Cicada Holes in Yard: Clean Dime-Size Holes Under Trees

Clean, round holes about a half-inch wide (dime-size) with no soil mound, clustered in the ground under and around trees, are almost always cicada emergence holes. They're completely harmless and fill in on their own. The cast skins on nearby tree trunks and the loud daytime buzzing are the giveaways.

Most likely causes

  • Cicada emergence holes — clean dime-size openings under trees, no mound
  • Cicada killer wasps — a larger hole with a U-shaped soil mound and a big patrolling wasp
  • Ground bees — tiny 1/4-inch holes with soil mounds and bees flying in and out
  • A burrowing animal — larger or angled holes, not a tidy cluster under trees

Not quite what you're seeing? Answer four quick questions and the clue finder will point you to a closer match.

Compare the possible causes

Possible cause Key signs When it happens How likely
Cicada emergence holes Clean, round holes roughly a half-inch across (dime-size) with no soil mound, clustered in the ground under and around trees Summer — annual 'dog-day' cicadas every year, plus periodical broods in specific years and regions Very common
Cicada killer wasps A wider burrow with a U-shaped mound of loose soil fanned out at the entrance and a large wasp patrolling nearby Mid to late summer, in bare, sunny, sandy spots Less common
Ground bees Small holes about a quarter-inch wide, each with a little cone of soil, and bees flying in and out Mostly spring, in thin or sandy turf Common

Visual clues to check

  • Measure the hole: cicada emergence holes are about a half-inch (dime-size); ground bee holes are smaller at a quarter-inch
  • Check for a mound: cicada holes have no soil around them, while bee and cicada killer holes push out visible soil
  • Look at the location: a cluster of holes directly under and around trees points to cicadas
  • Scan tree trunks, fences, and stems for tan, split cast skins (exuviae) clinging on — a clear cicada sign
  • Listen at midday: a loud, buzzing cicada chorus overhead confirms they're emerging nearby
  • Look for short mud 'chimney' turrets over some holes in wet soil, another cicada clue

The causes in detail

Cicada emergence holes

Cicada nymphs spend years underground feeding on tree roots, then tunnel straight up and pop out to become adults, leaving these neat little holes behind. Because they simply climb out, there's no excavated mound — just a clean opening. In wet soil, nymphs sometimes build short mud 'chimney' turrets over the hole. The holes are cosmetic and cause no lawn damage.

Cicada killer wasps

Despite the name, cicada killers are solitary wasps that hunt cicadas rather than being cicadas. They dig a noticeably bigger hole and push out a telltale U-shaped pile of soil, and you'll usually see one large wasp guarding the area. Unlike the tidy, mound-free cicada emergence holes, their burrows always come with that excavated soil.

Ground bees

Ground-nesting bees leave smaller openings than cicadas and, importantly, leave a small soil mound where cicada holes leave none. They're docile solitary pollinators that pose little sting risk. If you see bees actively coming and going and a ring of soil, it's bees rather than an empty cicada hole.

When to worry

  • You have very young or newly planted trees during a periodical brood emergence, since twig egg-laying can damage tender growth
  • The holes are much larger than dime-size or come with a U-shaped soil mound and a patrolling wasp
  • Holes are angled or paired with tunnels and disturbed turf, suggesting a burrowing animal rather than cicadas

What to do now

  1. Nothing is required — the holes fill in on their own over the season
  2. If you want them gone faster, rake the area lightly and water it in
  3. Confirm the cause by checking tree trunks and fences for cast skins and listening for the daytime buzzing
  4. During a periodical brood, protect very young or newly planted trees from egg-laying twig damage with lightweight netting

What not to do

  • Don't apply insecticide to the lawn for cicada holes — it's unnecessary and the holes are harmless
  • Don't mistake these tidy, mound-free holes for a burrowing animal and go digging or trapping
  • Don't bother filling every hole; they close up naturally as the turf recovers

Frequently asked questions

Are cicada holes bad for my lawn?

No. Cicada emergence holes are purely cosmetic — the nymphs simply climb out and leave a clean opening behind. They don't damage the grass or roots, and the holes fill in on their own within the season.

How do I know it's cicadas and not a wasp or bee?

Look at the mound and the size. Cicada holes are dime-size and have no soil around them, while cicada killer wasps leave a bigger hole with a U-shaped soil pile and ground bees leave a quarter-inch hole with a small mound. Cast skins on nearby trees and loud daytime buzzing seal the case for cicadas.

Why are the holes only under my trees?

Cicada nymphs feed on tree roots for years before emerging, so they tunnel straight up right where they've been living. That's why the holes cluster in the soil under and around trees rather than scattering randomly across open lawn.

Do I need to fill the holes in?

There's no need. They close up naturally as the grass grows over them. If you'd rather speed things along, a light raking and watering will smooth the surface out.

Related yard clues

Yard Holes Quarter-Size Holes in Yard: Wasps, Cicadas, or Voles? Holes about the size of a quarter — roughly an inch across — most often belong to cicada killer wasps, emerging cicadas, ground-nesting bees, or voles. The soil is the fastest clue: a big horseshoe of excavated dirt means a cicada killer, a clean hole with no soil means a cicada came out of it, and a small crumbly rim means bees. Watch briefly from a distance before getting close, in case wasps own it. Read the guide → Yard Holes One-Inch Holes in Lawn: Identify the Digger by Size Holes about an inch wide in a lawn are most often the work of voles, young chipmunks, ground-nesting bees, or — in wet, low-lying yards — crayfish. An inch is a telling size: it's too big for most insects and too small for rats or full chipmunk burrows, so checking depth, soil, and location will usually name the digger. Read the guide → Yard Holes Small Holes in Yard With No Mound: What's Digging? Small holes in your yard with no dirt mound are usually caused by squirrels, chipmunks, foraging birds, earthworms, or ground-nesting insects. The size of the hole, how deep it goes, the time of year, and whether the damage appeared overnight can narrow down the cause quickly. Read the guide → Yard Holes Many Small Holes in the Lawn? Here's What's Behind Them When the lawn is peppered with dozens of small holes rather than one or two big ones, the cause is almost always foraging birds, earthworms surfacing after rain, or ground-nesting bees in spring. And before you blame wildlife at all, rule out the most overlooked explanation: leftover plugs from a recent core aeration. Read the guide →

Still not sure? Compare with these clues

Bugs & Eggs Cicada Killer Wasps: Do They Sting, and Should You Worry? A very large wasp — 1.5 to 2 inches long, black with yellow bands — cruising low over your lawn in July or August is almost certainly a cicada killer, a solitary wasp that digs burrows in bare or sandy soil and hunts cicadas. Despite their alarming size, cicada killers are among the least dangerous stinging insects in your yard: males can't sting at all, and females sting only if grabbed or stepped on barefoot. Read the guide → Bugs & Eggs Ground Bees Nest: Bees or Wasps Nesting in the Lawn? Holes with insects nesting in your lawn or bare soil are usually solitary mining bees, bumblebees, cicada killers, or — the one to take seriously — yellowjackets. Whether you see one busy hole or a patch of many, the season, and how aggressive the traffic is will tell you which you have. The safe first step is always to identify from a distance before deciding what to do. Read the guide → Yard Holes Holes in Your Lawn Overnight? What Digs While You Sleep Holes that appear in the lawn overnight are almost always the work of nocturnal foragers — skunks, raccoons, and in the South, armadillos — hunting for grubs and worms under your turf. The shape of the damage tells you who visited, and in many cases the real fix is dealing with the grubs that attracted them. Read the guide →