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Turf > Lawn > Holes
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cornfield ant 1
Credit: Jeff Hahn
cornfield ant 2
Credit: Jeff Hahn
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green arrowCornfield ant
Small, about 1/8 inch wide, hole generally surrounded by a conical mound of dirt
Found in areas where grass in thinning or bare
Found anytime during spring or summer
Ant 1/10 inch long and brown
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field ant 1
Credit: Jeff Hahn
field ant 2
Credit: Jeff Hahn
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green arrowField ants
Large mounds with numeroud 1/8 to 1/4 inch wide holes
Found in healthy lawns as well as thinning turf
Found anytime during spring or summer
Ants 1/8 to 1/4 inch long and black or black and red
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yellow jacket 1
Credit: Jeff Hahn
yellow jacket 2
Credit: Jeff Hahn
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green arrowYellowjackets
Moderate sized holes, about 2 inches wide
Lack of dirt surrounding holes
Yellowjackets generally not noticed until mid to late summer
Yellowjackets are slender, 3/8 inch long, black and yellow wasps
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cicada killer 1
Credit: Chuck Holliday
cicada killer 2
Credit: Jeff Hahn
cicada killer 3
Credit: Jeff Hahn
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green arrowCicada killers
Moderated sized holes, about 2 inches wide, found in well-drained sunny sites
Typically with large mound of dirt on one side of hole
Cicada killers active mid to late summer
Cicada killers large, 1 to 1 1/2 inches long, black and yellow solitary wasps
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racoon 1
Credit: Kevin D. Arvin, Bugwood.org
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green arrowRacoons, Skunks or Gray Squirrels
Shallow, dead-end, small holes in the ground appearing like golf divots
Randomly scattered over lawn
Number of holes greater in spring (squirrels) and fall (skunks or racoons)
Racoons will also roll back recently installed sod looking for food