How To Get Rid of Groundhogs
Many people think of groundhogs as adorable creatures until they start to damage lawns and vegetable gardens. A single groundhog can eat up to 1 pound of crops each day, and their complex tunnel systems can easily ruin landscapes. Read our guide for tips on how to identify groundhogs on your property, ways to remove them using humane methods, and how to keep them from returning to your lawn.
What Do Groundhogs Look Like?
Groundhogs are large rodents with short legs and bushy tails. These critters are about 2 feet long, weigh up to 14 pounds, and move close to the ground. Their fur is mostly brown and they have small ears, black eyes, and prominent noses.
Typical Groundhog Behaviors
Groundhogs are voracious herbivores that live underground in burrows. These rodents hibernate in the winter and set up their homes in meadows, pastures, crop fields, and lawns near the woods. You’ll probably see them in tall weeds, grasses, and gardens since they eat plants and veggies.
Groundhogs hibernate from October until February, when they usually start breeding. They’re most active when preparing for hibernation and build dens under sheds and barns. An adult woodchuck can eat more than 1 pound of vegetation a day, which can ruin crops and lawns. Groundhogs often build dens under sheds and barns where they can easily access food.
Groundhogs warn each other of encroaching danger with high-pitched whistles, which is why they’re often called “whistle pigs.”
Signs of Groundhogs
Groundhogs use their thick claws to dig burrows and networks of tunnels. These underground spaces can have up to three holes that function as burrow entrances and tunnels that are 25 feet long. Groundhogs use these areas as living spaces and latrines.
You probably won’t get a clear image of these lairs, but watch for large mounds of dirt that indicate the presence of burrows. Chewed-up vegetation is another sign that groundhogs might be in your area. Groundhogs love fruits like cantaloupes and vegetables like tomatoes, cucumbers, zucchini, corn, alfalfa, cabbage, and peas.
Additional signs that groundhogs are nearby include scratching and digging across your lawn and flower beds. You’re most likely to see a groundhog foraging for food in the early morning or during the evening. They’re timid animals, so watch from a distance as you gather details about the potential location of a burrow.
Identifying signs of a groundhog burrow will help you set into motion a successful removal plan.
Groundhog Removal Strategies
Identify specific goals when it comes time to plan out groundhog removal and seek humane options whenever possible.
DIY Groundhog Removal
Homeowners can remove groundhogs from their properties using one of the methods below. Before you start on a do-it-yourself (DIY) mission, make sure that a new litter of groundhogs isn’t living in the burrow. The best time for DIY groundhog eviction is generally between early July and late September.
- Fencing: Place heavy wire fencing strategically to prevent groundhogs from entering gardens and areas beneath porches or sheds. Fences should be made of durable material such as hardware cloth and need to be at least 3 feet tall. Bury the lower portion of the fence at least 1 foot underground and make sure it’s secure so that groundhogs can’t penetrate the barrier.
- Habitat removal: Remove tall vegetation and any other coverings that groundhogs use to protect their burrows. This method is less successful if groundhogs’ homes are firmly established or if there are ample food sources nearby.
- Harassment and repellents: Try placing foul-smelling items such as castor oil, crushed garlic, cayenne pepper, mothballs, chives, talcum powder, or blood meal around groundhog dens. You can also mimic a predator by spreading soiled cat litter or urine from coyotes or bobcats around groundhog burrows. Tossing human hair clippings around your garden may also be effective at keeping groundhogs away.
- Live traps: Trapping and relocating groundhogs at least 5 miles away from your property is the most effective way to get rid of them. You can buy groundhog traps at your local home improvement or farm supply store. Once you’ve trapped a groundhog, move the animal while it’s still inside the trap to another location.
If you set a trap, you’re responsible for removing the captured groundhog. Those who don’t want to take the animal themselves may be able to get it removed by the division of wildlife.
Professional Groundhog Removal
If you’re uncomfortable using DIY methods to remove groundhogs, consider getting assistance from a pest control specialist. A wildlife professional has the resources necessary to access groundhog burrows and take action to remove their inhabitants.
The cost of professional groundhog removal ranges from $150–$300. The method of removal, location of the burrow, and transportation needs may change the overall cost.
Professional groundhog removal methods include the following:
- Fumigation: Exterminators can seal off groundhog burrows and use gas cartridges to fill tunnels with gas. This approach kills groundhogs and doesn’t require body removal. You’ll need to make sure that lethal removal tactics are legal in your location.
- Live trap and relocation: Professionals can lure groundhogs into traps using fruits and vegetables as bait and then relocate them to a new home.
- Repellent: Groundhog control specialists can apply repellent granules or sprays around your home’s perimeter, near the groundhog’s habitat, and inside burrows. Groundhog repellents are typically nontoxic, but only professionals should handle them. This service may require more than one visit.
Professional exterminators may also offer groundhog removal through lethal trapping, but this is typically only used as a last resort. If you’re hoping to remove gophers, raccoons, marmots, skunks, chipmunks, or voles in addition to groundhogs, an expert can easily take care of both.
*All cost data provided by Angi, HomeGuide, and Fixr.
Groundhog Prevention Methods
Once you’ve gotten groundhogs away from your property, take preventive measures to keep them at a distance. Consider the following strategies:
Remove items that protect the entrances to groundhogs’ burrows or tunnels such as woodpiles, low-hanging shrubs, compost piles, and tall grass. This will encourage returning groundhogs to find somewhere else to go.
You can close tunnels permanently once the groundhogs have been removed. Bury a panel of welded wire, which is similar to chicken wire, over each entrance hole. The electric wire will also work to keep groundhogs away. Make sure it’s at least 1 foot deep and pin it down with landscape staples.
Deter groundhogs with hated scents such as castor oil, used kitty litter, crushed garlic, cayenne pepper, talcum powder, and blood meal. You can also purchase predator urine from your local home improvement store and spray it around your yard. Groundhogs will think of your lawn as a dangerous place if they smell one of these odors in the area.
Our Conclusion
Groundhogs are cute but could cause substantial damage around your home or farm. Their lengthy tunnel systems are large enough to sink tire tractors, and they can cause foundation damage to your home. Try to remedy your yard’s groundhog problem with humane DIY methods of removal, or call in professionals for help. Complete the groundhog-removal process by putting preventive measures into place to keep groundhogs away from your property for the long haul.
FAQ About Groundhogs
How do you get a groundhog to leave?
You can get a groundhog to leave with prevention methods such as applying repellents or changing habitats. Trapping and relocation may be necessary if the groundhog’s home is especially stable.
What do groundhogs absolutely hate?
Groundhogs absolutely hate strong smells such as ammonia, garlic vinegar, lavender, mint, Epsom salts, cayenne, and talcum powder.
How do I get rid of a groundhog under my shed?
You can get rid of a groundhog under your shed by spraying strong-smelling repellents around it. If that doesn’t work, try using a live trap.
How do you plug a groundhog hole?
To plug a groundhog hole, cut mesh into 3-by-3-foot squares and bury them 1 foot deep at the entry point to each burrow. Make sure that burrows are unoccupied before plugging holes.
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