What's Digging Under My Shed, Deck, or Porch?
Found a fresh hole next to your foundation, a dirt mound under the deck, or tunneling near your shed? Here's how Louisville homeowners can identify the animal by its digging — and what to do about it.
(502) 638-2420 — Free Identification & QuoteIdentify the Animal by Its Digging
Four animals account for nearly all "something is digging" calls we get across the Louisville metro. The hole size, the dirt (or lack of it), and the time of day you see activity tell you which one you have.
Groundhog (Woodchuck)
Most likely culprit in Louisville
- Main entrance 10–12 inches wide with a large fan of excavated dirt in front
- One or more clean "plunge holes" nearby with no dirt mound (escape exits)
- Burrow at the base of a shed, deck, porch, or foundation wall
- Vegetable gardens and tender plants eaten in broad daylight
- Most active mornings and late afternoons, spring through fall
Skunk
Common — usually in an old groundhog burrow
- Entrance 6–8 inches wide, often under a porch or stoop
- Faint musky odor near the opening, stronger after a disturbance
- Shallow 1–3 inch cone-shaped holes scattered across the lawn (grub digging)
- Activity at night rather than daytime
Opossum
Common den squatter — rarely digs its own hole
- Uses an existing opening: vacant burrow, gap under deck skirting, crawl-space vent
- No fresh dirt excavation at the entrance
- Knocked-over trash, missing pet food, droppings near the den
- Strictly nocturnal
Mole or Chipmunk
Different problem, different solution
- Moles: raised surface tunnels and volcano-shaped mounds, no open holes
- Chipmunks: clean 2-inch holes with no dirt pile, often near walls and walkways
- Neither dens under structures the way groundhogs and skunks do
Whatever You Do — Don't Seal the Hole First
The most expensive mistake we see in Louisville: a homeowner blocks a burrow entrance while the animal is still inside. Groundhogs dig straight back out (often making new damage), and an animal that dies under a structure creates odor and pest problems far worse than the burrow itself.
The correct sequence is identify → remove → confirm vacant → fill & compact → exclude. That's exactly what our removal process covers, and why our work comes with prevention built in.
Burrow & Digging FAQs
How do I tell if the burrow under my shed is active?
Loosely stuff the entrance with crumpled newspaper or a handful of straw and check it after 24–48 hours. If it's pushed out or pulled in, the burrow is occupied. Fresh dirt at the entrance, tracks, clipped vegetation nearby, and flies around the opening are also strong signs of activity. Never seal a hole before confirming it's vacant — an animal (or its young) trapped inside will dig out or die under the structure.
There's a big hole with a dirt mound under my deck. What is it?
In the Louisville metro, a 10–12 inch opening with a fan of excavated soil is almost always a groundhog. Skunk and opossum openings are smaller and lack the large dirt mound. Groundhog burrows also typically have one or more hidden secondary exits nearby, which is why professional removal includes mapping the full system before it's filled.
Can I just fill the hole myself?
If the animal is still inside, it will simply dig out — groundhogs move hundreds of pounds of soil and re-open a filled entrance overnight. And if you succeed in trapping it inside, you'll have a carcass under your structure. The correct order is: confirm species, remove the animal, verify the burrow is vacant, fill in compacted lifts, then install buried exclusion mesh so nothing digs back in.
Who do I call for animal burrows in Louisville?
Us — this is our specialty. Louisville Groundhog Removal handles groundhog, skunk, and opossum removal across Jefferson, Bullitt, Oldham, and Shelby Counties in Kentucky plus Clark and Floyd Counties in Southern Indiana. Call (502) 638-2420 for a free quote; we'll identify the animal, remove it humanely, and remediate the burrow properly.
Not Sure What You're Dealing With?
Text us a photo of the hole or describe what you're seeing — we identify burrows across the Louisville metro every day and we'll tell you exactly what you have and what it'll take to fix it.