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Animals that dig holes in the yard at night include skunks and raccoons. Both animals are nocturnal, meaning they are most active at night and use that time to hunt or forage. Skunks will dig small holes to find insects, while raccoons use their strong front legs to pull up chunks of sod and search for food underneath.

Groundhogs have a strong aversion to powerful scents, including garlic, ammonia, vinegar, hot peppers like cayenne, and predator urine. Various herbs such as rosemary, lavender, basil, mint, sage, thyme, and oregano can also act as deterrents. You can strategically use these odors around your property by planting these crops near your garden and by the entrances to groundhog burrows. Commercially available repellents offer another option, and for best results, scent-based deterrents should be used alongside other preventive measures.

The time of day that most snakes are active is at night. This is when they prefer to hunt since they can do so under the cover of darkness, out of sight of predators and the prey they stalk. However, some snake species prefer very hot temperatures and are strictly active during the day.

Generally, squirrels are not considered aggressive toward humans. They are more likely to flee than confront people. However, like many animals, they may exhibit aggressive behavior if they feel threatened or cornered. If you approach a squirrel too closely or try to handle it, especially if it's a mother protecting her young, it may resort to defensive tactics such as biting or scratching.