Why are there strange symmetrical patterns and holes in my lawn?
Strange patterns and tiny holes appearing in turf during hot weather or after rain are often caused by subsurface issues or earthworm activity. Property owners trying to figure out if these marks stem from heat stress or buried structures are left guessing about how to treat the lawn without knowing the exact source.
What people tried
Every workaround mentioned in the threads below. We haven’t tested any of them — and nobody here is claiming they worked.
- 1Digging up the lawn to see what is buried underneath
- 2Putting down grub killer
- 3Waiting for the lawn to bounce back on its own since damage is minor
- 4Treating the lawn for grubs
- 5Guessing the culprit based on common wildlife like armadillos, skunks, raccoons, and squirrels
In their words
Unedited, most upvoted first, each linked to the thread it came from.
“I found this understood the front lawn this year, where the grass wouldn't grow well”source ↗
“Just notices these tiny holes in a small part of our lawn. Anyone knows what cause this? Hope its just earthworms”source ↗
“I get those every spring, usually after a good rain.”source ↗
“We have armadillos, skunks, raccoons and squirrels which is what I usually see answered these kinds of things. I haven’t quite seen a picture like this and was hoping to get some advice on what it is.”source ↗
“This is a small section.. my entire front yard looks like this.”source ↗
“Just curious about which of these are doing this much work out there!”source ↗
Where this came up
People with this problem also raised
- 6How do I identify strange white patches and spiraled growths on my lawn?
- 2Why is green growth showing up so fast after seeding?
- 8How to identify unknown animal burrows in your yard
- 30Why does my lawn pull up like a mat?
- 2Are yellow patches in newly installed sod dead or a fungus?
- 18How do I figure out what kind of grass I have?