Weird hole.

[brownfingers]

Yesterday, I emptied a pot of lillies which hadn't done much. They had been munched by vine weevil early in the year. I sorted through the soil and there were some nice young bulbs which had formed so I decided to replenish the soil and replant them. This morning, in the corner of the pot, there was a nice neat hole, about 3/4" wide and about 3" deep. There were no signs of any digging, disturbed soil around the hole or anything occupying the hole. What sort of aminal could be responsible?

[veggiechicken]

Is the bulb missing?

[brownfingers]

Is the bulb missing?

Its a large pot with quite a lot of young bulbs that I replanted deeply. The hole was right in the corner. No bulbs were dug up.

[veggiechicken]

I asked because I found a neat round hole in the garden yesterday - just where I had recently planted a pot of ornamental alliums. The complete clump had vanished - who knows where

[brownfingers]

Stwaynge, vewy, vewy, stwaynge.

[Jeanied]

My guess is a rat - say I ruefully, speaking from experience

[Greenleaves]

With Jeanied on this one....if not a rat it definitely sounds like a rodent of sorts

[brownfingers]

I think a rat would be far too big for such a small hole. The soil would have been disturbed aroud the hole as well. The hole was as clean as a whistle, just as if a stick had been pushed in. Too neat for a bird. Mr Rat would have had to do a decent jump up into the pot too. I would rule a meece or shrew out for the same reason. Would a snail create such a hole? I carefully excavated, and the hole didn't go anywhere, just about 3"deep. It hasn't reappeared today.

[Bill HH]

I think a pensioner had a walk round your plot in the night and accidentally poked his walking stick into the pot.

[Martin H]

Maybe it's an old hole from when it was in the pot, made by a bamboo cane support?

[dogsbody]

Mulder / Scully - any ideas you guys?

[wellywoo]

Could a young fox or badger stuck it's nose in ?


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[brownfingers]

All good ideas, but none seem feasible. The pot had just been completely emptied and reset, so no old hole. The hole was perfectly round, about 1/2" to 3/4" wide. Didn't go anywhere.

[Jay22]

Maybe a shrew? They leave little to no earth when digging holes.

[brownfingers]

Maybe a shrew? They leave little to no earth when digging holes.

He must know how to pole vault. It's a big pot. Saying that, I did see a shrew at the bottom end of the garden the other day.