Groundhogs can be a serious annoyance if they invade your garden or home foundation, also known as woodchucks or whistle pigs. These rodents have the capability to dig burrows with tunnels and chambers that threaten foundations or garages.
Homeowners can ward off groundhogs by keeping their gardens free from weeds and trimming shrubs on a regular basis. Repellants that emit strong smells such as ammonia, mothballs or talcum powder may also help.
Groundhogs can be an irritating annoyance that causes serious damage to gardens, crops and foundations. They consume the roots of trees, flowers and shrubs they come in contact with - making an already difficult situation worse! Problems often surface in autumn just before entering their month-long hibernation period.
Humane traps and sprays are effective methods for ridding yourself of groundhogs, while sprays designed to repel rodents may also work well - use these regularly if desired for best results.
Employing lethal body-gripping traps as another option to manage groundhog populations. These should be placed near their burrow entrances; hardware or home improvement stores offer these products that should be strategically placed where signs indicate groundhog invasion.
Before setting a trap in your state, check whether or not it is legal. Some states have specific regulations regarding relocation of wild animals. It's also wise to ask around as some groundhogs may carry diseases like rabies.
Groundhogs (also known as woodchucks) can be cute creatures until they begin digging holes in your garden and devouring your crops. There are humane solutions available that can deter these pests from creating havoc, such as using an electric fence as one method.
Implement a rodent deterrence strategy on your property by installing an insulated wire in plastic pipe along the perimeter. Connected to an energizer that plugs into the ground, this wire emits low voltage that deters animals while not harming or killing them.
Scaring away groundhogs with loud noises or motion detector sprinklers might work; however, these devices don't guarantee success as groundhogs are usually smart enough to move elsewhere on your property rather than succumb to these scare tactics.
Groundhogs can be an invasive presence in gardens. Their digging causes considerable soil disturbance and plant destruction; furthermore they have the capacity to damage decks and foundations as well. If this problem arises it's essential that action are taken swiftly if spotted.
Rather than setting humane traps or calling in professional exterminators, poison bait may also help get rid of groundhogs. Poison bait typically includes strychnine for maximum effectiveness when placed near groundhog tunnel entrances - activation occurs as they enter or leave. Or it can even be applied as spray around gardens to get rid of groundhogs.
Some people use this approach because it is quick and simple, yet still humane as non-target animals may get their claws on it and dispose of its carcass properly after. Due to these issues, more humane methods of killing groundhogs may be preferable.
Groundhogs feed on leaves, flowers, berries, fruits, twigs, bark and roots and can damage vegetable gardens as well as burrow beneath foundations of homes, sheds and other structures to burrow beneath them and cause further destruction.
There are various approaches for humanely trapping a groundhog to rid yourself of it, but high-quality traps should always be used as store bought box traps may not withstand abuse from a groundhog and may break when caught.
Other strategies for getting rid of groundhogs revolve around repelling them or convincing them to leave their network of underground tunnels. Mothballs are generally ineffective because the animal can cover them easily with dirt. Garlic, basil, cayenne pepper, chives and lavender all work as effective odor-based deterrents that you can sprinkle around your garden or near groundhog burrows to keep these animals away.
Apply predator urine to your garden, landscaping and lawn is another effective technique. Most home improvement stores sell bobcat, fox, coyote and wolf urine - or you could apply that of your own pets instead!