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Animals

A variety of animals can frequent home gardens. Some animals, such as songbirds, are welcome additions but others may cause damage. Often times damage may be difficult to attribute to a particular animal unless it is seen causing the damage but other damage may be very characteristic of specific animals. Control of problem animals is often difficult and may require trapping or fencing to effectively exclude the animals from the area where they can cause damage. See information on specific animals for typical damage and some recommended control measures.
Images: Click on image to enlarge or on underlined captions for more information.

Cat in garden
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Cat under birdbath
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The leafless stalks sticking up next to these other hostas are all that remains of a third hosta after a deer finished eating it
High resolution image available.

Deer damage on hosta; note, ragged torn edges of leaf stalks typical of deer feeding habits
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Buck deer
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Buck deer
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Drought results in hungry and thirsty deer, like this doe.
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A baby deer or fawn
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Dog in garden
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Mole hill in lawn
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Mole hill in lawn
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Mole tunnels in lawn
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Mole, common lawn pest
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Mole, common lawn pest, head and front feet
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Mole, common lawn pest, tail and back feet
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Mole, common lawn pest, underside
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Sapsucker damage on Brazilian coral tree (Erythrina)
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Holes in rows indicate sapsucker feeding on this Brazilian coral tree (Erythrina)
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In this case the pileated woodpecker that made these holes is not a nuisance; it's just making use of a decrepit Eastern red cedar (Juniperus)
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Pileated woodpecker holes in Eastern red cedar (Juniperus);
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These are tunnels made by carpenter bees in a trellis. The tunnels were opened by woodpeckers looking for larvae to feast on.
High resolution image available.

Close-up of the exposed tunnels made by carpenter bees for their eggs. The grooves in the wood were made by woodpeckers drilling for the larvae.
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Birds probably caused the damage to this tomato fruit (Lycopersicon); the spotted lady beetle (Coleoptera) is probably just waiting for prey attracted to the open wound.
High resolution image available.

Canada geese
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Sapsucker damage on pine (Pinus)
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Sapsucker damage on pine (Pinus)
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Oozing from sapsucker feeding on a sugar maple (Acer)
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Sapsucker damage on a sugar maple (Acer)
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Woodpecker damage on house
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A red bird (a cardinal) ate the peas out of these pea pods (Pisum)
High resolution image available.

Rabbit damage on soybeans (Glycine); note the characteristic angled clean cut
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Typical rabbit damage--nibbling an entire row of soybeans (Glycine)
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Rabbit feeding on dianthus (Dianthus)
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Baby raccoon
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Possible raccoon (or squirrel) damage on corn (Zea mays)
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Possible raccoon (or squirrel) damage on corn (Zea mays)
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Slug damage to hosta leaves
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Slug damage on hosta leaves (Hosta)
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Slug eggs from mulch pile
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Slug on garden debris
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Snail on garden path
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Close-up of slug with typical slime trail
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A squirrel
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A squirrel
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Squirrel damage on tomato fruit (Lycopersicon)
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Some gardeners leave out water for squirrels hoping they will drink from a bowl instead of their tomatoes (Lycopersicon) alone
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Peeling bark on pond cypress (Taxodium) caused by squirrels
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Closer view of bark peeled from a pond cypress (Taxodium) by squirrels
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Closer view of bark peeled from a pond cypress (Taxodium) by squirrels
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Natural squirrel control with fox kit
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Squirrel eating apple in an apple tree (Malus)
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Leafy squirrel's nest in tree
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Possible squirrel (or raccoon) damage on corn (Zea mays)
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Possible squirrel (or raccoon) damage on corn (Zea mays)
High resolution image available.

A vole, also called a meadow mouse, that was fattened by eating hostas; note, short tail
High resolution image available.

Underside of a vole, also called a meadow mice, caught by a snap trap; note short tail
High resolution image available.

Vole runs or tunnels in a lawn
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Vole runs or tunnels in a lawn
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Roots eaten from a hosta by voles
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Vole damage to hosta; note, complete absence of root hairs
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Close-up of vole damage to hosta
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Vole damage to beet roots (Beta vulgaris)
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Close-up of vole damage to beet roots (Beta vulgaris)
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Soil eaten by earthworms with organic matter is deposited on the soil surface as castings and is beneficial to the soil. Large castings like these from night crawlers may be a nuisance on putting greens and other highly maintained lawns.
High resolution image available.

Soil eaten by earthworms with organic matter is deposited on the soil surface as castings and is beneficial to the soil. Large castings like these from night crawlers may be a nuisance on putting greens and other highly maintained lawns.
High resolution image available.

Entrance to a chipmunk burrow
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Baby opossum that found its way into a shed
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Baby opossum in a tree
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Frog in a fountain
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This common house centipede (Chilopoda) has 15 pairs of legs, each pair on a different body segment;their primary food is small insects
High resolution image available.

Young millipede (Diplopoda)
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Sowbugs in garden debris
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Willow (Salix) girdled by a beaver.
High resolution image available.

Close-up of gnawing damage from a beaver on a willow (Salix); tooth marks are visible
High resolution image available.

A willow (Salix) gnawed more than halfway through by a beaver.
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This common garden or garter snake is harmless and can even be beneficial when rodents are on the menu
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Pair of snakes mating
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Pair of snakes mating
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