Follow these tips to get rid of the groundhogs plaguing your yard:
- Bait the groundhog into a trap, catch it, and then release it in a wooded area five miles away from your home.
- Create vibrations in the ground to scare them away.
- Smoke them out of their tunnel.
- Pour ammonia down their tunnel.
- Deter with garlic and pepper.
- Get a dog or cat (or sprinkle their urine and fur around the yard).
How to keep groundhogs out of the yard and garden?
- Cayenne pepper – Our Farmers’ Almanac readers swear by this method: Simply pour cayenne pepper close to the groundhog’s holes. ...
- Garlic – Crush some garlic cloves and spread the paste around areas of the garden you want groundhogs to avoid. Their sensitive noses can’t handle the pungent smell.
- Lavender – Try planting some lavender around the garden. ...
How to kill a groundhog?
Ways to Kill a Groundhog
- Poisoning. The use of poison is an inhumane way to kill an animal as the poisoned animal is likely to experience a slow and painful death.
- Shooting. If you live in a rural environment, you may consider killing groundhogs by shooting them, but it proves to be a risky activity in urban settings, and it is ...
- Lethal trapping. Lethal trapping is another sure way of killing a groundhog. ...
How much does it cost to remove a groundhog?
The price of groundhog removal services includes an initial inspection as well as a treatment plan and prevention plan. An hourly rate that you can expect to pay for pest removal services is between $30 and $40. Since most yards are only impacted by a single groundhog, the cost will be around $150 to $200.
How to trap a groundhog easy?
Part 2 Part 2 of 3: Trapping the Groundhog Download Article
- Wash the trap. Clean it well with mild or unscented dish soap to remove any human scent on it. ...
- Anchor the trap. Weight your trap down so that it does not shake when the animal enters. ...
- Conceal the trap. Groundhogs won't be likely to walk into a shiny new trap. ...
- Bait the trap. ...
- Set the trap to stay open at first. ...
- Check the trap regularly. ...
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Will vinegar get rid of groundhogs?
Mix ammonia with washing detergent, vinegar, hot pepper and soap and pour the mixture down each hole. This may have to be repeated for a few days until the groundhogs go away.
What smells will keep groundhogs away?
Their sensitive noses can't handle the pungent smell. Lavender – Try planting some lavender around the garden. While it smells lovely to us, groundhogs find it offensive and avoid the areas where it is. They also dislike the smell of these herbs: basil, chives, lemon balm, mint, sage, thyme, rosemary, and oregano.
How do you get a groundhog to leave?
Use ammonia: A rag soaked with ammonia placed near the entrance of a groundhog's hole acts as a giant “Keep Away” sign. Other strong scents groundhogs don't like include talcum powder, mothballs, Epsom salt, and garlic.
How do you get rid of groundhogs naturally?
Natural Ways to Get Rid of GroundhogsEpsom Salt. Groundhogs tend to hate the taste of Epsom salt. ... Kitty Litter. Some gardeners have success using kitty litter as a groundhog repellent. ... Commercial Repellents. ... Sprinklers. ... Row Covers and Fencing. ... Live Traps and Relocation.
How do you get rid of groundhogs fast?
How to Get Rid of GroundhogsSprinkle blood meal, ground black pepper, dried blood, or talcum powder around the perimeter of your garden. ... Puree and strain hot peppers and garlic, mix them with water and enough liquid soap to make it stick, and spray it liberally around the garden.More items...
Does Epsom salt get rid of groundhogs?
Epsom salts are one of the best natural ways to discourage groundhogs from your yard. However, it is not the only solution that will protect your greenery without harming the rodent. John recommends growing unpalatable plants, such as wormwood, hot peppers, or catmint – a purple flowering plant with a minty scent.
Does Irish Spring soap repel groundhogs?
Does Irish Spring Soap Keep Groundhogs Away? Irish Spring soap is a great groundhog repellent. It is recommended that you keep the soap in the packaging but drill holes in it so the rain and other elements don't wash away the soap so easily.
Will mothballs keep groundhogs away?
For whatever reason, groundhogs don't care about mothballs. When poured down a burrow, they just dig them out and they get buried in the dirt. In a garden, the animals continue to eat crops right next to mothballs. They just don't care.
How do you get rid of a groundhog under my shed?
