I have an “unknown animal” job in yard. The customer explains to me that there are several holes in her newly planted lawn.

I ask the normal questions and after I put the intel together I assume that it is a raccoon or skunk. The reason being that they both are nocturnal (the reason he hasn’t seen the animal), and they have dug up holes in the yard (both animals are known diggers) most likely looking for grubs, worms, etc… When I arrive the dug up holes didn’t look like the work of a raccoon or skunk, but an underground animal, gopher, mole or groundhog.

I searched these holes and after about an hour and a half I found the main tunnels that underground animals were using to burrow about. I was only half way determined that this was the right thing to do and also explained that to the customer.

He said that a couple different companies had come out and had not determined the nature of the problem. I told him if it didn’t work I would not charge him to which he was very pleased. A week later I returned to his home to do a scheduled service call and I had a gopher in each trap I set. I serviced the traps and reset them and I’ll be going back out next week to see if there were any others. Our customer was very happy that I diagnosed the situation properly and he now has an undisturbed lawn again. I got a little lucky but I’ll take it as long as the customer is happy…

Until next time,

Trapper Vic