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You would then light the cartridges and throw it into the last open entrance. There are some states where trapping is illegal and the last thing you want is to get into trouble for simply trying to remove a pest from your property. Thankfully, there are more than a few ways to get rid of those pesky rodents and to do so in a humane way that doesn’t harm them. Try these helpful tips to rid your yard of your groundhog problem and do so with a clear conscience. Finally, a professional may be able to spot signs of illness in a groundhog. Since groundhogs can carry rabies and a range of other infections that can be transmitted to humans, expertise in this area is handy.
How to Make a Carpenter Bee Trap
You can simply excavate each opening of the burrow a bit to close the entrance with half-inch hardware cloth or aluminum screening. Tunnel fill even contains ingredients that naturally repel digging in the future to reduce the risk that another groundhog or animal-like chipmunks will take over the abandoned burrow. By filling the holes, you can prevent the tunnels from simply collapsing over time from foot traffic on the surface and rainwater. If there’s one thing you can count on a woodchuck to do, it’s burrow.
Rico the Dog kills groundhog, chaos ensues (JEFF EDELSTEIN COLUMN) - The Trentonian
Rico the Dog kills groundhog, chaos ensues (JEFF EDELSTEIN COLUMN).
Posted: Sat, 28 Jul 2018 07:00:00 GMT [source]
Spray a Commercial Repellent
Evict groundhogs from their burrows in mid to late summer, after the juveniles have become independent and before anyone’s chosen a hibernation spot. The Humane Society recommends blocking burrows with heavy-gauge, welded-wire fencing, with three-inch or smaller square holes. When the problem has been effectively handled, you can clean up the litter and dispose of it and then close off the burrow holes for good.
Prepare the Trap
For some these suggestions have worked, for others, not so much. We might suggest a trap that allows you to re-locate the obnoxious “hog” or calling in a professional. Groundhogs are a deterrent to strong plant fragrances like lavender, aromatics, and other floral plants, so you can plant them around the garden. If you are worried about the groundhog’s infestation in your home, the chances are that you need to worry about them during the spring and summer months when they are the most active.
How to Get Rid of Groundhogs Under a Shed (9 Tips)
So removing any tree stumps or other old wood is another way to make the environment less hospitable for them. You might get a little hurt killing these cute little things, but you can’t allow them to damage your property! And if you’re sick of them damaging your property, protect it by using antifreeze to kill groundhogs.
Do groundhogs abandon their burrows?
Additionally, the flavor can be too much for them to bear. Since groundhogs believe that people are threats, you can use human hair as a deterrent. For example, hair that comes out in your brush can work, as well as hair from a recent haircut.
These don’t harm the groundhogs and just trap them inside a box to ensure that they don’t end up escaping and eating away at your veggies and fruits growing in the garden. Although the groundhogs are pretty peaceful creatures, you need to ensure that you approach them with extra protection. Groundhogs are a type of backyard creature, mimicking burrowing pets’ looks and appearance, much like skunks.
How To Get Rid Of Groundhogs Humanely
In general, it’s recommended that homeowners leave wild animals alone unless they are causing damage to the property. In some cases, however, relocation is the best solution to get rid of groundhogs. See any deep tunnels in your yard, under your deck, or near your foundation? You may have a groundhog; they dig burrows to live in, and the entrances are usually 10 to 12 inches wide, with the excavated soil spread around the entrances. Groundhogs hate the smell of certain spices and essential oils such as cayenne, garlic, and peppermint oil. You can create a natural groundhog repellent spray by mixing spices or peppermint oil with water and spraying it around your garden and near groundhog tunnel entrances.
Call a Professional
Generally, they do subside by the end of autumn when the weather starts getting colder eventually. Of course, keeping the ground pretty moist throughout the summer may not be possible or affordable. You’ll need to check if you have any municipal watering restrictions in your area as water shortages can force limits on lawn watering in the summer.
Under your shed or deck where they have cover while entering and exiting their burrow. During the spring, you may see a groundhog slipping under your deck, porch, or shed but not emerging as they’re entering their extensive tunnel system. Austin Fain, owner of Perfect Steel Solutions instructs, 'You can use a one-way door or a live trap to capture the groundhog.
Sunflowers, Zinnias, Rudbeckia, Runner Beans, Sweet Peas … all demolished just prior to blooming. Spring is when they start mating so they’ll be very active during this time. This DIY earwig trap offers a simple and natural solution to keep your garden free from unwanted pests.
If you don’t want to eat them, then compost them and eat whatever they nourish. Please call a wildlife professional after you have tried all our ideas. Do not use mothballs outdoors, they do not repel rodents or snakes and are extremely toxic to the environment, its also illegal to do so in most places.
Put the bait all the way into the back of the cage so that the groundhog has to enter the trap fully to get the food. Keep a watchful eye on the trap; the groundhog could get nervous and hurt itself. But it can also be a place where groundhogs tend to stay. From television and movies, we think of groundhogs as these cute little animals that really aren’t very harmful. The thing is, they are actually quite harmful to your land.
Clippings from your local barber or hairdresser may also prevent groundhogs well because they dislike the scent of humans. Sprinkle clippings around areas where the groundhog frequents. Or to avoid it blowing away in the wind, place clippings in a fine mesh bag and secure it to a stake near the groundhog’s dwelling. These holes should be large enough for the earwigs to crawl through but small enough to prevent other critters from entering. The soy sauce is a potent attractant, luring earwigs with its irresistible scent, while the olive oil creates a slippery trap they won't escape from. The last thing you want is for them to bite down on your hands.
Favorite foods include alfalfa, clover, peas, beans, lettuce, broccoli, plantain, and soybeans. Groundhogs will often devour your seedlings before they even have time to grow. Rabbits and deer eat some of the same plants, so make sure to check for burrows before concluding that you have groundhogs. If you don’t have vegetables around, groundhogs will settle for twigs, bark, bugs, and blossoms. Ammonia is known for being a very effective groundhog repellent.
As a result, simply having a cat or dog could be enough to scare them away. If you aren’t comfortable handling the relocation, you might be able to call a local animal control or wildlife center for help. At times, they will retrieve an animal to complete the relocation. However, this isn’t a service that’s available everywhere. If you want to go this route, check about relocation assistance in advance, ensuring you know who to contact when the time arrives. While they can certainly wreak havoc in gardens or destroy crops, they aren’t usually much of a threat to people.
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