These needles are softer than the needles of Spruce and Pine. The needles of the Fir tree are soft and smooth. It is possible to identify a Fir tree visually based on the following features But at the same time, there are uniquely identifiable features of the Fir-tree, which makes it stand out from the other. The trees in the conifer family have lots of similarities. But so do the Pine and Spruce trees have. The Fir is a conifer tree that has needles instead of leaves. The Fir trees can be identified based on the needles, cones, and bark. It is available in more than 50 species and a lot of cultivars. These trees belong to the species Abies and are woody in nature. The Firs like to grow on mountainous slopes. It is a native of North and Central America, Europe, Asia, and North Africa. “They are the ones who generally do the work,” he said.īurrows might - but don’t always - have multiple entrances and exits.The Fir tree belongs to the family of towering conifers. Other animals, such as red foxes, sometimes take over groundhog holes. Groundhog holes are larger and deeper than others - sometimes the size of a soccer ball, Turpen said - with When raccoons forage for food in a lawn, Turpen said, it will look as if someone has rolled back the sod. Hair caught on branches near a hole might help identify the creature using it. Raccoons dig holes similar to those of skunks but perhaps slightly larger. Skunks often dig under decks, sheds and porches. “You’d generally see pebbles build up around the front.” Their burrows have entrances about the size of a grapefruit, he said. Skunks digging for food leave conical holes about 3 inches deep, as if a pencil were stuck in the earth and then swirled around, Turpen said. The entrance hole, Turpen said, is about the size of a 50-cent piece - a clean hole without a lot of dirt around it.Ĭhipmunks like to burrow under sidewalks, next to houses and sheds, and along root systems of trees.Īccording to the Humane Society of the United States, chipmunks don’t generally damage property. When they burrow, chipmunks can create extensive tunnel systems. When digging in the garden, chipmunks are looking for food, maybe some seeds or a flower bulb.
The Purdue University Extension warns, though, that the method isn’t foolproof because other food sources remain. Turpen and others recommend treating the lawn for grubs to help control moles.
If you have moles, you have tasty things in the soil. The entrance to the tunnel is a quarter-sized hole. Moles can be obvious in the lawn, leaving serpentine raised tunnels through which they travel and feed.Īlthough the look isn’t pleasing, Turpen said, “These animals are aerating the lawn.”
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To learn how to identify the source of backyard digging, I turned to Adam Turpen, director of SCRAM! Wildlife Control, the arm of the Ohio Wildlife Center that offers humane wildlife solutions. Some excavations signify a search for food others speak to homebuilding. The sizes, shapes and locations of animal holes all tell a tale. I pictured some clever raccoon carting off the limestone, perhaps to make a spiffy counter in its new kitchen area.Īfter all, my animal visitor - whatever it was - was building a nice place to live. Every bit of the soil excavated had disappeared. The most puzzling aspect of the scene, though, was the total lack of stray earth. In its place was a calf-deep hole leading to a good-sized tunnel.Ĭlearly, some animal had been busy creating the ankle-breaking masterpiece overnight. The sight I came upon a few mornings ago when retrieving my daily Dispatch was baffling.Ī hunk of limestone more than 2 inches thick and weighing several pounds was missing from my stone sidewalk.