How to Get Rid of Groundhogs

Groundhogs are annoying pests that many homeowners face. These oversized rodents will burrow under porches, garages, and sheds. They can also make a quick meal of a vegetable garden. For these reasons, it is important to keep groundhog burrows under control before they can cause destruction. There are a number of ways to get rid of groundhogs including harmless methods and lethal ones.

Before going about destroying an infestation, it is important to understand that groundhogs live in burrows. They will run into these vast tunnels when frightened and will come out to eat. Any means of getting rid of the varmints must either be able to reach them while inside of the burrow or when they come outside.

One of the most popular methods of getting rid of groundhogs is through the use of repellents that force groundhogs to move elsewhere. Most of these are in the form of liquids. Ammonia is one such repellent. All that is needed for application is to pour the liquid into the groundhog hole. After this, one can only pray that the groundhogs will move far away. A limitation of this method is that the groundhogs remain alive to dig a burrow in another location, possibly nearby. Another shortfall is that these liquid repellents may be harmful to local plant life.

Another harmless method of dealing with groundhogs is by using what are known as ‘live traps’. These intricate devices lure the animal into a cage containing food. As soon as the groundhog moves inside, a door closes and the animal is trapped. Live traps should always be set near the entrance to the burrow. Food then needs to be placed inside of the trap. Successful foods include organic items like watermelon rinds or orange peels. After the food is placed inside of the trap, the mechanism needs to be set. It is important be careful while handling these mechanisms to ensure that they do not harm the user. The trap must be checked often to ensure that a trapped animal does not starve to death. When a groundhog is caught in the cage, it must be taken to a local humane society or released in a publicly owned park with the permission of a ranger or other official. This process can be repeated until all groundhogs are caught.

Groundhogs can also be dealt with through deadly means. The easiest of these is with poison. Poisonous pellets can be bought at nearly any hardware store. When applying these, sprinkle the directed amount into the burrow at the entrance. Another way to do this is by digging a small hole through the earth above a burrow and pouring the poison in through there. The hole should be covered again in the latter method. With any luck, the groundhogs should consume the poison and die. Any corpses found can be buried or otherwise responsibly disposed of. A problem related to the use of poison is that a terrible smell is produced by a rotting corpse. Shoveling soil into the groundhog’s burrow, essentially converting it to a tomb, can solve this issue.

A more systematic means of killing groundhogs is through fumigation. In this method, a canister of poisonous gas must be bought from a hardware store. First, it is necessary to block all of the burrow’s holes except for one. Light the fuse on the canister and drop it into the remaining open hole. Cover the hole to trap the gas and the groundhogs inside. After a few hours have passed, open up the holes. Remove and bury any corpses and fill in all holes.

This guide should have provided help in getting rid of groundhog infestations through the use of deterrents, traps, poison, and gas.