Waking up to the holes dug in your area, are there possums around again? Before you take any steps, you need to find out do possums dig holes or if it is another creature making a mess around.
No homeowner wants their yard turning into a gross and torn-up apart. Having seen the mess possums create, people often take possums responsible for digging as well.
It is true that possums are known to be scavengers, and they are always on the move in search of food or shelter. As possums are nocturnal, you may not see them during the day. Moreover, possums do not like to be spotted, nor do they tend to indulge in fights. Instead, they pretend to be dead whenever confronted. Other than that, they growl or hiss with their mouthful showing their sharp teeth.
Knowing this, possums do like to hide, and they often den underground for this purpose, but do possums dig holes as well?
Possums are keen diggers, but what you see in your garden might not be the work of possums. Possums only dug shallow holes, and that too for the purpose of searching insects, worms, and snails in the dirt. Holes dug by possums are not so deep and usually don’t create a big problem for homeowners.
Do possums make dens underground?
Knowing that possums have the ability to dig holes, it’s crucial to know whether they are the ones making dens underground or not.
Although possums tend to live there, they are not the ones making dens underground. They are more likely to wait for some other animal to vacate, and then they set their nest, and that too for a limited time. Possums keep on shifting their shelter from one place to another. In general, possums prefer to live in dense bushes or in trees. Besides, you will also find them living in garages, chimneys, and old buildings.
It’s worth noting here as well that possums’ habitats vary with their surroundings, and you may find some of them using their feet to burrow in the ground, more likely in arid areas. Also, you will see possums burrow individually as they prefer to live alone rather than in a group.
After they burrow, possums will fill it with wood piles and other things for the purpose of insulation.
Similarly, possums are also known for digging under the fence, primarily to build a pathway into the yard. After all, the yard will have fruits, trees, pet foods, or garbage cans that possums are longing for.
Nevertheless, possums can only dig shallow holes, and if you find some deep holes in your lawn, possums are not the culprits to be looking for.
What animals dig holes in the ground?
Typically, raccoons and skunks are known to be digging holes and not possums. Next time you see deep holes in your ground, now you know what to look for.
Moreover, a rabbit is a burrowing animal that is also known to dig holes in yards, and at night they have a better chance of doing this undetected. However, there are several other species of animals that are known for digging holes in gardens.
The same instructions and guidelines can be applied to prevent animals from digging holes in your plot. In addition, fencing around the perimeter on the ground and some feet under the ground can be really helpful as well.
Conclusion
Dug-up lawns not only make the lawn look miserable, but it can turn out to be dangerous as it creates an uneven space, and you might get tripped into it. Similarly, wild animals can also fall into it and damage your plants and trees.
As insects contain most of the possums’ diet, possums do dig holes, but at large for the search of food. It is mainly the rabbits or some other animals digging holes, and you must take measures to prevent this from happening.
Other than installing a fence, keep your lawn clean, remove any food sources, and make sure there are no fallen fruits on the ground. Plus, install a few repellents, and all these steps will help you keep animals away.
What are you doing to stand in the way of animals from digging holes in your lawn?