Mystery animal holes in garden?

Overnight these holes showed up in my garden all over the place. Didn't seem to affect the plants but I must have had close to 100 holes, many close to each other. They are about 6 inches deep and narrow at bottom - may be hard to tell from picture which just shows a couple. Does anyone know if this was probably a mole? Normally I see the raised ridges with the moles but these were just holes all over the place. Any help in identifying the culprit appreciated. Funny thing after these showing up about 4 days ago haven't seen any new ones.

My guess would be a skunk digging for grub worms.

Those holes are so uniform, they look like they were made with a tool. I have armadillos dig grubs sometimes but they're not as neat.

That is some very nice looking lettuce.

Twiggybuds, the armadillos here make a big mess too, but the skunks dig little round holes.
I agree, the holes in the photo look very uniform.

skunk- i have a mine field in the yard from them digging grubs!!!
I dont know about VA but we dont have any armadillos here in michigan!!

skunk getting grubs here!!!

Squirrels make holes like that in my garden. I dunno if they are looking for burred nuts or looking for the perfect place to bury a nut... Either way squirrels are nutty

This message was edited Apr 21, 2009 5:57 AM

As unsightly as those holes are, I'd rather have them than the grubs!

Ha--I've found those holes in my raised beds inside fenced garden. Go figure . . . .
toni

Toni, yours might be moles.

Voles make air holes however I have not seen them that close
Are you sure there were no plants were the holes were.
There are all kinds of creatures that dig up plants and eat them
In the case of voles they start eating from the bottom

I've had lots of moles in my life, and they don't look like that, much too small and uniform, too close together.

Don't moles leave raised path marks where their underground tunnels have been? I have those in my yard, but not where these holes are.
toni

Do you have any raccoons around there? Ive had some this past week digging holes in my yard and even in some potted plants.
They have pretty distinctive footprints with long toes. Did you notice any tracks in the fresh dirt around the holes?

Do you have any teenage kids? Mine were very fond of playing tricks on me.

Could it be bees or wasps? I had a hole that size, but without the raised hill around it. I asked a neighbor what he thought it was, he said wasps. I am a newbie gardener also. I was glad that it wasn't from a snake.

thanks for all the great feedback... I believe they probably were from a skunk as they have been very active around here lately and have seen them near my garden..it was just so weird how they appeared overnight and different from mole/vole holes etc. and yes very uniform and numerous..thanks everyone.

Looks like my ex wife has been looking for me again I better get back on the move LOL

You must live by a creek? There's some kind of a fresh water crawdad that comes out of the creek mud bottom at night and burrows like that. I don't know if it's for nesting/laying eggs, or what... but I've seen them every time I have lived on a creek.