What's living under our steps?

Underneath our front steps, something has pushed away and dug up our mulch to make a big hole. Our dog is very curious about this but judging from the size of the hole, the critter might be bigger than her (she's a small dog), so we are not letting her near there. The other day I noticed that whatever it is dragged a small pumpkin, not one of ours, into the hole. Must've carted it off from one of the neighbors. What might it be and how do I get rid of it? Might it try to get into our house? We've had mice tunnel in to our basement from the outside, I don't really want an even larger critter doing so.
Thanks in advance for any advice.

 

Can you see if there is any kind of "comfort stuff" like evidence of leaves, fur or other insulation that's been dragged in? Any tracks around the opening?

 

Not that this has much to do with the topic. But one way critters can get into your home and is sometimes overlooked is thru your area way drain and into your home up thru the sump pump box. Many a time the drain screen gets knocked off. And that pipe can be quite large for a sizable critter to come to visit

Lee j

 

That sounds pretty bizarre. One of the most common under-step dwellers are chipmunks, but they aren't going to be dragging pumpkins around. If it is a small pumpkin and it fell in front of the hole I imagine they could have rolled it over to the hole itself. Groundhog is a possibility, but you would really need to be close to suitable open field habitat. Look for tracks.

 

We had an extremely large mole living under our deck at our old house. It was near impossible to get rid of. I'll keep my fingers crossed that isn't what has taken residence at your home.

 

I have found chipmunks, rabbits, squirrels, groundhog, and a skunk all digging around my mulch beds at some time this past year. I have holes around my steps too but small and seem to be from the chipmunks. Based upon what you describe - and I would suggest adding pictures so our naturalists can see too - you have a groundhog.

But the other guess would be rabbit. Look there in the dusk hours or evening too. Or place a motion-sensing camera.

 

Do rabbits dig like that? We have a family that lived under our shed but there was minimal digging required to get there.

 

Rabbits aren't big diggers - but they will occupy abandoned burrows created by others.

 

We had a Groundhog living under our front porch. Ended up calling Critter Control to have it removed last Spring. So far so good and no other occupants. Apparently was harmless but we did not want it that close to our front door, our children and did not want it to compromise the porch with all the digging. Critter Control set a trap and within 10 minutes it was caught. I called them back and they took it away. The day they came they had a skunk in the back of the truck too that they picked up from a house in Ashburn Farm.

 

smoke it out!

 

It is most likely a skunk or a groundhog...if it is a skunk, you dont want to startle it!

 

I have a small humane trap that you can bait with carrots or something. If you would like to borrow it, let me know. I've caught many critters in that thing. Hopefully it's a groundhog and not a skunk. About how big and deep is the hole??

 

Ummm, could it be yer dawgs hole?

 

Look for tracks. Remove all food sources. Could poss be a ground hog. They like to make their own burrows. Is it still happening now that its gotten colder?

Skunks will also eat pumpkins.they do make their own burrows but seem to prefer moving into one.

Good luck!
Susanne Ortmann
naturalist
Call the Wildlife Hotline 703-440-0800

 

Original poster here. No discernable tracks or other obvious signs of what it is. The pumpkin it dragged in there has remained in the same spot, untouched and uneaten for over a week so I am wondering if whatever it was, left. However, based on Susanne's comment that skunks like to take up residence in already made burrows, we don't want to leave this one open. I will try pushing the mulch back in there and see if anything moves it back out of the way.
Tracy, thanks for the offer of the trap. If this thing appears to be hanging around, I may take you up on that. Although what if I trap a skunk?
And, no, Mr. Rogers, it isn't my dog. She only goes out on a leash and so we would see her digging. Love your sig line, though.
Thanks everybody for you help. Much appreciated.

 

Obviously it was a College student home for T-Giving/fall break.


You're good for another 2 weeks.....ish.