We have noticed several (10-12) what look like ant hills in our mulch bed right under our living room window. I have not seen any insects in or around these "hills", so I do not believe they are regular ants. They look just like ant hills except that the opening is a depression into the mulch about the size of a nickel, and there is no hole to speak of. But it has the pile of fine dirt all around the hill, just like an ant hill. The whole thing is about 3-4 inches in diameter. Anyone have any ideas what may be causing this?
2006-10-05 07:50:25 · 6 answers · asked by carrie love 2 in Home & Garden ➔ Garden & Landscape
I live in Mid-west Ohio. The mulch bed runs between the walkway and our house. It only started about 2 months ago and the mulch is older. We just bought this house in April of this year.
2006-10-05 08:50:45 · update #1
The hills are not against the house, but scattered throughout the mulch bed. There are small bushes in the bed also, and the "hills" are scattered around the bushes.
2006-10-05 08:52:53 · update #2
=years ago I had several cracks in my foundation and noticed the same thing you did. Turned out to be a family of field mice that wintered over in my basement in a bin where I kept rags. The foundation was patched and haven't had a problem since.
2006-10-05 08:12:25 · answer #1 · answered by sunshinysusan 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Since there is no hole to speak of it sound very much like birds digging (pecking) in the mulch for insect larvae or adults. Birds are notorious for doing this in lawns when there are grub in the lawn. If you check down in the mulch you may find grubs or other larvae.
2006-10-05 12:27:33 · answer #2 · answered by college kid 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I think they might be very tiny ants and they are expecting ...OK don't laugh, I am serious, rain.
Here in Barbados the ants build a very fine textured sand / soil hill around the top of their nest when it is going to rain - to keep the rain from washing in to their nest.
Stir the sol and see what is underneath.
2006-10-05 08:31:16 · answer #3 · answered by Barbados Chick 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
if you carefully scoop up the depression down to about 1 1/2 inches and seperate the soil you will find a nasty looking bug,, harmless to you!! these are called " ant lions!" and make this depressions with ridges to capture their dinner,,, ants!!! they have to churn up that mulch to resemble sand mounds for their snares to work
2006-10-05 15:56:23 · answer #4 · answered by fuzzykjun 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Where do you live? When I lived in south Florida, there were spiders that did that. Smaller bugs would fall into its "trap" and the spider would pop out and eat it. I could sit for hours entertaining myself by dropping grains of sand onto its "trap" and watch it spring out to gobble it up. (Well, you know what they say, it doesn't take much to amuse idiots). :D
2006-10-05 08:09:45 · answer #5 · answered by Zelda 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Maby some type of animal,like chipmunk?
2006-10-05 07:59:42 · answer #6 · answered by Love Child 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