Discourage groundhogs from returningPour ammonia around your shed and in any holes they've dug. ... Place lawn windmills, windchimes, or a vibrating sonic device near your shed. ... Adopt a dog or cat and encourage them to spend time sniffing around the shed.Spread human scent around your yard with hair clippings.More items...
How do you get rid of groundhogs in your yard?
Place lawn windmills, spinning pinwheels, or a vibrating sonic device near the entrance of their burrow or on top of their burrow to scare the groundhogs away. Windchimes are also great disturbances. If you place vibrating devices around the perimeters of your yard, it will deter the groundhog from coming near.
How many groundhogs live in a burrow?
They live alone separately in each of their burrows. Whenever a young groundhog has grown mature, it digs a burrow for itself. Only during mating do two adult groundhogs live together in a burrow.
How do you plug in a groundhog hole?
Immediately seal the burrow by placing the piece of precut sod, grass side down over the opening, and tramping it down slightly to make a tight seal. Wait three to four minutes and watch nearby holes. Seal them if smoke is escaping. Repeat steps 1 through 4 until all groundhog burrows are closed.
Do groundhogs hate vinegar?
It is used widely in food preparation. However, as much as we humans like this natural product, the groundhogs dislike its smell. You can sprinkle vinegar near the burrow entrance of groundhogs. Moreover, you can also sprinkle this natural deterrent inside the abandoned burrows.
Does Irish Spring soap repel groundhogs?
Does Irish Spring Soap Keep Groundhogs Away? Irish Spring soap is a great groundhog repellent. It is recommended that you keep the soap in the packaging but drill holes in it so the rain and other elements don't wash away the soap so easily.
Will mothballs keep groundhogs away?
For whatever reason, groundhogs don't care about mothballs. When poured down a burrow, they just dig them out and they get buried in the dirt. In a garden, the animals continue to eat crops right next to mothballs. They just don't care.
Will human urine keep groundhogs away?
Groundhog can't tolerate the smell of human urine and this is why it is one of the best repellents to eliminate these rodents from the garden. Collect human urine in a bottle and sprinkle it in every few days in the entrance of their burrow, they will definitely leave the place.
How to get rid of groundhogs in my garden?
Set the trap up near one of the groundhog’s burrow openings or an area they frequently search for food like the garden. Bait the trap with something groundhogs love. The best option is cantaloupe, flavorful treat groundhogs have trouble resisting with an odor they can pick up from quite a distance.
What to do if you have a groundhog?
Sometimes the best or only solution for a groundhog is trapping it. You may need to trap the groundhog if it’s burrowing close to your home or under your deck where it can cause serious damage or pose a risk to you and your family.
What do woodchucks use their claws for?
These rodents use their sharp claws to dig complicated and multi-chambered burrows that are used for nesting, building food reserves, and hibernating. Each den or chamber in a woodchuck burrow has its own purpose — including the bathroom. Don’t underestimate just how extensive a single groundhog can make its burrow.
What plants repel woodchucks?
This won’t keep groundhogs away from delicious, ripe fruit and tasty vegetables but you can probably protect flower beds or at least discourage groundhogs by adding plants they really don’t like to your landscape. Crown imperial fritillary (F. imperialis) and gopher plant (Euphorbia lathyrus) are reported to repel groundhogs. Pennsylvania State University offers a long list of groundhog resistant plants that they are unlikely to eat including hummingbird plants, cut flower garden plants, herbs, vegetables, and more.
How to release a groundhog?
Once the groundhog is trapped, remember that it’s very frightening and may try to bite or lash out. Handle the trap carefully when relocating the groundhog by covering the trap with a cloth and wearing heavy-duty gloves. When you’re ready to release the groundhog, place the trap on level ground with the door facing away from you. Stand behind the cage and manipulate the door mechanism, allowing the groundhog to run straight out and away from you.
How to protect your garden from woodchucks?
You’ll need to consider that woodchucks can enter your garden in three ways: they can burrow into the garden, walk right in, or climb over fencing . There are a couple of options for protecting your garden with a groundhog-proof fence.
When is the best time to evict a groundhog?
Because groundhogs hibernate deep underground for the winter, the best time to exclude or evict groundhogs from your yard is the middle to end of summer. If you wait too long, you won’t have another chance until next year.
