I now have 2 of these very small, precise holes with mounded soil as if the critter dug/tunneled out of the ground. This hole's mound spilled over a bit. I put my finger in, and a chunk of mulch, for scale. It is quite small, too small for a vole or chipmunk (which I do have in that area and have seen their much larger holes).
Any clue what could of done this?
And I'm actually impressed with out perfectly round the hole is!
Absolutely floored. No idea.
no clue either
Thinking Ha ha. Wasp?
cheater!!!
That was a guess. I didn't look it up. Was it correct?
oh Celeste thinks it is that
Pixie in the NE forum said a solitary wasp, and that looks right based on the holes. only thing is they get a cicada for the egg to eat when it hatches, and no cicadas around, at least none that I've seen. fascinating stuff.
and ha ha wasp - brilliant
Here is a link to info about the Cicada Killer Wasp: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eastern_cicada_killer
I get them in my backyard here in north Florida and leave them be as they don't sting and I don't care for cicadas. They look more menacing than they are (unless you are a cicada).
Roknlive..unless you are a cicada - LOL!
Looks like the holes the ground bees in my yard make. Fun fun. be careful sticking your finger in there :)
i thought it loooked like a big ant hole.....guess i'm wrong
I find these in my yard too. I have no idea
There are other holes. At our itis meeting this last weekend, we were given cards which showed the hole, picture of eggs mass & frass of the asian longhorn beetle. It has attacked trees in the Worcester MA area & over 3, 000 had to be cut down. Spraying does no good evidently. There is a # to call if you see such a thing. I hope that your holes are milder, whatever they are.
I know I'm really really late - did you ever solve your mystery? My 1st thought was Northern Flicker - they drill the same type holes in the ground looking for treats (perfectly round, too small for a critter). If I hadn't actually seen one 'hunting' I never would have known who (or what) caused the holes in my lawn.
I had just finished looking up information on Northern Flicker when I saw your entry. I see them mostly on pine trees here but was surprised to find that, indeed, they forage mostly on the ground. They have a particular taste for ants but enjoy a variety of insects and berries. The acid from ants assists in their preening. Your late entry was perfect timing for me.
Years ago, I saw a flicker on the lawn. By the time I ran for the camera he was gone but I took pictures of the holes he'd drilled. (Of course I can't find them now). I didn't know how much they like ants - thought it was grubs he was digging for (we have plenty). I've seen many holes created by ground wasps/bees and they're never this small or perfect. Of course our wasps may just be the sloppy variety but I'm convinced a flicker caused these holes. I still see a few holes here and there but actually only saw a flash of the bird flying away just once since.
I believe it was from a solitary wasp, though I don't know which one. Here is an example: http://www.vnews.com/lifetimes/12445944-95/insect-detective
Fascinating article!
Definitely round bees. They turn up every year. They are not aggressive, thank goodness. I have stepped on their holes many times - kids have ridden bicycles over them. The only creature attacked was a pit bull. And this was a sweet pit bull (named Lily) owned by a friend. Poor thing would not walk down my side of the street. Not dumb!
