How to Get Rid of Groundhogs (Woodchucks Extermination)

There are 12 ways to get rid of groundhogs, as revealed in this extermination guide. Let’s find out.

Groundhogs are some of the most notorious garden pests. Another famous example is garden rats.

Many gardeners face this challenge and seek effective ways to tackle groundhog problems. Before going further, it will be necessary to state their (groundhogs) crime, right?

Groundhogs are tunnel builders. This may sound harmless until you find your soil structure damaged. Burrows are made and dug underneath the ground. As a result, your garden is ruined.

Not only that, the foundations of your home may be affected too. So ignoring this problem for a long will result in significant damage. You’d have to do something fast about rodent problems.

Find here effective ways to get rid of groundhogs completely!

How to Differentiate Groundhogs From Other Rodents

Groundhogs are classified as rodents. They also belong to the general family of squirrels.

This means there are lots of similarities between them and other types. But specific characteristics distinguish them. This makes it easy to identify woodchucks.

They possess short, strong legs as well as a stocky build. It has a brownish-grey fur and a body length ranging from 16 to 27 inches (from nose to tail end).

A fully ground groundhog will weigh between 5 to 15 lbs.

They are good swimmers and climbers too. This makes them even more problematic as they can navigate complex terrains.

Do other names call these rodents? Of course, they are. The most common include whistle-pig and woodchuck.

How to Get Rid of Groundhogs in Your Yard

This section is a melting pot for different groundhog removal strategies.

In other words, you’d find home remedies for groundhogs and natural methods. On the other hand, calling a groundhog extermination company may be your thing.

Most substances that kill rats are strong enough to act as groundhog poison. You need to go with an option you are comfortable with

Whichever you prefer, there’s something for everyone.

  • Inflatable Snakes

Before you freak out, these aren’t real snakes. They are sold at home improvement stores and look like the real deal. They act like scarecrows, but this time, they scare rodents, including groundhogs.

These must only be inflated and positioned at different points in your garden. Other family members need to know so they don’t panic.

Inflatable snakes are cost-effective ways to drive away groundhogs. Scaring groundhogs is its purpose.

Apart from this, there are no negative impacts on your environment or loved ones. You also get to save your garden and yard from groundhog destruction.

  • Introduce Predators

You can use predators effectively on groundhogs. While we mentioned inflatable snakes (non-living), these are live deterrents.

Unlike the former, they give groundhogs a chase. The most common predators you can use include cats and dogs. These are found in a lot of homes. You only need to release them into your yard more often.

You can even go further by introducing cat litter or urine. It would be best if you poured these into their burrows. For best results, you should repeat this action frequently.

Groundhogs will stay away because the smell alerts them to the predator’s presence.

  • Use a Fence to Keep them Out.

Fencing creates a barrier between them and your yard. However, not every fence will do. You have to build one which fits and helps tackle the problem.

We recommend installing or building one at least 3 feet high. This must also penetrate the ground to a depth of at least 2 feet.

It would be best if you reinforced your fence with chicken wires to make it even more difficult for them to burrow through. When they hit the mesh, they have no option but to turn back.

  • Clean up Your Yard

One of the reasons groundhogs target your yard is due to the abundance of food. This may not be so abundant per se, but once fallen and ripened fruits are on the ground, they will be attracted.

Other attractions include uncleared and untended vegetation. There is also overgrown weed. These should be mowed as low as possible. You can avoid their presence by clearing up the yard as best as you can.

Don’t ignore your trashcan either. Groundhogs are likely to find their way to these areas too. Start by keeping them tightly sealed. Also, dispose of trash as often as necessary to avoid decomposition or breakdown of organic matter. This results in odors.

  • Flood Their Tunnels

Groundhogs dig up networks of tunnels across your garden. This makes it even more challenging to know where to focus your effort.

But flooding their entire tunnel structure may give you the edge you need. Find a hose and attach it to a tap. You should lower this hose into an opening and have water pumped in.

This penetrates all angles and drives them out. You can repeat this as often as necessary. The more, the better. They will eventually find your garden and yard unsuitable for living in.

  • Traps

There are different types of groundhog traps that are available in the market. You can choose humane ones if you don’t want to cause harm or injury to this pest.

The bigger your yard and garden, the more traps you will need. This also depends on the severity of the infestation. Challenging infestations will require more traps.

Find their tunnel openings as well as their paths and position your traps.

One of the easiest ways to find openings is through thick bushes and shrubs. They use such places as cover. Trim overgrown shrubs and find those openings.

