Something is digging holes in my field

[chaps89]

When I took my field on in March there were a couple of old holes, no signs of fresh digging/them being disturbed.
In April/May I nabbed some free topsoil off FB and filled them all in.
All fine until this last week. The holes have been dug out again, the topsoil is quite sandy and as it's been dry it comes up easily.
Another 5 holes were started overnight so something is keen.
I haven't seen any rabbits, don't think any smaller rodents could dig that sufficiently - the ground is like concrete (please no-one use the 3 letter R word, I'm very phobic)
I also have a pile of brambles trimmings and toppings by my gateway which something has buried into and started tunnels in the last 2 days (which makes me wonder if it is R rodents)
Could be coincidence but our muck heap was cleared over the last month (they'd take a bit then come back a few days later for more- last lot was taken a week ago maybe) There was holes/tunnels in that so I suspect they've de-camped to the brambles in my field (even though it's a fair distance - at least 500m if not more away) but again I'm not sure those creatures dig in the actual ground?!
All field management/maintenance is up to us.
How can I block the holes as cheaply but effectively as possible? I have put a cone over the biggest one is I'm worried about a pony sticking a leg down it but I've no more cones - and the rate it's going I'd have a field full of cones.
And how do I go about finding and getting rid of whatever is causing them?

 

[DabDab]

Mice and Rs don't tend to dig in open ground, but there are lots of baby animals about at the moment who might think digging a bit of top soil out is fun - rabbits, squirrels, maybe a young fox.

Couldn't be you horse could it?

 

[Chinchilla]

Badger or foxes maybe?

 

[ILuvCowparsely]

Munjacks do did holes

 

[TheresaW]

I found a big hole in my field last week. Looks like something had dug in, through and out again. Farm sent the gamekeeper to have a look, and he suspects it was a badger looking for food. We have had a rabbit problem, but mixy and the gamekeeper seems to have got in under control. Do have a few rats, but they seem to stay around/under my shed.

 

[Pedantic]

Can you buy mixy to kill rabbits ? and is it harmful to horses, we have a dreadful rabbit problem this year

 

[Nicnac]

Wabbits dig holes - they can be pretty deep too.

 

[Amirah]

I wouldn't wish the cruel disease that is "mixy" on any living creature.

 

[Pedantic]

I wouldn't wish the cruel disease that is "mixy" on any living creature.

Getting fed up of checking for holes every morning and filling them in, for two weeks at least I was filling in 2 to 3 a day, putting bricks down the holes seems to have slowed them a bit, but then they start again

 

[Amirah]

I'm always filling them in too, but I don't mind the bunnies. Most of the holes are fairly shallow and I think the horses know where they are in their own fields (where every blade of grass has been examined at least 100 times!)

 

[Pedantic]

I'm always filling them in too, but I don't mind the bunnies. Most of the holes are fairly shallow and I think the horses know where they are in their own fields (where every blade of grass has been examined at least 100 times!)

Ours are really bad and very deep, one may have been be a fox hole, but it was right in the middle of the field, that one too date hasnt been opened up again "yet"

 

[ycbm]

I have started trying to trap the rabbits that are burrowing in my arena. No luck yet, does anyone know what the best bait is?

I plan to drive them to the moorlands where they can dig what holes they like, not kill them.
.

 

[Amirah]

Bunnies dig little holes and then do some poos on the top soil they've moved. Maybe it's a fox that's moved in due to the number of rabbits. Our 'watership down' area ebbs and flows over the years, rather like the mouse population, it's all supply and demand, nature seems to have a way of finding a balance.

 

[cindars]

Having seen badger sets in our fields think I'd guess it was badgers you can't touch them unfortunately.

 

[Nasicus]

Can you buy mixy to kill rabbits ? and is it harmful to horses, we have a dreadful rabbit problem this year

Myxomatosis is horrible, and you have absolutely no control of it once you introduce it to the population. I'm kind of shocked someone would actually suggest something like that, yikes.

 

[Chinchilla]

Can you buy mixy to kill rabbits ? and is it harmful to horses, we have a dreadful rabbit problem this year

????'? ? ??????? ???? ????. ??????????? ?? ????????

