Any ideas what’s digging this hole?

I’ve noticed several of these holes / tunnels. They haven’t caused actuall damage to any plants yet but I have no clue what’s digging them. Holes are at least 6” deep and about a half inch or so wide.

Quite possibly a vole:

https://permies.com/t/189788/permaculture/Rodent-Contol

https://permies.com/t/144133/Quick-critter-ID-mole-vole

https://permies.com/t/12100/VOLE-invasion

It could be an exit tunnel of a cicada, also.  Or burrow of a “cicada killer” wasp.

Trapdoor spider?

Something dug a real hole close by a day or two ago. Luckily didn’t get the young plants

If it is a vole it will eat the plant roots and any root vegetable.  

If it was a cicada or trapdoor spider I feel everything will be okay.

Best wishes for your garden and only time will tell ...

Anne Miller wrote:If it is a vole it will eat the plant roots and any root vegetable.

We have a lot of field voles and, so far, they don't seem to be causing us any problems. I think they may have nibbled the roots of a big sorrel plant but that's it. Their tunnels are a real pain, however, as they burrow along the paths between our beds and cause them to cave in.

Over the weekend I spotted an excavation into one of the vole burrows. It looked like a fox or perhaps even a badger got hungry and decided to dig them out! Thankfully this didn't cause any damage but it could have if it had dug elsewhere.

Friends of ours had voles in their polytunnel and it was a different story: the voles ate all of their carrots and felled their pea seedlings! They resorted to trapping them.

We've now scattered chili flakes along our vegetable beds in the hope that they will deter the voles, in case they do decide to eat our potatoes. We bought 2x 1kg bags from a wholesaler and spread them quite liberally. It's only been a few days but I will report back, if I remember.

Ok thank you

Another vote for trapdoor spider.

I hate to mention other rodents, but I have a problem with small field mice digging holes like that around my yard. There are some complicated burrows that run under the yard where the chickens can't quite get to them.

Voles are just really small specialized rodents, so another vote for voles. I hope they didn't damage your garden and the red pepper flakes worked!