So tonight I walked out the front door to go throw apples out to the edge of the woods for the deer. We have a little sidewalk across from the front door that I have a long mulched flower bed against it. I did not see this nest yesterday, so it is new. I see not a thing flying around it. It is raised about 1 and half inches from the ground width of it is about 3-4 inches. The hole is centered and about an inch wide or slightly less perhaps? In all the years at the farm, I have never seen a nest like this and I have seen many yellow jacket nest in the ground in the pastures...but this?????? It almost resembles puppy chow with a hole in the center...and no, my dog was not in that area.,..or any other dog. HELP!
Would a hummingbird do that?
Meanwhile I am going to be watching it with binoculars in the morning to see what the heck made it.
That would be tragic. Missy loves her Cicadamole with chips. 
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I think this is a yellow jacket ground nest. Here's a picture of one and it seems similiar. We get them all the time ALTHOUGH generally, they build them as the weather cools...they are quite nasty if disturbed so be careful.
Oh sorry---didn't see the notation that you had determined it was a crayfish hole. What are crayfish doing in a yard in Ohio??