 

[TheresaW]

Horrible as it sounds, when I see a mixy rabbit, I let our husky get it, or if she isn’t with me, i try to get it with the car. Luna has killed a few, and others in fields beside mine let me know if they’ve seen any so I can take her up with me.

 

[shortstuff99]

Can you buy mixy to kill rabbits ? and is it harmful to horses, we have a dreadful rabbit problem this year

It is illegal to knowingly spread mixy in the UK so no I wouldn't recommend it.

 

[shortstuff99]

Have you got a picture of the holes? That would make it easier to ID the animal

 

[ROMANY 1959]

Well here is another thought, could it be treasure hunters with a metal detector. Mate of mine actually caught them in the act at Dawn one day

 

[Pearlsacarolsinger]

Bunnies dig little holes and then do some poos on the top soil they've moved. Maybe it's a fox that's moved in due to the number of rabbits. Our 'watership down' area ebbs and flows over the years, rather like the mouse population, it's all supply and demand, nature seems to have a way of finding a balance.

Rabbits dig tunnels, all over the place and there seems to be thousands of them this year. The best way to get rid of them/frighten them off is ferrets and terriers, ime. It's not so easy to get someone out this year though.

 

[Pedantic]

I don't know anything about Mixy ? I have heard it mentioned, where does it come from ? I had a feeling it was something farmers used to control the pest, I wouldn't want to cause any suffering to the rabbits, but if it's a choice between my horse breaking his leg, or rabbits culled, then it has to be the rabbit, quick death preferred.

 

[Tiddlypom]

Bunnies dig little holes and then do some poos on the top soil they've moved.

Little holes?!!

Our bleeding bunnies dig great deep holes overnight, deep enough that you can’t reach the end with your arm at full stretch.

They can be a serious problem if you have horses. We do get myxomatosis outbreaks every so often, which knock the numbers back a bit.

Our land is encircled by electric rabbit netting, which is a deterrent, but still some get through. Persistent little fekkers.

ETA Pedantic, Myxomatosis is a disease which causes rabbits to have a slow horrible death. You see them staggering about aimlessly with grossly swollen eyes.

 

[Pedantic]

Have you got a picture of the holes? That would make it easier to ID the animal

Pictures wont upload from my phone, tried it before.

 

[shortstuff99]

I don't know anything about Mixy ? I have heard it mentioned, where does it come from ? I had a feeling it was something farmers used to control the pest, I wouldn't want to cause any suffering to the rabbits, but if it's a choice between my horse breaking his leg, or rabbits culled, then it has to be the rabbit, quick death preferred.

It's a disease and it causes a long and lingering death, and as I said above is illegal to release in the UK now (it is still endemic in populations).

 

[shortstuff99]

Pictures wont upload from my phone, tried it before.

If you take a screen shot of the pic then it takes the size down and then you can upload them.

 

[chaps89]

I will take some photos tomorrow. The holes start off diddy enough that I wondered if it was one of the ponies but some have been pretty deep pretty quick so I sort of ruled that out.
We're in a very suburban area so I'm guessing rabbits might be the most likely bet. You usually see them if there's a lot of them though and I've seen nothing ?

Any ideas what I can fill the holes with?

 

[Tiddlypom]

Any ideas what I can fill the holes with?

We fill the deep holes with crushed hardcore topped off with the dug out loose earth and then some horse poop placed on top - deters the bunnies from returning.

If you just fill the holes up with sharp sand, the damn bunnies will dig it all up again overnight.

 

[sport horse]

If they are badger holes it is illegal to fill them in.

 

[Cortez]

I don't know anything about Mixy ? I have heard it mentioned, where does it come from ? I had a feeling it was something farmers used to control the pest, I wouldn't want to cause any suffering to the rabbits, but if it's a choice between my horse breaking his leg, or rabbits culled, then it has to be the rabbit, quick death preferred.

Myxomatosis causes a horrific, lingering death (preceded by blindness, suppurating and literally "melting" the eyes) and it is completely illegal, not to mention vile, cruel and totally inhumane to deliberately infect rabbits with it. It is uncontrollable once let loose in a population, and will also spread to hares. Despite what you may see in the fields, rabbits are actually becoming scarce in many areas. If you need to control rabbit numbers please get in some ferret men.