down one, and back out another to get away from my dog) but the holes weren't much larger than a golf ball.

Well maybe they're that big. I can take some photos. What seems un-chipmunk-like is the fact that the holes are in the open turf. They often dig under a concrete slab or a rock or next to a tree or stump. Some have made holes in relatively open non-grass areas, but that happens less frequently. (Their pattern is ever changing.)

Chipmunks live solo. Each has its own burrow.

 

[Alistair]

^the chipmunk holes were always around the trees in the yard.

I've never seen a rat in the wild. I have no idea what a rat hole looks like. Only muskrats around here. Their holes are around water and a lot bigger.

 

[gsdx]

My guess is a mouse or vole.

 

[Rickrock]

Because we have several chipmunk holes that look like that, I'm going to guess chipmunks. It could also be a mole or something. The main hole seemed to be under a deck, but there were also holes in the side yard and the front yard. Something had eaten our tulip bulbs and we were guessing chipmunks. We used to have a chipmunk sit on our deck railing and sort of chirp. It has been gone for about a year now, but I have seen a cat roaming around the neighborhood as well as a hawk flying around so I am guessing that something got it.

 

[rareboy]

Well maybe they're that big. I can take some photos. What seems un-chipmunk-like is the fact that the holes are in the open turf. They often dig under a concrete slab or a rock or next to a tree or stump. Some have made holes in relatively open non-grass areas, but that happens less frequently. (Their pattern is ever changing.)

Chipmunks live solo. Each has its own burrow.

Our yard is riddled with chipmunk holes. But these look too large.

 

[NotHardUp1]

People like to think of anything but a rat first, as rats are almost uniquely associated with slums and areas of bad sanitation, but rats are ubiquitous in the environment and don't need bad sanitation, only a water source. They can hunt and forage for the rest.

 

[Dominus]

Just might be a rat

According to this, I got Norway rat.

 

[Vannie]

How much wood could a woodchuck chuck
If a woodchuck could chuck wood?

 

[Dominus]

Last night I put carrots at all the entrances. They are still there this morning.

 

[NotHardUp1]

I was only kidding about the carrots. If it were a rabbit, you'd simply observe him from a window during the day, as he'd surely be nibbling on greenery all around.

Truth is, a rat would eat just about anything. They are omnivores. Although they are more active at night, they do appear in the day as well.

You could put dirt in the holes to see what digs back out.

You could get cage traps from Animal Control and see what's there.

Of course, it could have been a rat and an owl or coyote has taken him.

 

[nycguydowntown]

Think that informative chart means chipmunk ---adorable and annoying like some of my Bf's

Get a lawn chair --a beer--and your double barrel shot gun---sit and wait.

 

[Dominus]

I was only kidding about the carrots. If it were a rabbit, you'd simply observe him from a window during the day, as he'd surely be nibbling on greenery all around.

Truth is, a rat would eat just about anything. They are omnivores. Although they are more active at night, they do appear in the day as well.

You could put dirt in the holes to see what digs back out.

You could get cage traps from Animal Control and see what's there.

Of course, it could have been a rat and an owl or coyote has taken him.

Good thing you told me. We were going to babysit the neighbor's infant son today for a few hours. I was planning to leave him at one of the entrances for a few hours.

 

[Dominus]

Think that informative chart means chipmunk ---adorable and annoying like some of my Bf's

Get a lawn chair --a beer--and your double barrel shot gun---sit and wait.

Multiple holes. I just found a 4th hole.

 

[NotHardUp1]

Good thing you told me. We were going to babysit the neighbor's infant son today for a few hours. I was planning to leave him at one of the entrances for a few hours.

Oh, I wasn't saying the baby part was a joke. But, I can tell you from experience, they tend to crawl away, so you'll probably need to weight it down with something heavy like a big chair or a safe.

Maybe you want to enlist your neighbors to keep a look out.

 

[Dominus]

Speaking of neighbors. At my current work site, right across from our dumpster is a little house. There's an 80 year old woman living there. One time I brought a bunch of throwaway doors from my house to dump. As I was throwing them in, that lady came out and said you can't do that that's against the law. And she was going to call the police. I told her go ahead I'm the boss. This is my site. I called one of the laborers over and asked him who was in charge? He said I was.

Nosey old lady...

 

[unloadonme]

Multiple holes. I just found a 4th hole.

Four holes means rattlesnakes. No doubt about it.

 

[NotHardUp1]

Speaking of neighbors. At my current work site, right across from our dumpster is a little house. There's an 80 year old woman living there. One time I brought a bunch of throwaway doors from my house to dump. As I was throwing them in, that lady came out and said you can't do that that's against the law. And she was going to call the police. I told her go ahead I'm the boss. This is my site. I called one of the laborers over and asked him who was in charge? He said I was.

Nosey old lady...

Is it against the law? Many solid waste departments disallow construction materials in the general solid waste flow, and require them to be segregated and towed to a different dump site than either green waste or general garbage.

I have a stupid neighbor just above me and he is forever dumping piles of garbage on the shoulder of the road with paint cans, fluorescent light bulbs, and other such disallowed articles. Never quite understands why they pick up the rest and leave those behind.

 

[Dominus]

Is it against the law? Many solid waste departments disallow construction materials in the general solid waste flow, and require them to be segregated and towed to a different dump site than either green waste or general garbage.

I have a stupid neighbor just above me and he is forever dumping piles of garbage on the shoulder of the road with paint cans, fluorescent light bulbs, and other such disallowed articles. Never quite understands why they pick up the rest and leave those behind.

It was a construction garbage container. She thought I was just a random person dumping my garbage into that container. It has nothing to do with waste flow or whatever you're thinking of.

I was annoyed because I did not hire her as my watchdog for who is illegally using my dumpster. Actually, I don't really care when people use our trash containers. Of all the things I worry about, that's probably at the bottom of my list.

 

[NotHardUp1]

She probably is just used to running the neighborhood. Although if I were living across from a dumpster, I'd sure hate it for the noise and spillage and view, but that's city living.

Many old retired and single people have little to fill their days but keep watch. Your best bet is to befriend her while assuring her you are in charge. She should have apologized for presuming you were not entitled instead of asking.

 

[Kahaih]

/\ Yes, take time to chat a bit.

Find out if she has lath and plaster walls, and if there are any weak or loose floorboards in the attic.