# Snow melted and lawn looks like it's been whipped!?



## pbc (Mar 10, 2020)

First post. Have been taking care of my lawn for years. Cut the lawn relatively short before winter started. Snow is finally melting and I see what appears to be a massive issue across my whole front lawn. Any idea what this is and how I can get it back in shape come spring? Never seen anything like it. Was assuming grubs but a weird pattern and literally right across my whole front lawn.

Live north of Toronto Canada, I think it is Kentucky Blue grass but not sure.

Thank you!


----------



## mowww (Jan 16, 2018)

Looks like voles or mice. Rake it, light fert, water and good as new.


----------



## pbc (Mar 10, 2020)

Thanks..looked up Voles and grass and the images look identical.

Wow, didn't think a rake and fertilizer would solve that! Will do so in the spring.

Anything you recommend to try and prevent that next year? Do they typically only come out in the winter?


----------



## g-man (Jun 15, 2017)

Above ground tunnels are voles. They keep walking over the same spot and push down the grass. It recovers just fine.

They likely had a nest in your flower beds. They can be back next year at a different spot or the same. They are just looking for shelter from prays.


----------



## pbc (Mar 10, 2020)

Interesting. Didn't even know there was such thing as a Vole.

Definitely have seen mice in my backyard, though, maybe they were Voles since they seem to look identical to me.


----------



## pbc (Mar 10, 2020)

Btw.. Had no idea this forum existed. Looking forward to asking what will likely be a lot of stupid questions in the future about my lawn and maybe trees, shrubs etc which are a constant challenge for me!


----------



## mowww (Jan 16, 2018)

pbc said:


> Btw.. Had no idea this forum existed. Looking forward to asking what will likely be a lot of stupid questions in the future about my lawn and maybe trees, shrubs etc which are a constant challenge for me!


Haha we're all in it together. Some people have had success with various rodent repellents prior to first snowfall- I can't speak for them myself.


----------



## pbc (Mar 10, 2020)

Wow.. Snow has melted entirely and I don't recall my lawn ever being in this bad a condition!


----------



## g-man (Jun 15, 2017)

You have the voles runs plus snow mold.


----------



## pbc (Mar 10, 2020)

Raked it up a couple weeks ago. But the temps have been 5 to 10 deg C during the days and lower at night, some nights below zero.

Assume I should wait a bit before over seeding and fertilizing until temps are consistently above 10 deg C? Or is it okay to start now?


----------



## pbc (Mar 10, 2020)

So raked it and fertilized it (some overseed) which didn't yield much gain. A couple weeks ago raked it again and applied some of that ez seed stuff hoping to quickstart it.

Still no luck. Should I take a metal rake at this point and take it down to the earth and use top soil and over seed? Or try the ez stuff again?


----------



## pbc (Mar 10, 2020)




----------



## pbc (Mar 10, 2020)




----------

