After writing, how to get rid of fruit flies?, how to get rid of fleas?, and how to get rid of ants?, we are now writing the home remedies to get rid of groundhogs naturally. Do you find sometimes the plantations in your garden destroyed? Well, if yes, then there are chances that your garden has become a home to rodent known as groundhogs. They are also known as woodchucks, marmots or whistle pigs and are very common in Canada, Alaska and Eastern United States. Groundhogs are found in fields, open pastures, woodlots, roadsides and ditches. They are most active during the warm days that’s why they spent their day in their cool burrows. They feed in the early morning and at dusk. Their burrows are located about 2 to 4 feet underground and they belong to squirrel family. They can eat a pound of vegetation in a day. If you are having garden and farmland then they can bother you. They can destroy your vegetables and also their burrows can damage your buildings. But now you can easily get rid of groundhogs naturally by following the below-listed techniques, which you can use to deal with groundhog problem.
Home Remedies to Get Rid of Groundhogs Naturally:
Contents
1.) Scare Them Away
Scare them off to get rid of groundhogs naturally. If the groundhogs feel that your garden is frequent by the predators then will be less likely to live there. In case you have a cat, then sprinkle small piles of used cat litter strategically around your garden. If you don’t have a cat, then don’t worry you can use ammonia-soaked rags, which will give you a similar effect. As groundhogs will mistake the smell of ammonia with urine. Be aware while using the ammonia as it can damage your lawn so better to spray it on the rags and put the rags on stone and wood pieces.
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.
2.) Use The Ammonia
You can also use ammonia to get rid of groundhogs. Groundhogs don’t like the smell of ammonia.
- Take 2 ½ cups of ammonia and put it in their burrow. Due to ammonia groundhogs come out from the burrow. If they do not come then repeat the process after 1 day.
- An alternate method is to mix 2 tsp of detergent, a quarter glass of water and 2 cups of ammonia and pour it in the burrow. Wear gloves while doing this process.
3.) 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. If you want to treat your entire garden or lawn then mix 4 tsp of pepper in 2 cups of warm water. Then pour this solution into a spray bottle. You can repeat it in every 2 to 3 weeks. Groundhogs or woodchucks will not come.
4.) Eggs to Remove Groundhogs
Eggs is very beneficial to keep the groundhogs away. If woodchucks are destroying the veggies, plants and fruits in your garden, then you should locate the burrows. You need an egg then crack it over the burrow and use the dirt to cover the burrow. You need to do it up to 2 weeks until the burrow are not anymore
5.) Fence The Are
To control, groundhogs build a fence around your garden or yard. 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
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.
7.) Fumigating The Area
For fumigating, choose the right month when they tend to go into hibernation in late September or early October.
- Put a piece of pre-cut sod beside each burrow entrance. Now read the instructions carefully. Light the cartridge and place it inside the burrow as you can reach.
- Stomp on it for creating an airtight seal. Wait for 5 minutes. You will see that the smoke will enter the holes. Seal holes with sod. Repeat this process until all the burrow entrances are sealed.
8.) Use The Repellents
Some chemical sprays are available in the market which helps to deter pests like groundhogs. Since this chemical spray has a strong smell that they cannot bear the scent. Therefore, they will leave the place. So spray chemicals around your house or garden or anywhere where you suspect these rodents. Wear gloves while spraying repellents.
9.) Make Use Of Epsom Salt
Groundhogs dislike the taste of Epsom salt. Therefore, it can be used to deter groundhogs. Sprinkle some Epsom salt on your vegetables and fruits plants. Groundhogs will avoid eating these plants. Epsom salt is beneficial for your fruits and vegetable plants as well.
10.) Shoot Them
Shooting is also a good option if you live in a remote area. You can kill them by shooting. If they are not killed by shooting then, they become more dangerous and aggressive, which is not good for other pets and children.
11.) Get a Dog
Having a pet like a dog is one of the best ways to eliminate groundhogs. They are scared of the dogs. They won’t enter in your garden or yard. A lot of barking will force them to leave the area due to irritation.
