Are groundhogs destructive to property?

The short answer is YES, you should. Groundhogs, also known as woodchucks, are aggressive animals that are hard to get rid of when they invade your property. These rodents usually dig burrows in grassy areas and eat through gardens causing a lot of damage.

Can groundhogs ruin your house?

Groundhog Damage to Your Home or Foundation

Groundhogs like to burrow. They can create a network of tunnels below your home that are 45 feet long and five feet deep. These holes can cause significant damage. The problems start with water damage.

Should you remove groundhogs?

Before deciding to get rid of groundhogs, understand that unless they're causing a problem, they should be left alone. Groundhogs play an important role in our ecological system. Their abandoned burrows can become homes for other wildlife, such as foxes, skunks, and rabbits.

How do you get rid of groundhogs in your yard?

What damage do groundhogs do to your yard?

A groundhog's, or woodchuck's burrow are holes with large piles of dirt at the entrances and are a nuisance and can be dangerous. A groundhog's tunnels are very large and have many chambers which are invasive to your lawn and garden. An average groundhog excavates 700 pounds of dirt for one den.

Why Groundhogs Are So Hard To Get Rid Of

Can groundhogs ruin foundation?

If not properly controlled, groundhogs can cause serious structural damage when burrowing. Their tunnels break apart building foundations, and they will often chew through electrical wires and irrigation systems that may be in their way. For best results, use multiple groundhog control products at once.

How do you deter a groundhog?

Do groundhogs destroy lawns?

The short answer is YES, you should. Groundhogs, also known as woodchucks, are aggressive animals that are hard to get rid of when they invade your property. These rodents usually dig burrows in grassy areas and eat through gardens causing a lot of damage.

What time of day are groundhogs most active?

Activity: Groundhogs are diurnal (active during the day) from spring to fall. Most activity occurs during the early morning and early evening hours, at which groundhogs emerge from their burrows to gather food.

Are groundhogs good for anything?

Soil Aeration

When digging, groundhogs help aerate soil. Roots, like all other parts of the plant, have to respire, taking in oxygen and emitting carbon dioxide. In unturned soil, roots deplete their limited oxygen while CO2accumulates, making it hard for them to 'breathe.

Does Irish Spring soap keep groundhogs away?

Does Irish Spring Soap Keep Groundhogs Away? Irish Spring soap is a great groundhog repellent. It is recommended that you keep the soap in the packaging but drill holes in it so the rain and other elements don't wash away the soap so easily.

How many groundhogs live in a burrow?

Male groundhogs and female groundhogs don't live together. They live alone separately in each of their burrows. Whenever a young groundhog has grown mature, it digs a burrow for itself. Only during mating do two adult groundhogs live together in a burrow.

How deep do groundhogs dig?

They dig burrows that can be 6 feet (1.8 meters) deep, and 20 feet (6 m) wide. These underground homes can also have two to a dozen entrances, according to the National Wildlife Federation. Typically, they have a burrow in the woods for the winter and a burrow in grassy areas for the warmer months.

How do you keep groundhogs from digging under your house?

You really need to install an exclusion barrier, a steel mesh fence, that goes all the way around the perimeter of the shed or deck. It needs to go at least 18 inches underground, with the bottom curving outward, to stop diggers like groundhogs from just digging underneath.

Can groundhogs cause sinkholes?

And, according to Gibble, groundhog holes can start the sinkhole process as well. "If a lot of surface water can get to that area, the water will go toward the low spot and, over time, things can settle."

What smells do groundhogs hate?

Since groundhogs have a strong sense of smell, you can use predator urine, putrescent eggs, garlic, black pepper, onion, mustard, hot sauce, geranium oil, and garlic oil to repel them from your property.

How many times a year do groundhogs have babies?

Breeding season takes place after hibernation ends in approximately March, depending on geographic area and environmental temperatures. There is a single groundhog litter born each year for each female and the gestation period is approximately 30 days. Groundhogs can deliver up to five offspring at a time.

Do groundhogs roam at night?

Do groundhogs ever come out at night? Groundhogs sleep at night and are active during the day because they are diurnal. While they are diurnal animals and the large majority of activity is in the day, they may rarely be seen after dark. So it isn't totally unheard of to see a groundhog out at night, just not common.

How many babies does a groundhog have?

Pregnancy goes by fast for them. Groundhog mating season is in the early spring and, after only a month-long pregnancy, mother groundhogs typically give birth to a litter of two to six blind, hairless babies.

How do I keep groundhogs from digging under my shed?

What animals dig up lawns at night?

If this has happened to you, you probably immediately wondered what is digging up your lawn at night. Raccoons and skunks are two common grub-eating nocturnal culprits for digging in yards.

Will human urine keep groundhogs away?

Groundhog can't tolerate the smell of human urine and this is why it is one of the best repellents to eliminate these rodents from the garden. Collect human urine in a bottle and sprinkle it in every few days in the entrance of their burrow, they will definitely leave the place.

Will mothballs keep groundhogs away?

Do Mothballs Keep Groundhogs Away? Groundhogs hate the smell of mothballs, but the truth is, they are just not strong enough to scare these rodents away. Some people report mild levels of success, but most people say mothballs don't work at all.

Can groundhogs climb fences?

Fence Them Out: Groundhogs can jump short fences and tunnel under others, so it's important to do this right. Buy chicken wire (at least six feet tall) and five-foot posts.