what's been digging in my garden?

[Marcia]

Hi all,

I've found these mounds of soil in the borders of my garden. The soil seems from deep down because we recently added topsoil that is much darker and drier. There's no visible entrance...







Could it be mole? Or ants? Or mice? I know I've got some mice around but I've never seen those piles of soil in my garden before.

Thanks a lot!
Marcia

[Beekeeper]

Before i saw the pictures, my first thought was Moles, but the spoil from Mole Hills is usually very fine unlike what is in your pictures, so i really cant help at the moment.

BK

[Red Squirrel]

Are there mole hills in gardens round about Marcia?
Suggest you put your finger into the middle and feel if there's a 'run'.

[Marcia]

Hi Red Squirrel, I haven't noticed any mole hills in my neighbours gardens but there's are fields not far from here where I can see mole hills. I couldn't find the run... the pile of soil is so soft when I move it, I couldn't see any hole or tunnel. I might never find out.

[Red Squirrel]

Hi Marcia. You don't usually see the run, just feel it fairly deep with your finger.

[Cotham Marble]

Most likely a mole. It's not a neat 'hill' because the creature has hit the edge of the paving and the dry mortar that presumably the paving is set onto.
CM

[Marcia]

That makes sense CM. I know most gardeners dread having moles in their gardens but I am quite please to know a mole has visited my garden i wish I could film one emerging one day.

[wildherbalian85]

Could it not be Squirrels burying food??

Or maybe you have a fox??

[Marcia]

Hi wildherbalian85, seems like the soil have been turned over from deep down towards the surface, not the opposite. I'm more inclined now to think it was a mole... I certainly hope it wasn't not a fox as I'm about to release a rehabilitated hedgehog in the garden

[wildherbalian85]

Originally Posted by Marcia

Hi wildherbalian85, seems like the soil have been turned over from deep down towards the surface, not the opposite. I'm more inclined now to think it was a mole... I certainly hope it wasn't not a fox as I'm about to release a rehabilitated hedgehog in the garden

I'm sure the Hog will would be fine from the fox...

[evilgrayson]

Easy way to find out if it's a mole - excavate. Take the heap back to the surface, and see what you find. The molehills I excavated when smaller had a packed dirt 'plug', so I couldn't have felt the run if I'd tried. Excavate the plug, though, and the run was beneath.

[aland]

Hello marcia, do not worry about your hedgehog, we have several including baby's living in our straw shed with four fox cubs, it is funny to see them roll down two or three bales, never spotted them climbing up though, my wife feeds them scraps, aland.

[Nightranger]

Originally Posted by wildherbalian85

I'm sure the Hog will would be fine from the fox...

True, it is badgers that can be a problem for hedgehogs but usually only if the local hedgehog population is high.

[Nightranger]

Originally Posted by Marcia

Hi wildherbalian85, seems like the soil have been turned over from deep down towards the surface, not the opposite. I'm more inclined now to think it was a mole... I certainly hope it wasn't not a fox as I'm about to release a rehabilitated hedgehog in the garden

I agree with the view that this is a molehill but it is unusual in form simply because the animal hit the edge of the path. I actually saw one mole fall out the side of one of these hills outside my then office window at The Lodge. The mole actually ran along the path before crash diving into a nearby flower bed wwhere the soil was looseenough to affect a rapid escape.