Oof squirrels are the worst. At our last house there were 2-3 squirrels that attacked a juniper tree every summer. At first we thought the tree was dying but the tree company said no, these branches are green inside. Luckily the squirrels were no match for the 40-50 foot tree but it did look a bit sparse in one area. I dreamed of poisoning them.

Anonymous wrote:Squirrels don't dig holes in lawns, OP. Usually it's small rodents such as voles, who dig in search of grubs. Or, it's insects themselves, who emerge in Spring.

This^^
OP, regardless of whether it's the squirrels or other animals making the holes, it's quite possible that you have a grub problem. Beetle larvae.

Last year I wondered why my lawn looked like a minefield at this same time of year. I do have a very active squirrel population, but I found it hard to believe that they were digging up previously-buried nuts--I mean it does happen, but it seemed unlikely that they'd have chosen to bury so many there, etc.

A few weeks later I was embarking on a lawn-makeover effort and realized that the grass in that section pulled up easily--very little roots. Some online research pointed me to the grub issue. I later spent a lot of time gardening out there for the first time ever, and I kept uncovering grubs while digging up various flower/shrub beds, etc., so that validated my theory--even though I never noticed the beetles actually flying around during the summer when they are supposed to be mature insects.

It's very disheartening, so I sympathize. The solution I have tried is spraying the area with "beneficial nematodes." (I did 1x in late spring, 1x in fall) These are not quick-fixes, though, so the jury is still out on whether the problem is under control. I saw some holes this week, so I figure I didn't apply the nematodes effectively enough. (I realized by fall that you have to spray your entire yard, not just lawn, so don't forget the flower/shrub beds). I think it's not helpful that the previous homeowner planted lots of plants native to Japan (I determined that my grubs were 'Japanese beetle' larvae), but I'm no expert.
But the holes are much fewer than last spring, so fingers crossed that it's getting better. Good luck and I'm rooting for you as you battle them.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Same here. Completely destroyed the lawn I’ve spent the last two years rehabilitating. I’ve tried cayenne pepper, peppermint oil, throwing rocks at them. Nothing works. Hoping someone has a solution

Solution: let go of the idea of a perfectly manicured lawn. Nature will always find a way. 😉

This. It's a comical pursuit.

Throw the carcass in the trash so that some animal or bird does not eat it. Because the lead pellets of the BB gun in the carcass is toxic to all animals.

Solution - bb gun. You have to get the females though.