Digging the soil by Olympia critters occurs usually during the snow fall and spring seasons and is for two purposes generally; one is in search of food and second is the temporary housing. Moreover, the health and energy gained during spring and summer is to be kept in contact during snow fall and severe cold therefore soil is dug to protect themselves.

Skunks dig yard during night to get underground protein diet with the their nose and lengthy front claws while in winter season this activity is repeated to get maggots, bugs, eggs, small animals, berries and grapes etc., therefore the dug hole will be of the size of Washington skunk's nose and will be bordered by slacken soil. Same diet is nearly enjoyed by raccoons but since they use their front paws like hands, therefore, part of worn out and dragged grass in yard can be seen as a result. The fresh grass is their easy victim therefore scratched and ragged over lawn gives the signs of raccoon assault which are of the size range of nearly 6 to 10 inches.

Moles leave signs like heaps of soil on ground because they push the same from below while digging the yard. In warm seasons soil is pushed up to make and air way for their breathing and maintaining the inner atmosphere cool while in winter to search for earthworms and other tiny eatables these holes gets created under the soil which can be spotted by slacken off soil in the lawn. Holes dug by Olympia chipmunks are clean and of the size of a silvery dollar which can be seen during day, crayfish digs hole near watery lawns and a muddy soil loom can be seen around hole. In warm weathers holes in the yard of the 3 inch diameter and nearly 20 feet apart from each other are the symptoms of squirrel while of same diameter and 3 to 4 inch long holes in sandy dry soil show that you are under threat from Washington rats whereas the holes around plants and of dime size are signs of voles.

Eastern moles cover their holes with stacks of soil in tapering shape to make them invisible while pocket gophers do the same with stacks in heart like circular shape. In wet areas star nosed moles create multiple subways near surface that raise soil or grass to make entrance invisible while in unplanted areas same tactics is adopted by eastern moles. Holes dug by shrews are of very small size up to 1½ inches, rats dig holes with opening up to 2 inches near garbage, water and buildings while muskrats can dig up to 4 inch wide hole. Sometimes it is seen that a 4 inch diameter hole having bones of small animals may be of a fox. Frogs, rabbits are also termed to make holes in the ground but the frequency of the other small Olympia critters is much as compared to them.

Visit our Olympia wildlife trapping home page to learn more about us.