How to stop animals from digging holes in my lawn at night
Nournal animals like raccoons and skunks dig up lawns to hunt for grubs and underground food sources. This destructive foraging leaves yards covered in holes, completely ruining the turf.
What the numbers show
Counted from the threads quoted below. How we count
- People have been saying this in most months since July 2026.
- It is not one crowd: 38 people on Reddit and 2 on Stack Exchange ran into the same thing.
What people tried
Every workaround mentioned in the threads below. We haven’t tested any of them — and nobody here is claiming they worked.
Found another way around this?
Share your steps and trade-offs so fellow engineers don't have to reinvent the wheel. No account required.
- 1Treating the lawn to control grubs2 people mentionedDid this help you?
- 2Installing motion-sensitive lightsDid this help you?
- 3Using motion-activated water sprinklersDid this help you?
- 4Calling Animal Control to trap and relocate the animalsDid this help you?
- 5Grinding down stumps, bringing in topsoil or dirt to level the ruts, and adding grass seedDid this help you?
- 6Renting a sod stripper to remove damaged sod, leveling the dirt beneath, and laying the sod back downDid this help you?
- 7Pokings holes or aerating to relieve soil compaction before raking, leveling, and seedingDid this help you?
- 8Using pellet guns and firearmsDid this help you?
- 9Setting traps and relocating the animalsDid this help you?
- 10Using hunting dogsDid this help you?
- 11Setting up traps with baitDid this help you?
- 12Identifying the animal based on the specific type of damageDid this help you?
- 13Treating the lawn for grubs to stop animals from diggingDid this help you?
- 14guessing based on local wildlife known to eat grubs or insectsDid this help you?
- 15walk the dog moreDid this help you?
- 16wait it out until the dog's energy reducesDid this help you?
- 17put in a run path with mulchDid this help you?
- 18hose down the urine afterward to dilute itDid this help you?
- 19grow clover or other lawn alternatives that handle shadeDid this help you?
- 20fence off parts of the backyard and re-seed heavily with fescueDid this help you?
- 21Applying grub killer products like Sevin or 24 hr grub killerDid this help you?
- 22Using beneficial nematodesDid this help you?
- 23Applying grub treatments like DyloxDid this help you?
- 24Using a dog to protect the lawnDid this help you?
- 25Consulting cool-season beginner guides and university extension articles for treatment timingDid this help you?
- 26Putting more seed down into the bare spots despite the timing in the fallDid this help you?
- 27Trying to guess the culprit (deer, groundhogs, raccoons, opossums, or squirrels) to address the specific animalDid this help you?
- 28Applying GrubX in the spring or after wateringDid this help you?
- 29Using Bio advanced grub killer 24 hour for an immediate killDid this help you?
- 30Tilling up dead grass and re-soddingDid this help you?
- 31Applying grub killer to remove their food sourceDid this help you?
- 32Using chili powder to deter themDid this help you?
- 33Using two-in-one seed and fertilizer with peat moss, straw, and topsoilDid this help you?
- 34Checking beginner guides for lawn careDid this help you?
- 35Applying preventative grub treatments early in the summerDid this help you?
- 36Using chickens to eat the grubsDid this help you?
- 37Putting down cayenne pepperDid this help you?
- 38Pulling back the damaged grass to check for grubsDid this help you?
- 39trapping the skunkDid this help you?
- 40treating for grubs next yearDid this help you?
- 41Applying chemical grub killers to remove the food sourceDid this help you?
- 42Spraying beneficial nematodes on the grass as a natural pest controlDid this help you?
- 43Using peppermint oil deterrents around the perimeter of the yardDid this help you?
- 44Installing motion-activated flood lights to scare away nocturnal animalsDid this help you?
- 45Doing nothing and treating the damage as free lawn aerationDid this help you?
- 46Putting down cinnamon or peppermint oil as a natural repellentDid this help you?
- 47Leaving mixed nuts off to the side of the yard to distract them from play areasDid this help you?
- 48Walking around and stepping on any holes or lawn damage to smooth them outDid this help you?
- 49Getting a cat to deter wildlifeDid this help you?
- 50Laying chicken wire across the area to let grass grow while preventing animals from digging.Did this help you?
- 51Applying milky spore and grub-controlling insecticide to eliminate the food source attracting the animals.Did this help you?
- 52Applying seed inside the holes and covering them upDid this help you?
- 53Stomping the dirt back downDid this help you?
- 54Applying grub killer to eliminate the animals' food sourceDid this help you?
- 55Treating the holes like free aerationDid this help you?
In their words
Unedited, grouped by where they were said, most upvoted first within each place, each linked to the thread it came from.
