France in Focus

We have bzillions of moles, but I do not see this a result of moles (perhaps wrong). The ground looks as though surface digging has occurred. Like from hooves or something similar.

There is no scat around to try to identify the culprit. The property is fully closed with 6 and 7 foot fencing. I first thought perhaps deer as we do see them around, but we have never seen one ON our property. We see neighborhood cats strolling through now and again, but this doesn't seem like cat behavior.

There is supposed to be Sanglier around, but we've never seen any AND, I don't see how they could have entered the property. Sooo, it must be a smaller critter ????

They are not holes. They are surface digs.

Any ideas?

I would guess a hedgehog

Voles ?

Thanks to you both.

I'll have to look up the behavior of hedgehogs.

I thought Voles operated like Moles, under ground, not above ground, no??

Found this about hedgehogs:

"Hedgehogs construct burrows or use those dug by other mammals such as rabbits and foxes. They make nests underground in burrow chambers that they line with plant material."

What we have (in multiple places and have found on adjacent properties) is surface digging. Not really burrows so to speak and not holes.

I'll look up the Voles now.

Voles:

"Voles dig extensive tunnel systems beneath the ground which provide protection from extreme weather conditions. These tunnels are connected with nests where they breed and raise young vole pups until they reach adulthood."

Doesn't seem like them.

In my experience you can tell the difference between mole and vole runs by the debris at the entrance. Moles leave a very clean pile of fine earth. Voles (in part because we have very stoney ground) leave a debris field full of fine stones.

@Lori, your pictures look a lot like sanglier or possibly roe deer but with the latter I would expect you to be reporting on debarked trees and shrubs.

After a lot of research, at least we know we have a crap load of Voles - holes all over the garden (hundreds of them). We also have active Moles, big mounds all around and after a bit of rain, they're everywhere and they contain big stones that have to be moved to protect the mower. Neighbors have the same problems, so even if we were able to do something on our property, nothing is being done elsewhere, so they'd be right back. We have come to the conclusion that they (the Voles & Moles) are a losing battle.

The photos above are not Moles or Voles. @Excile yes, I've seen a lot of Sanglier at our previous home at the foot of Mt. Ventoux. The marks do look a lot like Sanglier, but how in the world would they have accessed our property ?? It is completely closed and I've never seen a Sanglier jump a 6 foot fence, dig under one ... maybe. No evidence of that.

Deer, yes perhaps, but why am I not seeing any deer droppings anywhere in the garden? The surface digging is on several different areas of our garden. And we have 10 truck loads of ripe grapes that have not been touched by anything, except maybe birds. It would be a deer or sanglier's delight to eat it all. Not been touched.

Sangliers?

I have seen football pitches dug up by the sangliers in France, and this looks very similar.

Hedgehogs make these holes when feeding on worms or slugs.