“Groundhogs” are known as “whistle-pigs” or “woodchucks.” These are a member of the squirrel family but are larger in size. Groundhogs have round bodies, long and strong claws, ever-growing teeth, and a life of 6 years.
Moreover, Groundhogs live in Alaska, Canada, and the US. Groundhogs are known to enter the garden in search of food and can destroy all your plants. Today, you’ll know about some of the tips to get rid of or prevent groundhogs.
How to Get Rid of Groundhogs
Groundhogs are hard to catch as they are small and quick animals. Some of the methods by which you are able to get rid of groundhogs are as follows:
Repellents:
There are some natural repellents that include dog urine, fox, and Coyote. You can spray these near the hole made by the groundhogs. These are afraid of the predators that include dogs, foxes, and coyotes, and the smell of the urine is a warning that they stay away from that place. We can also use dog furs or human hair as the groundhogs don’t like people.
Then comes ammonia; this is also a better option. You can take a rag soak with ammonia which you can place on the entrance of the hole of the groundhog. Strong scents can also be used as repellents as the groundhogs do not like strong scents smell.
There is a red pepper option too. Use the red pepper powder and just sprinkle or spray that on the holes or tunnels of groundhogs. Whenever there is rain, you can apply the chilly red flakes or spray again.
Trap and release:
Trap and release again is also a good option. You can trap a groundhog and then just release it. Just set a trap close in such a way that it is not blocking the entrance of the groundhog. Then place a slice of fruit so that the groundhog gets in it. Replace it daily so that it is fresh and works as the best.
Cage-type traps are very popular ones. Foothold traps need experience and special types of skills. Once the groundhog is a trap, you can release it far away from the yard so that it can’t come back again in your yards.
Target their home:
Groundhogs do not like their dens to get wet. These dens get wet because of the floods. So whenever these dens get wet, the groundhogs come out of their holes. These groundhogs then try to make new tunnels where the land is dry. Then there is an option that you can fumigate the holes of the groundhogs. After fumigation, you can seal the holes. Then you can catch the ground holes easily.
How to Prevent Groundhogs
Once you remove the groundhogs now, you also need to protect them so that these do not affect your yards further again. Some of the prevention techniques are:
Fences:
In-ground fencing is a very good option to keep the groundhogs far away from your gardens and yards. A fence should be 3 feet in height and has to be 12 inches within the ground.
For an additional measure, you can also place a wire that can be an electric wire which is 4 to 5 inches underground and the same 4 to 5 inches above the ground. When you connect the wire with the fence charger, it will be able to prevent the burrowing and climbing of the groundhogs.
There is one more option; you can make use of hardware cloth that is buried 1 foot down the ground to prevent the groundhogs from burrowing under the foundations. Before the installation of any type of fencing, you have to make sure that there are no burrows nearby.
Maintain your yard:
Trimming the grass on a regular basis will remove the groundhog’s coverings. When the cover no longer exists, then the groundhogs will feel unsafe and search for new places or homes to live in.
Plants as deterrents:
Some of the plants have strong fragrances that include the lavender fragrance, etc. These fragrances keep the groundhogs away from your gardens as the groundhogs don’t like any kind of fragrance. The groundhogs also dislike the smell of mint, basil, sage, lemon balm, thyme, rosemary, etc. So make sure to plant these plants in your yards and gardens to prevent groundhogs.
Final Words:
After trying all these removal methods and the prevention techniques, if you are still unable to get rid of these groundhogs, then we at Rodent Control Now provide you safe and secure groundhog removal services.
Just visit us now, and we will be more than happy to help you get rid of these groundhogs. We will provide you with all the professional methods by which no groundhog will ever try to enter your garden or place again.