The animal underneath

[hdridinas1]

I have a shed in my back yard. I noticed some random holes under the fence and my dogs have been hanging out at the shed every time they go out. There is also a nice fresh dug hole under the shed. I fill in the holes every day, and every morning they are re-dug. So, any ideas on how to get whatever it is to not be living under my shed and digging holes near my fence. I have no idea what is actually living under the shed cause I can't find any foot prints and all we have ever seen is a flash of its tail.

 

[Outlawmws]

In dry weather, dump Cayenne pepper into the holes and sprinkle around the shed. Most critters live by their nose, and one sniff and they are gone...

 

[ryaninmichigan]

moth balls

 

[hdridinas1]

How long does the pepper thing last? Do I need to put more down every so often? I heard/ read that mothballed are bad to use? True?

 

[Kevin54]

Sounds like you may have a groundhog under there. Whatever you plug it with, they will dig it out or go around it.

We had one at the rear of our yard. We dumped the cats pan down there, I pissed down in it numerous time, I drove huge rocks down into it with a spud bar. The house recently was foreclosed on so my wife and I stopped to look the house over. I walked back to the creek and there is still a groundhog hole......20 years later. LOL!!!!

 

[Outlawmws]

How long does the pepper thing last? Do I need to put more down every so often? I heard/ read that mothballed are bad to use? True?

As long as it doesn't get wet it should still be good. I've had to run skunks out from under my old storage shed several times, and the first time I flooded them out (Ma, pa, and three young ones...), but 2-3 weeks later one of the young ones came back. Flooded him out, then did the pepper. It's been quiet for two years, but recently something small came back. so again with the pepper...

 

[Outlawmws]

ps: I bought it bulk at a discount store called Smart and Final; nice big bag and comparatively cheap.

 

[nutjob]

Try this:

http://www.amazon.com/The-Giant-Destroyer-Gas-Bomb/dp/B000BQLWCS/ref=sr_1_1?s=lawn-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1333649432&sr=1-1

 

[Falcon67]

Try this:

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B000BQLWCS/?tag=atomicindus08-20

I'm alright
Nobody worry 'bout me
Why you got to gimme a fight?
Can't you just let it be....

 

[gonefirefighting]

give your paperboy a pair of gloves, a flashlight and 40 bucks.

 

[uhcrandy]

I had a problem with some kind of burrowing animal. I poured Ammonia and bleach down the same hole, then covered it up. No more holes since.

 

[70redbee]

Throw a smoke bomb down the hole at night.

 

[Outlawmws]

Throw a smoke bomb down the hole at night.

Probably won't do much, as the animals that usually dig under a shed are nocturnal, and will be out and about.

 

[wdlfbio]

Depends on where you are at. Not many ground hogs in the west. But, gas cartridges are pretty effective at killing critters. Make sure you pug up all other holes, insert gas cartridge, cover hole with news paper, cover that with dirt to seal the hole. Dead critters.
Another option is a 220 conibear, but housed in a tube or box so your pets don't get killed by it. Effective, but very lethal traps.

 

[Mongo68]

http://www.rodenator.com/

 

[gonefirefighting]

I use very expensive quiet air rifles with night vision, great entertainment as well

 

[plewlandsbob]

Run a hose from a vehicle exhaust, put other end down the hole. Seal up hole around the hose and start engine. fumes will gas anything in the hole.

 

[olytdi]

I always try ignoring it first. If there isn't property damage then live and let live. Unless you think it somehow poses a danger, why not just let it be?

Where in the country are you? Knowing that might help in determining what it likely is or isn't.

 

[Jagmandave]

The problem with killing something in a burrow is that you then have a dead animal under your shed, stinking to high heaven!

So unless you can get under there and get the dead thing out after you gas it or poison it, think twice...

I'm in the live and let live camp on this one, as long as it isn't damaging anything. If it's rabbits they'll be out of the burrow in a month or less, then you can see about making it impossible for them to get back in again.

 

[rodm1]

I use chicken wire and run it all the way around the building. Run it up the side about 6 inches.

 

[Outlawmws]

I always try ignoring it first. If there isn't property damage then live and let live. Unless you think it somehow poses a danger, why not just let it be?

Where in the country are you? Knowing that might help in determining what it likely is or isn't.

Skunks are not a live and let live situation, besides the smell they can often carry rabies. Possums are very destructive, and will eat through damn near anything if they decide they want on the other side, (had one eat through 1" thick oak and destroy an antique file cabinet...), Rats are also vermin you don't want around, squirrels can also be destructive. I'm not sure there is a burrowing animal that could be classed as a "live and let live" candidate...

Killing them in the burrow can be a stinky mess, depending on the time of year., and if the burrow vents to the inside of the shed. (The hole can be filled)

 

[SGKent]

http://turtlemanliveaction.com/

 

[hdridinas1]

I would let it be, but I have small dogs and kids and want neither to be attacked by chance so I want it gone. Not dead, just not living here. I live in Maryland and have a 1/4 acre lot. I will add chicken wire to the shed and the fence, I just need to figure out when this thing is out so I don't trap it in there. Weird thing is is there is only one hole that is used under the shed. This morning I checked all the holes cause I filled them in last night and no fresh digging. I am gonna watch and see if anything pops back up then put some chicken wire up.


Thanks for all the help.

 

[Mike662]

Here in the west, we have all sorts of critters, and I am usually a live and let live guy too.

However, a family of skunks moved in under my porch last spring. They were right under the combustion air vent for my furnace, so I would wake up in the middle of the night with the house stinking of skunk.

I did a lot of research, and what ended up working like a charm were rags soaked in ammonia. The trick was to wait until they were out of the burrow at night and then put the rags in. Two nights of that, and they decided to go live somewhere else.

This year, the family of foxes living on our property seems to be keeping the rodent/skunk population down!

 

[RVDan]

if its digging a hole in the same spot how about just tossing a piece of plywood over it, or some big rocks

maybe embed some chicken wire in the ground in that area, or steel mesh of any sort, or even some old chain link fence

 

[hdridinas1]

if its digging a hole in the same spot how about just tossing a piece of plywood over it, or some big rocks

maybe embed some chicken wire in the ground in that area, or steel mesh of any sort, or even some old chain link fence

I did put plywood over the first set of holes that it dug to get under the fence and the shed, it just dug different holes. But, there is no entrance and exit holes under the shed just one hole.

No signs of it today again, so maybe it found a bigger shed to move to....