Groundhog Control Methods
Groundhogs, also called woodchucks, can be a big problem, in both the home
garden and commercial farms. The Groundhog's diet consists of vegetation.
They love many of the vegetables that you grow in your vegetable garden.
They have big appetites.
We offer below, a number of ways to control groundhog or eliminate them from
your vegetable garden.
Most Famous Ground Hog: Why that's none other than Punxsutawney Phil.
Phil comes out of his burrow on Ground Hog's Day, February 2, and predicts
how much longer winter will last. More on
Punxsutawney
Phil and Groundhog's Day.
Ground Hog Lifestyle and Habitat:
Understanding a woodchucks lifestyle, habit and diet, is very helpful in
controlling them.
Groundhogs live in burrows that are usually dozens of feet long and multiple
chambers(mounds). They have a summer home( burrow) and a winter one. There
are at least two openings. The main entrance is one, and an escape hole,
or spy-hole. Sometimes there is a third. The summer home of a groundhog will
sometimes be under a shed. (this author has experienced one under the shed,
firsthand)
In their winter burrow, Groundhogs live from fall to spring. They hibernate
all winter, eat underground with stored food, and mate in this burrow. After
spring arrives, female groundhogs emerge with their offspring. Groundhogs
are loners. By late spring, adult male, adult female, and offspring will
all be all be out on their own.
Groundhogs are herbivores. They like almost all vegetables in your vegetable
garden and many herbs, too. They will eat all parts of plants. In addition
to vegetables, they also like fruits, including apples and pears, Watermelons
are a favorite meal. They will also eats nuts.
If that's not enough, groundhogs will also eat some flowers. These include:
-
Asters
-
Daises
-
Delphinium
-
Lilies
-
Marigolds
-
Pansies
-
Phlox
-
Sunflowers
-
Snapdragons
-
Sweetpeas
Groundhogs are shy. They are very motion sensitive and have good hearing.
If they hear or see you, even from quite a distance, they will run to the
safety of their burrow.
Groundhog Control Methods:
Here are some Groundhog or Woodchuck control methods that will help you to
get rid of them:
1. Trapping: Hav-a-hart traps are an effective means of ridding your
area of woodchucks. They can be shy. So, it may take a while to enter the
trap. Once they are trapped many towns will take them away for you.
Best bait: Use a slice of bread with peanut butter, fresh watermelon
and apple slices.
Important: Before you trap any animals, make sure to check your local
laws. Strange as it seems, some localities allow you to trap animals and
pests, but do not allow you to transfer or release an animal into another
area. In this case, Contact your local animal control department. for Groundhog
removal.
2. Smelly Repellents and Pepper Sprays These have offensive
odors which groundhogs do not like. On the downside, if you spray vegetables
with these, you may render them undesirable to you, too. Apply every one
to two weeks, and after a rain.
Find a quick and easy Pepper
spray recipe
3. Epsom Salts - Groundhogs do not like the taste. Apply to the plants.
In addition, there is some fertilizer value to epsom salts. Apply every one
to two weeks, and after a rain.
4. Fences and screens: These have some effectiveness. The fencing
must be metal. Groundhogs will effortlessly chew through plastic netting.
Groundhogs can dig under the fence. Be vigilant for signs of digging. They
have been known to climb over low fences, too.
5. Hunting: If you can hunt in your area, this will obviously
eliminate them..... if you are a good shot. Check your local laws, for rules
and regulations.
6. Fumigation: Shy groundhogs can readily be chased to the safety
of their burrows. Once the are in their burrow, cover one hole well. Then,
toss in a can of fumigant into the second hole and cover the second hole
well.
7. Motion Devices: Motion devices, like pinwheels and windchimes,
really bother ground hogs. It may cause them to move on to another
area.
Buy Guarden Raised Garden Bed Frames Perfect for people
who aren't into building their own raised beds. These raised beds are attractive,
long lasting and affordable. Guarden raised bed frames are the strongest
in the industry. A greenhouse system can be added to them, too.
Buy Flower, Vegetable and Herb Seeds Finest quality
Ferry Morse Seed, America's oldest seed company with their famous "guarantee
to grow".
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