When trapped, groundhogs should be released as far as possible, away from residential areas, so the problem isn’t transferred.

  • Talcum or Baby Powder

Groundhogs dislike the smell of baby or talcum powders. You can use this against them.

Sprinkle these around your garden and see them keep their distance. The same applies to plants. These won’t kill your plants but will prevent them from being devoured.

But there’s a downside. That is, the fact that these rodents move underneath. This strategy will only be effective whenever groundhogs come out to feed.

Are you looking for what will keep groundhogs away naturally? Here is a good one.

  • Pepper as a Groundhog Repellent

Pepper is a potent repellent for groundhog control. This can be used in several ways, depending on your choice.

One of these is sprinkling some around your garden. This should include openings to caves as well as around plants.

Another alternative is to make a mixture in hot water. This is allowed to cool off and emptied into a spray bottle. The contents are sprayed around your garden.

It would be best to be careful when using this because your pets may get irritated. Hence, you’ll need to isolate them during treatment or use other less harmful strategies.

  • Garlic

The pungent smell given off by garlic irritates groundhogs. Thus, a solution should be made and applied using a spray bottle. The other option will be to use or sprinkle either garlic powder or crushed garlic.

Any of these achieves similar results.

  • Ammonia

Have you tried using this for pest control before? You should! Because ammonia will get the job done in no time.

However, don’t expect to see results from your first application. Don’t get me wrong. Yes, this is effective, but the one-time application won’t get the job done. You’d need to repeat this for a few days to get the best results.

The application is simple. Get this repellent and pour it down the openings of groundhog tunnels. The more outlets you find, the better. These rodents won’t stay within breathing range as it irritates them severely.

Groundhogs are likely to tunnel their way to new territory. You must ensure that such a new territory isn’t still within your compound. To prevent this, apply wide enough.

i. Safety First

Ammonia will irritate the eyes and skin. It doesn’t have to touch your eyes before it irritates you. Its fumes alone are enough, and this is harmful.

To prevent this, use safety goggles as well as gloves. Kids and pets should be kept away from areas where it’s applied.

Also, follow all safety instructions as written on the label.

ii. Making the Solution

Making this groundhog repellent is easy.

Water, ammonia, and liquid dish soap are required. Three parts of water are needed for one part of ammonia. You can apply the liquid dish soap to make the solution just soapy enough. If you want a more robust and more powerful solution, you’d need some castor oil and pepper.

Applying this for a few days (at least 4) should show decent results.

  • Create Some Vibrations

Vibrations make groundhogs distressed. There are lots of ways you can create this. One such method includes the use of sonic vibrators. Others are wind chimes and lawn windmills.

They continually disrupt the peace these rodents crave for. Find many of these and place them strategically around your yard and garden.

Before long, your yard will be considered unsuitable for these pests.

  • Hire a Groundhog Exterminator

An exterminator takes away the stress associated with pest control. Such persons are experts in their field and are experienced in groundhog behavior.

They inspect and trace rodent origins as well as what attracts them. As a result, an exterminator will deal with the problem by addressing the whole picture.

Groundhog removal will cost you a fee depending on the existing national pest control average cost.

  • Gas Them Out

This is where fumigation comes into play. A variety of fumigation products are gas-based. These require professional application. Nevertheless, there are others you can apply yourself.

Gas bombs are among those you can use. You need first to identify groundhog tunnel outlets. This is followed by sealing up all except one. This point is where the gas bomb(s) will go in.

First, find out if the rodents are inside the tunnel (they must be). The gas cartridge is lighted and thrown in. Don’t forget to cover the opening after throwing in the cartridge quickly.

This penetrates all the tunnels and kills them.

Preventing Groundhogs From Yard: What You Should Do

After ridding your home of groundhogs, the best thing to do is take practical measures to prevent them from returning.

Without doing anything about that, you can be sure they will come back, eat up more plants in your garden, and create more holes all over your yard.

To keep them away permanently, here are a few things to do.

  1. Fill in the holes and tunnels the groundhogs that lived in your yard created. Leaving them will make it easier for any groundhog around your yard to have a comfortable settling place.
  2. Erect a fence around the yard. This should be at least 3 ft tall and about 2 ft inside the ground. That will prevent them from jumping over the wall to get into your yard or digging their way under it.
  3. Get rid of piles of dirt from your yard and trim any overgrown grass or plants in your yard.
  4. Always spray the ammonia or garlic solution we discussed above now and then in your yard.

There you have them, practical control methods to get rid of groundhogs and keep them away for good.

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