If You See This On Your Lawn in New York, Do Not Touch It

Spring is finally in full swing around New York State which means all kinds of critters are coming out to thrive.

This season has already brought its fair share of new or increased sightings of certain species. Back in late April, the Hudson Valley was a-buzz with many reporting on mysterious, itchy bug bites. The culprits? Ghost bugs, or as some call them, no-see-ems.

The Hudson Valley has also seen a pretty big presence of those fuzzy caterpillars, who have also been leaving itchy, irritating patches on people's skin.

Read more here to figure out the difference between the ghost bug bites and caterpillar marks: Caterpillar or Gnat Bites? How to Tell Them Apart

What's That Ball of Hair?

The latest talk of the town is the sighting of fuzzy hairballs popping up on people's lawns.

If you see this on your lawn don't touch it.

They're not your average human hair dust bunnies and they're not tumbleweeds, so what are they?

Signs Your Yard is Now Home to a Baby Animal

These tufted fur balls are signs that you have a rabbit nest on your lawn!

You'll notice right next to the fur is a small hole. When rabbits have babies, they make these holes in the ground as nests for their bunnies.

The fur is usually from the undercoat of the adult rabbit. Cottontail bunny rabbits are born without fur, so they use this fur to line and insulate the bunny's nests underground for maximum baby bunny comfort.

Things You Should NOT Do If You See a Baby Bunny Hole in Your Yard

As the DEC says, if you care, leave them there!

If you see signs of a bunny nest on your lawn, don't intervene. According to Greenwood Wildlife, bunnies and rabbits are stress-prone and can even die from excessive amounts of stress. If you see a pile of fur on your lawn, a rabbit may be in the process of making their nests and may expect it to be where they left it.

The fur outside of the rabbit hole can also indicate to the mother rabbit that a baby bunny may have crawled out of the hole. Either way, the fur is important, so don't move it and especially do not place the fur back in the hole.

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One of the biggest points here is to avoid mowing directly over the rabbit hole. Greenwood Wildlife recommends mowing a 10-foot radius around the rabbit hole to prevent undo stress or harm to the bunnies.

Read more about proper mowing etiquette when you've got bunny holes on your lawn here: How to Avoid Mowing Over Hidden Bunny Nests