do you have chipmonks around?

if so .. rat trap .. baited with peanut butter .... and a large black pot inverted over the hole and the trap ...

ken

A 5-inch hole is rather large for a chipmunk. It might even be a groundhog, although most groundhog holes are bigger than that. Groundhogs feed during the day, so if it is a groundhog, you are likely to see it "grazing" in your lawn or garden.

Possibly a possum or skunk. Your registration doesn't give us a clue as to what part of the country you live in, and that would be relevant information. Groundhogs are common in this part of Maine.

MM

I thought about the fact that I should tell you where we are after I posted and left for the day. We're in Florida.

Thank you for the thoughts.

If there are feathers around,mostly a fox.No feathers could be a lot of different animals,except an elephant.

No feathers.

Lots of peanut shells though. ;-)

WL,

A live catch trap can be equipped with a "Nose Cone" so that you can place the trap over the entrance to the hole and the animal emerges from the hole directly into the trap. This is a separate Nose Cone mounted to a skunk trap. Incidentally, the peanut shells exclude a skunk, because skunks eat insects.

This trap has a built in nose cone. You could mount it over the hole entrance to force the animal, whatever it is, into the trap. Then, when you see the animal, you could decide what to do with it.

I never use any kind of a trap but a live catch trap, because I always want to have the option of releasing the animal alive. I have released cats and birds from my live catch traps. I don't release varmints.

MM

Thank you maineman very much for the sincere and thoughtful response! I'll show these links to my husband and see what he wants to do.

Just when I was going to say "armadillo" you had to throw in the peanuts.
But that is my final answer.
I am also puzzled by the earth being piled up against the house. The armadillo tends to spread the earth on both sides as it progresses forward and downward.

There really aren't any peanuts - that was a sarcastic remark to the guy who said it could be anything but an elephant. Sorry for the confustion.

I was wondering about armadillo too. Any special tips for catching them?

I've never seen an armadillo entrance that was only 5" in diameter. Or one that was so neatly done.

Have you seen any nice snakes around, lately?

WL,

"Any special tips for catching them?"

Just don't handle them. It is my understanding that armadillos can carry Leprosy.

For that reason, and safety in general, any live catch traps should have protection for your hand at the carrying handle. I suspect that the NWS5300 Universal Trap with built-in nose cone trap would be suitable for armadillos. However, several other traps, like the Wickencamp Coon Trap (Model 302) or the Safeguard Pro Raccoon Trap, are suitable for armadillos. For traps with a rollover release, you should anchor the trap to prevent the captured animal from rolling the trap over and escaping. I lost several large gray squirrels before learning to attach an anti-rollover bar (a short piece of concrete re-bar) to my Havahart traps.

If you are trying to catch an armadillo, you might want to use TreeBerry paste bait.

If you prefer not to use a live trap, you could try a repellent like Whole Control. I have never used it, so I can't attest to its effectiveness. If all else fails, you could always try "the old reliable" Juicy Fruit gum. (grin)

MM

I would not even think of tangling with an armadillo because of those claws on its forepaws and its poor eyesight. It might react blindly (please pardon the pun). The animal is hunting for insects. If you get rid of them it will most likely go elsewhere. I would hook up some kind of bright (motion detector) light for about a week and I am almost certain that, if it is an armadillo, it will go away. I do not care for some of its feeding habits but otherwise it is quite an interesting animal.