Connecticut is home to seven wild animals that do damage to Lawns.
Connecticut lawns — from shoreline backyards in Old Saybrook and Madison to suburban yards in Middletown, Cromwell, and Portland — are prime targets for wildlife damage. Moles, skunks, raccoons, groundhogs, and other animals tunnel, dig, and forage, leaving dead patches, holes, and ruined grass. As a veteran-owned nuisance wildlife control service with 17+ years in Middlesex and New Haven Counties, RF Wildlife specializes in identifying and legally removing these common lawn pests. (Note: We focus on the most frequent offenders — rabbits, voles, and mice are less common in our service area and handled case-by-case.) Call 860-510-6313 for a free inspection and stop the damage before it spreads.
Moles, voles, skunks, raccoons, Woodchucks (groundhogs), chipmunks and gray squirrels are the main lawn damaging animals in the state of Connecticut. I will go through a brief explanation on each animal and the damage they cause to your yard. I could add fox to the list, but they usually only take over burrows of other animals, mostly woodchucks.
Skunks
Skunks typically cause two types of damage to Connecticut lawns.
- Skunks dig cone-shaped holes in lawns searching for grubs and insects, especially in Clinton and Guilford yards. They also den under decks/sheds, causing odors and structural risks. Small, cone-shaped holes (3–4 inches wide)
- Skunks dig burrows, the hole will be about the size of a grapefruit usually. Most of the time they will do this under a deck, shed, or house crawlspace but I have seen this under hedges and under pine trees.
No relocation allowed by DEEP. See our Skunk Removal guide for tips.
Woodchucks (groundhogs) and the damage they cause.
Woodchucks can cause some serious lawn damage, and forget having a garden if you have a woodchuck. Woodchucks are one of the most common animals I get called to remove from lawns. The maddest person I have ever seen because of wildlife was due to a woodchuck. The estate just installed $10,000 worth of ornamental flowers over two hillsides along the driveway. In one evening a single woodchuck ate the flower tops off half the plants. He was one of the largest woodchucks I have ever removed, and defiantly the most destructive expense wise to a lawn.
- Woodchucks eat everything that grows. The deer proof plants you can buy are not woodchuck proof. They may eat them last, but they are as likely to eat them first. I have even seen woodchucks pick only the purple flowers.
- Woodchucks dig the most elaborate burrow system of any animal in CT. Woodchuck burrows can be large. The burrow will usually have two exits one main and an escape exit. Sometimes the escape exit will be dug just to the grass roots, making it hidden. One client rolled his lawn tractor because a woodchuck did this on the side of a small hill.
- Woodchuck burrows can cause structural damage. I have seen sidewalks broken, and corners of sheds sink in the ground due to wood chucks.
Groundhogs burrow under foundations and eat garden plants — common in rural parts of Portland and East Hampton.
Signs:
- Large burrow entrances (10–12 inches)
- Mounds of fresh dirt
- Clipped vegetation
Prevention & Removal: Live trapping and exclusion fencing.
Moles
Moles are the #1 lawn destroyer in Connecticut — they tunnel underground creating raised ridges and mounds that kill grass roots. Common in moist soils around Middletown, Cromwell, and Madison.
Signs:
- Raised ridges or volcano-shaped mounds
- Dead grass patches from root disturbance
- No visible holes (unlike voles)
Prevention & Removal: Use professional mole trapping — humane and effective. DIY methods often fail. See our Mole Exterminators CT page for details.
Raccoon Damage
Raccoons tear up lawns looking for grubs, overturn sod, and raid gardens — common near riverfront areas in Portland and Middletown..
- Raccoons will roll up a lawn when looking for bugs to eat. Sod is a favorite target of raccoons in this way. The raccoons will roll up somewhat fresh sod so that it will look like it just came off the truck. On regular seeded lawns they will rip open large patches of the lawn in this way.
- Raccoons make latrines, and will go to the bathroom in the same spot every time it is in the area. One of my Madison clients had this problem where the raccoons would relieve themselves on a stone bench in their garden nightly. Raccoon droppings can carry round worm eggs, so this is not only disgusting but also dangerous.
Signs:
- Rolled-up sod or torn turf
- Scattered trash or pet food
- Hand-like tracks
Prevention & Removal: Secure food sources, use live traps, and exclude dens. No relocation per DEEP. See our Raccoon Removal in Middletown CT page for more.
Lawn damage caused by Squirrels
Squirrels including chipmunks cause their own lawn damage. Both will dig up and eat flower bulbs, though the chipmunk does this more. Chipmunks also dig burrows. a Chipmunk Burrow will not have dirt around the outside and be the size of a golf ball. The hole nearly always go straight down 3-4 inches before turning.
- Gray Squirrels will bury food in the yard. This happens especially in the fall. The squirrels will dig fake holes trying to throw off other squirrels that may be watching.
- Squirrels and chipmunks will dig up seeds and bulbs you have planted.
Voles
Voles (field mice) are less common in our service calls but can create surface runways and chew grass roots, especially under snow in winter. We handle on a case-by-case basis.
Don’t let lawn-damaging animals ruin your Connecticut yard — call RF Wildlife at 860-510-6313 for expert identification, trapping, and exclusion. Serving Old Saybrook, Essex, Deep River, Clinton, Middletown, Cromwell, Portland, Madison, Guilford, and a 30-mile radius.
Explore our network:
- AnimalControlCT.com — full wildlife & animal control
- WildlifeControlCT.com — tips & blogs
- RaccoonRemovalConnecticut.com — raccoon specialists
- MoleExterminators.com — mole trapping pros
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