Is it a bird, is it a hedgehog, no, it's...

[Rabidbun]

... a bit of a puzzle!

I've been having trouble with something digging in my raised beds. So far whatever it is has had an attempt at uprooting pretty much everything and I've near lost three strawberry plants to it (the plants themselves don't seem to have been eaten).

The soil is thrown perhaps 4-8 inches and the holes left behind are around 2-3 inches across and the same down. It's not a cat doing exploratory poo attempts as far as I can tell as there are no nuggets left behind and it's right amongst the garlic which would be hard for a cat to get to. My toddler has also been ruled out as some holes are beyond his reach.

Would love to try and stop this pest but not sure if it's one of the above or something else so not sure what to try!

Any guesses would be much appreciated, am sure that the strawberries in particular can only take so much before they keel over, and with that and the football against them I sense a small crop in my future!

[Jeanied]

This sounds like a bird digging for worms, Rapidbun.

[rustylady]

Sounds a long way for a bird to throw soil looking for worms. I would suggest netting the bed until everything gets settled in properly.

[chengjing]

I would say it is bird as well, soil is quite dry and black birds love it.

[smallblueplanet]

Badger looking for earthworms? Squirrel digging nuts...

[crazii_c]

ive had the same problem in my containers and potatoe grow sacks. ive still not got to the end of the problem and the mystery continues. however since blocking up a small hole under my fence i havent seen anymore little holes being dug. i asked on another post and people suggested foxes or squirrels.

[Two_Sheds]

A blackbird can't dig a 3" wide, 3" deep hole.

I had a similar hole in my garden, and it turned out to be a cat, trying to dig out a mouse

[Rabidbun]

Thanks for the guesses all, much appreciated!

I think I'll invest in some heavy duty netting for the beds as suggested , specially with the cat issues that I've had recently!

In the meantime I've blocked any holes under the fence that I can see, watered the soil like mad incase it's a strong and determined worm hunting blackbird that is liking the dry soil and will make a concerted effort to look outside a lot to see if I can spot the culprit!

[cupcake]

Fox? I never see them but often hear them round here.

[planesailing]

I have fox problems in my garden and it is them that dig up and move the soil around.

[reetnproper]

A blackbird can't dig a 3" wide, 3" deep hole.

I beg to differ! I've seen our Mrs Blackbird with my own eyes, ferreting away in the same spot and leaving a pretty decent sized hole behind her! She has a fabulous time . The number of times I've had to backfill gouges in my earthed-up potato mounds ....... Worm mad, that's what she is!

Reet
x

[Liza]

Squirrel me thinks

[Nicos]

from what I have seen, I'd go with squirrel too.

[rustylady]

Worst damage I ever had to a strawberry bed was caused by my dog trying to catch a hedgehog. Hedgehog rolled into a ball, dog just kept digging. Strawberries and soil all over the lawn, hedgehog curled into a ball at the bottom of a huge pit!!!

[Incy]

My kittens have taken to doing that in my onion bed. It's getting very annoying and no they don't seem to poop there just dig things up