likely critters in seattle garden

Hi,

I have several garden beds in a West Seattle urban neighborhood and have been getting regular nocturnal digging of small holes around flowers and veggies. They aren't digging the plants themselves, but leaving small holes of a couple of inches in the vicinity. My question is what is most likely digging these holes. Is it raccoons looking for bugs? Squirrels? Cats doing their business? How can I tell? Thanks!

Its january in Seattle and youve got vegatables and flowers growing? 

I had the same thing one year in my yard, but it was during the summer and it was a skunk.

Good luck,

Hi Steve, nothing is active right now, sorry about that. Although, some flower shoots have already pushed up in some places, we've had a mild winter.... pea planting time right around the corner ....

Squirrels and chipmunks are diurnal, so not likely...

Nocturnal urban rodents are a shorter list... rats?

HG

Could be shrews or voles.

Ah, voles my personal bane. In urban neighborhoods too? They really are devilspawn...

HG

I work at an urban farm here in chicago. From my experience I'd say you probably have rats. We haven't had much luck getting rid of them. Although once an accidental half filled 5-gallon bucket left next to the garbage can ended up w/ 5 or 6 floating rats. Whoah!

I've also had opposum take to digging up bits of garden to get the worms and bugs.  Do they live that far North?  I would think their tails and ears are sensitive to cold but then again, rats survive.