12.) Use The Garlic
Groundhogs do not like the pungent and weird smell. They get irritated by the bad smell. Due to pungent smell, they leave the burrow. Crush some garlic cloves and place the paste on affected areas. You can also sprinkle garlic powder on the area.
How to Catch Groundhogs Humanely?
1.) Research On Them
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.
2.) Wear The Gloves
Make sure, you always wear gloves while handling the trap so that you keep your scent off it. You just need to place the trap directly to the burrow entrance. If possible spray it with a hose and roll it in dirt to help camouflage. The process will surely help you to get rid of groundhogs.
3.) Bait The Trap
If you really want to catch the Groundhogs, then attract them with tempting food. Bait the trap with fruits and vegetables. As groundhogs love to have cantaloupe but if you can check your garden and noticed anything that are disappearing especially quickly from the garden you can use them as well. Make sure, the bait should be placed as far as possible to ensure that the groundhogs must enter in the cage fully in order to reach it. And you don’t forget to put the bricks on the top to help prevent the animal from rolling it over once trapped.
4.) Camouflage the Trap
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.
5.) Keep Checking Trap Regularly
Keep checking the trap regularly as the trapped groundhog is an unhappy groundhog and longer you keep the groundhogs in a trap the more chances it is injure itself in distress. Once you have trapped the groundhog, Handle the cage carefully and do not forget to wear thick gloves and hold it away from your body.
6.) Release The Groundhogs
Take the groundhogs atleast 5 miles away from your property. Leave it to area that is more attractive for new home. While groundhogs are not usually aggressive but still keep the distance as it exits the tap.
Go With Fumigating to Get Rid of Groundhogs
1.) Consider Carefully to Kill Groundhogs
Think carefully before going for this option, as there is good chance poison is not your best bet. As many people do not recommend using poison to get rid of groundhogs for so many reasons. Before you start this process, consider bringing in professional to check the situation. Killing animal with poison often give them great suffering. When you give poison to groundhog, it may be dying slowly from internal bleeding, suffocation, or a number of other painful things can happen over the course of hours and days.
- It also may not be as effective as some legal rodent poisons are designed to kill rats or mice, not woodchucks.
- Chemicals or substances which are toxic for groundhogs are also toxic for human and other animals. Pets can and frequently do can be come in trap of poison and it can also effect the health of human.
- The best case is that when you have toxic and rotting rodent dead bodies in your lawn to dispose of. The body will smell awful as they decay underground and also attract the other pests.
- Always remember the cleanup process will be time-taking and dangerous.
2.) Select the Correct Time
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.
3.) Fumigation Cartridge
It is a process of igniting and placing the fumigating cartridge varies from brand to brand. So read the instruction properly. After that you need to light the cartridge and place it as deep inside the burrow as you can reach it without throwing it. You can use end of the shovel to put it even further.
Then place the pre-cut hole into the hole. Stomp on it to make an airtight seal. You need to wait at least for about 5 minutes and watch the holes if they are leaking smoke. If you see smoke is leaking from the holes then seal them with sod. Repeat until all the burrow entrances are tightly sealed.
Get Rid of Groundhogs Without Fumigation
1.) Legal Traps to Get Rid of Groundhogs
This can be an inhuman way as these straps do not kill animal instantly. It is also difficult to know which burrow entrance to place the trap outside. This trap can be very dangerous to small children and pets. There are some specific settings given which varies depending upon the straps you buy. Just read the instruction carefully.
2.) Poison Them to Get Rid of Groundhogs
This poses the same threats as traps and fumigation to ward off groundhogs. As all aware that the poison is very dangerous for pet and people. It is very difficult to deal their dead bodies if they died underground. If you have decided to do this method, however the process is very straightforward. You just have to put the poison on the area of garden where groundhogs is very frequent.
3.) Shoot Them to Get Rid of Groundhogs
If you live in removed area then it is only an option to get rid of groundhogs. But always remember that if the groundhogs that have been shot not killed can be dangerous and aggressive and cause a real dangerous to children and pet if it gets away. This method is not the recommended way to deal with groundhogs.
