Groundhogs: Prevention and Treatment

Groundhogs, also known as woodchucks, are mammals and belong to the marmot family, closely related to squirrels. However, groundhogs are significantly larger than their cousins, can grow up to 2 feet in length, and weigh around 10 lbs. Though groundhogs are mainly herbivores, they also eat insects and small rodents from time to time. 

Groundhogs are identified by their round, brown bodies, large teeth and strong, long claws for digging burrows in your land. On an average, a groundhog can live up to 6 years in the wild. Groundhogs are most commonly found in the wooded areas of the United States, Canada and Alaska. 

Identifying Groundhog Damage

Groundhogs are usually very active in March through September as the rest of the time they spend hibernating. Once awake, groundhogs forage for food, create burrows and mate. Some of the signs that show groundhog activity and damage on a property include:

• Claw marks
• Teeth marks 
• Damaged plants
• Burrow holes
• Dirt mounds

Remember that these signs are also seen when other vermin, such as moles, infest your yard. Once you are sure that groundhogs are the actual cause of the damage, it’s time to treat the infestation and prevent them from future infestation. 

Getting rid of Groundhogs

There are five main ways to get rid of groundhogs:

1 – Natural Groundhog Repellents

Though there are no repellents especially designed to deal with groundhogs, expert pest controllers say that a few pesticides meant for other rodents also work to control groundhogs. 

Some natural repellents against groundhogs are:

• Spraying fox, dog, coyote urine – You can pour, spray or drizzle this around the groundhog’s burrow entrance to repel them. Groundhogs fear their natural predators and tend to stay away from the areas where they can smell their urine. 
• Ammonia – A rag soaked in ammonia when placed at the entrance of a groundhog’s burrow also acts effectively to repel them. You can even use other substances with strong smells, such as mothballs, talcum powder and garlic. 
• Red pepper – Similar to ammonia, the spicy smell of red pepper flakes or cayenne pepper sprayed near the groundhog’s burrow will keep the pest away. 

2 – Traps

Here’s how to trap and release a groundhog humanely:

1. Set your live trap close to (but not blocking) the groundhog’s burrow entrance.
2. You can use a slice of fruits as bait and make sure that the bait is fresh each day.
3. Once the groundhog is trapped, then you should release it outside the populated areas. Make sure to check your state’s laws related to releasing a trapped groundhog. 

This method of groundhog treatment is not as effective as others for large-scale groundhog infestation. This method usually works if there are only a handful of groundhogs on your lawn. 

3 – Evicting 

Pest control professionals recommend making the groundhog’s home inhabitable to evict them from the burrows. There are two main methods for effectively evicting a groundhog from its home:

1. Flooding – Groundhogs hate wet burrows, so flooding it with water works to get them out of their burrows and looking for drier land to dig new burrows. 
2. Fumigation – You can also hire professional pest controllers for fumigating groundhog burrows. You can get fumigation cartridges easily at the local home or farm supply store. 

For effective fumigation, you will need to seal the groundhog’s burrow so they cannot escape. Once you place the fumigation cartridges in the burrow’s entrance, you should immediately seal the entrance. If you see smoke rising out of another portion of the yard, this will indicate the presence of another burrow, so make sure to seal the other entrances too. 

4 – Scare tactics

Conventional scare tactics, such as scarecrows, don’t always work as effectively as expected. They might be effective for a short period but do not always prevent groundhog infestation from returning to your property. 

For better scare tactics, it is recommended to use vibrations or ultrasonic noise to scare away not just groundhogs but also other garden pests, such as moles and other burrow-making pests. You can even buy solar stakes that emit ultrasound pulses that cause the ground to vibrate. The constant vibration compels groundhogs and other pests to seek shelter elsewhere. 

Preventing Groundhog Infestation

Once you have successfully removed groundhogs from your property, you will need to prevent their return. To do this, you can use any of the below-listed techniques:

• Fencing – An in-ground fence is an excellent way to keep groundhogs from entering your garden or vegetable patch. Experts suggest a fence at least 3 feet high and buried around 12 inches underground is effective in preventing groundhogs from burrowing underneath it. You can even choose to install an electric wire around 4-5 inches off the ground just outside the fence. 
• Yard maintenance – Regularly trimming grass, shrubs and trees prevents groundhogs from finding cover to evade predators. If there is no sufficient cover for them to hide in an area, the groundhogs threatened and move out of the burrow for another place. 
• Plants as deterrents – Plants with strong fragrance, such as lavender, can also keep groundhogs away from your yard or garden. Besides this, you can also plant sage, basil, mint, lemon balm, oregano, thyme, rosemary or chives to prevent groundhogs from returning to your yard. 

In conclusion, it is important to remember that not all groundhog presence points to an infestation. There are times when groundhogs can actually benefit your garden by eating pesky rodents and insects that can otherwise damage your flowers and grass. The burrows abandoned by groundhogs also become home to other wildlife, such as rabbits. Groundhogs tend to spend most of their time underground in their burrows, so they are not necessarily a nuisance all the time.