“That’s all these critters needed to start attacking the lawn.”source ↗
“So, how do I keep them out? They visit 1-3 times a day and have slowly increased the area they dig.”source ↗
“I need something permanent that can keep them out, and I’d like to grow grass again!”source ↗
“This morning we woke up to our lawn completely turned up.”source ↗
“I was hoping to reseed soon and get it under control and now am nervous it will just be destroyed again.”source ↗
“I woke up to this today morning, it was fine yesterday.”source ↗
“My question is, should I put more seed down in bare spots? I am sure I trampled it a bit in the first few days after germination because I was battling moles…not sure if I’m too late into fall to throw more seed down or not on top of this.”source ↗
“While I was prepping to lay down my pre-germinated seed, spots that had died back wasn’t heat stress damage after all. The turf came up like carpet. This was the first year I didn’t put preventative grub treatment down and it bit me.”source ↗
“But now there are around 500+ holes in my back yard! And I don't think its squirells becasue these are pretty big and deep, cone shaped, with a circular pattern of grass around the circumference, and a small mound of top soil around the circumference.”source ↗
“Came home to see my lawn rutted from equipment 😩🫣”source ↗
“Spread around 4 cubic yards of topsoil and several hundreds bucks worth of seed after having nuked what was a bit of a disaster area hoping to start fresh.”source ↗
“Now these little bastards are coming and digging left, right and center all over the place.”source ↗
“I start to get these holes clearly from something digging up the grubs.”source ↗
“it's very frustrating I keep wasting money and time on fixing these spots”source ↗
“Wat TF? Can I dump chili powder to keep them out? Don't have a cat or dog to chase them out.”source ↗
“Aeration and fall fert tomorrow, don't want to waste my time if critters going to keep tearing it up.”source ↗
“What animal did this?”source ↗
“Around 20 feet or so in diameter area overnight in Massachusetts. Any idea what animal did this?”source ↗
“Could use some advice on grub control. A few friends/coworkers have suggested Sevin, others have pointed me to nematodes. Curious if anyone else has dealt with Armadillos and how they solved the problem.”source ↗
“My lawn has crabgrass, bent grass (lots), assorted other weeds, voles (as if the weeds weren’t enough), and some bare spots.”source ↗
“Should I over-seed, concentrate on the bent grass first, or some other combination this fall?”source ↗
“Please help with an ‘order of operations’ to repair this lawn.”source ↗
“Went on our honeymoon, came back to a decent amount of our rear lawn all clumped/dug up.”source ↗
“I woke up to this today and was devastated. It was green and okay yesterday. Looking for insight / advice!”source ↗
“Still getting mole tunnels but no molehills. I thought with the grubs being killed I'd see fewer mole issues. Does it take a while longer, or are the moles going after something else?”source ↗
“I can’t smell him, but do I have a skunk digging for grubs in my lawn?”source ↗
“Just got back from a hockey game and my lawn was not like this when I left. About midnight when the photos were taken.”source ↗
“This random chunk of lawn got ripped up by something. I didn’t put any seed down here. No acorns from what I could see. What would have done this?”source ↗
“My lawn in the city is a constant battle with dog pee and whatever junk people throw out their car windows.”source ↗
“Yea I live in a neighborhood where people always walk their dogs so I get it.”source ↗
“Grubs - I have felt your pain.”source ↗
“it was looking a lot better before moles decided this section of the yard were their new playground. Managed to get that under control a couple weeks after seeding.”source ↗
“Sooo what’s next? My yard got demolished by the heat and grubs apparently. I’m tilling up the dead stuff at the moment.”source ↗
“I had grubs kill a good portion of my lawn last year. I used an immediate killer on them to stop the spread, then used some longer term/pre emergent stuff once I re-sodded.”source ↗
“I haven’t that many yet but it’s like a quarter of my yard that’s gone now but there were a few more embarrassing factors that added to it.”source ↗
“That was me last year. This year I threw down the grub ex and had no issues.”source ↗
“Same issue here nor cal. Pretty sure it’s raccoons. Found a few grubs in the area as well. I have a gopher problem as well so not sure if the raccoon is digging for grubs or the gopher”source ↗
“Skunk got me pretty good after I over-seeded and watered more. They like the soft ground.”source ↗
“Skunk has absolutely demolished a section of my newly overseeded lawn. It looks terrible and is very upsetting after all the work to get it to look good.”source ↗
“Any suggestions for treating spots like this in my lawn? There are several holes the size of my fist near the dead areas. Could mole tunnels be killing the grass?”source ↗
“I traveled a lot with my curvy wife this year and moles ruined 1/3 of my front yard this summer. Annoying.”source ↗
“Raccoons have been doing this at my yard.”source ↗
“Im in Texas and ive had an armadillo do the same thing to get to grubs.”source ↗
“I have an armadillo doing this to my lawn.”source ↗
“Before doing all of this I had a skunk problem.”source ↗
“I get similar from squirrels.”source ↗
“Happens every year. Nothing we can do about it lol. Maybe throw some grass seed in it and cover it up and treat it like free aeration haha.”source ↗
“I get these from squirrels, chipmunks, and voles. The voles are the worst because they are very hard to trap or send on their way, and when there is snow cover they chew runways under the snow.”source ↗
“There is a huge raccoon in my backyard that likes to dig holes in the lawn at night.”source ↗
“My dog is tearing up my backyard. Shes a 70 lb mutt with a lot of energy and between peeing and playing the yard getting pockmarked pretty badly.”source ↗