How to get rid of groundhogs?
Making a groundhog’s home uninhabitable can drive them out. One standard solution is flooding the tunnels, which causes woodchucks to look for drier land. Another strategy is fumigating burrows with carbon monoxide cartridges, which are available at home supply stores. Fumigation requires sealing the burrow and all nearby holes.
What to plant to keep groundhogs away?
Once the groundhogs have left, planting natural deterrents can ensure that they are gone for good. Lavender and other plants with strong odors can keep groundhogs away. Groundhogs dislike the smell of herbs such as mint, sage, basil, rosemary, thyme, chives, and oregano.
How high should a fence be to keep groundhogs out?
In-ground fencing is one of the most effective options for keeping groundhogs out of gardens. Perimeter fences should be at least 3 feet high and buried 12 inches underground. An electric wire placed 4 to 5 inches off the ground around the fence provides additional security.
What do groundhogs do?
If they wander into a yard, they can also cause a significant amount of damage to a home garden. They can even undermine the structural integrity of sheds, driveways, and foundations.
How to trap woodchucks?
To humanely trap a woodchuck, set up a trap close to ( but not blocking) the burrow entrance. Use a piece of fruit as groundhog bait and replace it daily. Once the groundhog is trapped, release it away from the yard and populated areas.
How to prevent groundhogs from nesting?
Keeping a tidy lawn free of wood or leaf piles and garbage with trimmed shrubs and trees can prevent these rodents from nesting in the first place. Photo: depositphotos.com.
What do woodchucks eat?
A woodchuck’s diet consists of flowers, vegetables, twigs and bark, bugs, and even plant seedlings —so much of a home garden is fair game for these critters. Deep tunnels and eaten crops are two telltale signs of a groundhog problem. Here’s how to get rid of groundhogs and keep them away from your property for good.
How to get rid of groundhogs in yard?
Trapping is the best way to eliminate these rodents from the yard. There are 2 types of trapping lethal trapping and live trapping. Live trapping is more useful as compared to lethal trapping. You can purchase traps at any hardware store, garden and lawn store or pet store. To set a trap, first wash your hands and wear gloves. Wash the trap also. Then place the trap on a flat surface where groundhogs can come. If you are not catching anything then put it at another place.
What to use to keep groundhogs away?
Pepper to Keep Groundhogs Away. Pepper plays a very important role to keep the groundhogs or woodchucks away. You can use any type of pepper to prevent from groundhogs. Pepper can be chili pepper or red pepper and cayenne pepper . You need to sprinkle some pepper into the burrow holes and use dirt to hide them.
How to Catch Groundhogs Humanely?
Before to commit catching groundhogs in a live trap and release them somewhere, first you need to do the research. As laws vary from state to state, so make sure that you have check your state’s wildlife agency about the relocating trapped wildlife.
How to keep groundhogs away from my garden?
You can also place objects that move around your flower beds and vegetables. Items such as pinwheels can scare groundhogs and keep them away from your yard. You can also put pretty whirligigs around your garden which can add a decorative touch also keep the groundhogs away.
How to catch a groundhog?
To catch the groundhogs, best is to camouflage the trap to get rid of groundhogs. Just place stick, dirt, and leaves inside and around it. After that, set the trigger. This method also depends on the trap you have purchased. You just have to follow the instruction carefully which would be written on the package.
How to get rid of rodents in a house?
Fencing is the most effective way to control these rodents. Make sure that you build a fence, at least, a feet deep to prevent them from burrowing under the fence. You can also use chicken wire or chicken mesh to get rid of them but it is little expensive. 6.) Make Some Traps.
When do groundhogs go into hibernation?
Groundhogs tend to go in hibernation in late September or late October. As their hibernation chamber walled off, which make them impossible to fumigate after this time. So before starting this process you need to all the burrow entrance. Place a piece of pre-cut sod beside each one.
How to get rid of groundhogs in my garden?
Along with the common domestic chemicals, there are plenty of natural substances found around the home said to drive groundhogs away, and one is vegetable oil, as people believe groundhogs hate to have the slick oil on their coats. A solution of cayenne pepper made by boiling the peppers in water, and then spraying the water around the edges of the garden is said to help get rid of these creatures too. Other vegetables are also said to repel groundhogs, so it may be worth considering planting a bed of cucumbers or garlic around the fringes of your garden, as the groundhogs are said to find these unpleasant.
