Got Groundhog Troubles?

While groundhogs appear cute and cuddly from a distance, for the avid gardener groundhogs can seem to be the enemy, devouring a garden in a matter of a few days at most.  But they don’t necessarily have to be.

Traditional wildlife control methods, like trapping are often highly ineffective.  As long as there's a groundhog friendly place around, other groundhogs will quickly fill the area you have just so conveniently evicted the previous tenant from. Trapping and relocating groundhogs may also lead to starving young left behind. 

It is much more effective and humane to simply exclude groundhogs from areas where they're not wanted.

Photo courtesy of EIC (copyrighted GNU)

To exclude groundhogs from your gardens

• An gardeners trick, yet an extremely effective one is to try adding things  that will blow around in the wind such as party balloons, or strips of reflective Mylar tape.

• If you have a traditional fence already in place yet the groundhogs are extremely persistent, install a 4-inch high electric fence in front of your currently standing non-electric fence. This tactic is the best option if you have more than one species of garden raiders (like rabbits or raccoons)

• Prevent groundhogs from entering your garden by installing a simple chicken wire or mesh fence. Make the top portion 3 to 4 feet high, and bend the bottom portion of the fence in an "L shape and extend it another 6 to 12 inches outward, away from the garden. Pin this portion securely to the ground using landscaping staples. This will discourage digging. Loosely wire the top portion to fence posts as groundhogs do not like to climb unstable fences.

• If you don’t have a fence or don’t like the look of the chicken wire fence option described above, a multi-level electric fence can be rather effective to keep groundhogs out of your garden.  Place the first wire 2 to 4 inches above the ground, and the other about 6 inches immediately above the first one.

Do Not Shoot Them!  Most cities have ordinances about firing guns within city limits and you can best bet that one of your neighbors will call the police to report the sound of shots being fired.  Don’t risk fines or criminal charges.

To permanently evict groundhogs from their burrows:

According to the Humane Society of the United States “groundhogs hibernate from October through February, and their breeding season begins soon after they wake up. If you must evict a groundhog from a burrow under your house, porch, or other building, do so shortly after they've emerged from hibernation or wait until late summer, after the young have been weaned and are living on their own.”   To do otherwise is to risk death to the groundhogs remaining in the burrow and will at the very least attract additional unwanted visitors to the burrow.

These humane harassment techniques will encourage groundhogs to move along:

• Significantly enlarge the entrances (there are more than 1) to the burrow and clear away surrounding vegetation.  The natural caution of the groundhog will generally make them wary of continuing to use a burrow that is easy game for predators.
• Put urine-soaked kitty litter inside ALL of the burrow entrances. The more heavily soiled the kitty litter, the more effective it is.  The strong odor often causes them to vacate the premises. You can help the process along by pouring ammonia in the entrance as well. 
• Place a one-way door at the main entrance to the burrow. This lets the groundhog safely exit but not return.

After you are 100% sure that the groundhog has left the burrow, permanently close it by excavating the areas around the entrances and burying chicken wire at least 1 foot deep across all entrances. Make sure that the wire is strongly secured at all points.  The chicken wire will prevent any attempts at resettlement.