They are digging up all of the acorns, etc. that they buried last year. I've got these craters, too, where they have been digging up my crocus bulbs. The little varmits. After last years record acorn crop, I'm expecting to see a million little oak trees poppin up everywhere this year.

I see some digging around where I planted crocus last fall and none of them came up. A bag of 25, not one came up. I thought animals don't like the crocus bulbs to eat? Do squirrels or chipmunks eat crocus? Or moles? I think I may have all of these in the area.

Where are the skunks btw? I used to see them all the time and can't remember the last time I saw or smelt one. Strange.

Hey look at this talk at Weston Nurseries...

Saturday, April 22
Got Grubs?
John Moretti, Weston Nurseries Horticulturist
10 am
Japanese Beetle, Black Turfgrass Ataenius, European Chafer, Green June Beetle, Masked Chafer. International Conference? Not really. These are the types of grubs you may find in your lawn. Some grubs are ok, but if you answer yes to any of the following questions, you may want to put this workshop on your calendar. Are you seeing animal damage to your lawn? Can you "Roll Up" the sod like a carpet? Have you or your neighbors had problems with grubs before? John will tell you how to determine if you have grubs and what to do to eliminate them.

Sounds like grubs may be a problem (one's other than the Japanese Beetle kind?) I know nothing about grubs -- I thought they wouldn't be out yet. This may be way off base.

Here is a link that might be useful: Weston Nurseries Events

It was what Tree Oracle said. I sometimes look out my window and watch them. They are looking for their buried nuts, or digging where they think they (or another squirrel) buried a nut.

A couple weeks ago I was watching a squirrel digging through my garden--a daylily tag went flying 3' away. Now I know why I can't find the names of the daylilies I knew I had tagged come spring.

It is too early in the season for the grubs to be close enough to the surface for the skunks to be digging them out. When the skunks dig, they do greater damage to the turf, actual holes and peeling back the sod.

Glad I checked out this thread, I was wondering when I should put down some milky spore, looks like it's too early yet. I also noticed something is leaving crater like holes in my bulb bed! I was thinking maybe moles or voles. I was going to sprinkle a good amount of crushed red pepper on the bed today to see if that helps deter the varments!

Ah, red pepper--I'll have to try that one. Thanks, all!

I'm going to try castor oil this year. I heard Paul Parent recommend it on his show. I just bought a product called, "Whole Conrol" -- hope it works!

the squirrels decimated a ten-year-old echeveria i had just set outside today and they're gleefully flinging around everything i plant.

i bought moth balls in desperation.