How to keep groundhogs away from my house?
You will also find plenty of people who say that having a bowl full of ammonia in certain places around the home and garden will help to keep groundhogs away, because of the strong smell of the substance. There are also some people who believe that spraying Epsom salts around the yard or garden will leave a scent that will help to keep groundhogs away from the property.
What to use to catch a groundhog?
A simple cage trap in the areas where the groundhog is active will usually do the trick, and this can be baited with a range of different foods such as cat food, canned fish or even peanut butter, which will all attract the animal to the trap.
How to get rid of groundhog smell?
If trapping in summer, when groundhogs can afford to be choosier about bait, purchase a product called "woodchuck lure.". Sprinkle drops of it in a path from the burrow to the trap, enticing the pest in. Apply additional drops of the lure to the bait itself.
How to prevent groundhogs from destroying my lawn?
To reduce the chances of attracting groundhogs, make depriving them of areas with tall grass, tall weeds such as Japanese knotweed, overgrown shrubs, and brush piles part of your landscape maintenance. These will only serve as hideouts for groundhogs.
What Exactly Are Groundhogs and How Do They Live?
Groundhogs, or "woodchucks" ( Marmota monax) are rodents indigenous to the eastern U.S. and are most often found where a wooded area meets a clearing.
How to repel groundhogs from woodchucks?
Granular repellents are based on smell: Pour them right into woodchuck burrows and all around the openings. Liquid repellents drive groundhogs away with their taste, instead. Apply them around the garden but not directly onto something that you will be eating, because you won't like the taste, either.
How to keep groundhogs away from my lawn?
These will only serve as hideouts for groundhogs. Better yet, clear such areas altogether and start a new garden. Groundhogs eat dandelions and clover, so keeping your grass free of these common lawn weeds reduces your chances of attracting groundhogs.
What to bait a groundhog trap with?
Groundhogs will be more desperate for food. Your bait will be more irresistible than in June when there's plenty of food. Bait your trap with lettuce, peas, etc.
What do groundhogs eat?
Better yet, clear such areas altogether and start a new garden. Groundhogs eat dandelions and clover, so keeping your grass free of these common lawn weeds reduces your chances of attracting groundhogs. Fill in any old tunnels with crushed stone; otherwise, you're rolling out the welcome mat for new pests.
How to get rid of a groundhog?
1. Use a Box Trap to Catch a Groundhog. Perhaps one of the most humane ways to get rid of groundhogs is to trap them and then release them somewhere far away. Groundhogs are not usually aggressive animals but will bite when they feel threatened, so please wear thick gloves when catching and releasing.
What is the best way to control groundhogs?
The best groundhog control is removal and prevention.
What Is a Woodchuck or Groundhog?
Woodchucks don't eat wood at all. The saying, "How much wood would a woodchuck chuck if a woodchuck could chuck wood," is just a saying and nothing more. Their main food sources are vegetation, grass, nuts, and small insects, like grubs. They will also occasionally eat smaller animals.
How to make ammonia for woodchucks?
If you can't buy sudsy ammonia, you can make your own by mixing 3 parts water with 1 part ammonia, plus a squirt of dishwashing detergent. Pour the solution down their holes. This creates fumes that the woodchuck or groundhog cannot bear. You can also spray the solution around the entrances and exits of their tunnels.
What do groundhogs eat?
Groundhogs are especially attracted to sweet fruits, such as strawberries, blueberries, cantaloupe, peaches, or corn. They also love lettuce, cucumber, and green beans.
What is the name of the animal in Groundhog Day?
The groundhog shown in the movie Groundhog Day looks like a cute little creature, but, in reality, there's nothing cute about these animals. A groundhog ( Marmota monax )—otherwise known as a woodchuck, land beaver, or whistle pig—is a rodent.
What bait do groundhogs use?
Groundhogs love all fruits, but they go crazy for cantaloupe, and it is the best bait to use for a successful catch . Rub the inside and outside of the trap with cantaloupe, and then place a few pieces of cantaloupe cut into 2-inch cubes all the way inside the trap.
How to Get Rid of Groundhogs Naturally
The best time to get rid of groundhogs is early spring since they hibernate during winter and you also want to get rid of them before they have babies in the spring.
1. Make Your Garden Less Attractive to Groundhogs
If you want to know how you get rid of a groundhog, you need to understand how they think. They are prey animals, so they like things that hide them from view and there needs to be an abundance of food, which most gardens do have, unfortunately.
2. Predators
Dogs and cats will scare off groundhogs because they are naturally inclined to chase things that move and may even attack the groundhogs. The presence of your pet might just be what keeps the groundhogs away.
3. Pepper
Groundhogs don’t like hot and spicy scents. Sprinkle ground pepper or chili around your plants and their burrows. You can also make your own pepper spray by chopping up about a tablespoon’s worth of hot peppers (or use the dried powder or flakes) and add hot water. Let it cool down and pour it into a spray bottle.
4. Garlic
Making a garlic spray the same way you would the pepper spray will also work. You can also sprinkle powdered or crushed garlic around your garden. You can also add a spoon of garlic to your pepper spray.
5. Traps
You will need to check the laws regarding trapping, killing, and relocating groundhogs in your state, but the most effective way to get rid of groundhogs is to use traps. You can use traps that don’t kill them (live traps) but there are traps that can kill them too, those are called body-gripping traps.
6. Fences
Once you have gotten rid of your groundhogs, fencing is one of the best groundhog repellents. Groundhogs can climb, so you will need to do it right. The fence around your yard or vegetable garden will need to go 2 feet deep if not a little deeper and be at least 4 feet high.
What to use to deter groundhogs from eating plants?
Cayenne pepper – This pepper is best known for its bite but it’s also an effective groundhog deterrent due to the smell and heat. Simply pour cayenne pepper around the holes and you’re good. It’s also a good idea to spray plants with a mixture of 2 teaspoons cayenne with 1-quart water to deter the animal from nibbling.
How to keep groundhogs out of my yard?
Of course, this is only applicable if you are sure that there are no more groundhogs in your space. While groundhogs are skilled climbers, a properly installed fence will do a good job of keeping them out.
How to deter groundhogs in Minnesota?
To deter groundhogs using castor oil, create a mixture of 1/2 cup castor oil and 2 cups of water.
How to trap a groundhog?
Groundhogs are very cautious creatures, so here are some tips for a successful trapping: 1 Use gloves when handing otherwise you will transfer your scent into the trap which is not ideal. 2 Place your bait in a way that forces the creature to fully enter it. This ensures that the groundhog can’t simply back out once the door comes down. 3 Make sure that your trap is stable and secure by putting a heavy object (like a brick) on top. If the trap is not stable, the groundhog can simply roll over and escape. 4 Make the trap more inviting by camouflaging it with leaves. This will encourage the creatures to comfortably enter the trap.
How to kill a groundhog in a car?
Both of these methods work fairly well in killing the groundhog or at worst, will send him packing. 6. Pour Ammonia Down the Hole.
How to make ammonia solution for groundhogs?
To make an ammonia solution, mix 3 parts water with 1-part ammonia. Add a squirt of dishwashing detergent for good measure. Pour the solution down the groundhog holes. For a more potent mixture and you really hate the bugger, add castor oil and cayenne pepper to the solution. 7.
What is the worst pest in my yard?
As far as burrowers are concerned, I am inclined to say that groundhogs are the worst. Also called as woodchuck, land beaver, or whistle pig, these burrowing rodents can really wreak havoc all over your garden or yard.
What do groundhogs eat?
While they feed on a variety of broad-leafed vegetation, in the garden they prefer legumes such as clover, alfalfa, peas, beans, and soybeans. When it comes to deterrents or groundhog repellent, there are none that are specifically known.
What are some ways to control scarecrows?
The most effective types of control include the use of fences, traps, and fumigation.
How to keep a garden from burrowing?
The underground portion should face away from the garden at a 90 degree angle to help discourage burrowing. In addition, the fence should be topped with a strand of electric wire to deter climbing . Alternatively, electric fencing may be used entirely if no pets or children frequent the area.
Can a fence deter a groundhog?
The use of fencing around gardens and other small areas can sometimes help reduce groundhog damage and act as a groundhog deterrent. However, they are excellent climbers, easily crawling over top of fences with ease.
