How to Get Rid of a Groundhog in Your Yard
Groundhogs are actually quite entertaining little fellas; although if you're an avid gardener you're probably not all that fond of them. They can decimate a vegetable garden in record time and do a number on your lawn as well. They belong to the squirrel family and are rather industrious little rodents.
Why Groundhogs Are Attracted to Your Yard
Since you've landed on this page, it's probably safe to assume that you have indeed groundhogs in your yard. But why? What makes your yard a place for groundhog activity and is there something you can do to convince them to move on? Let's find out!
Vegetable Garden
Yep, your vegetable garden is sure to get a grounhog's attention. They love to munch on broccoli, celery, squash, corn, peas, carrots, cabbage, and lettuce. Also, alfalfa, dandelions, and plantain are favorites. If you're a gardener, you'll definitely want to work on how to get rid of a groundhog.
Berries and Fruit Trees
So, you've got a lovely orchard? Well, your friendly neighbourhood groundhog will deeply appreciate your strawberries, blackberries, apples, cherries, mulberries, hackberries, and pears. Oh, and nuts and acorns make tasty groundhog treats, too!
Flower Garden
Your meticlous flower garden may also be a main attraction for the local groundhog. And somewhat suprisingly, flowers usually planted to keep pests away (like marigold) - well, that won't work for groundhogs. They're also partial to snapdragons, sunflowers, asters and many more flowers.
Signs of Groundhog Activity
Even if you haven't yet laid eyes on your backyard groundhog, there are signs! Oh, there are signs!
Burrows
As groundhogs spend most of their time underground, their burrows are vast and elaborate. Besides one main entrance, there may be one to four secondary entrances. A groundhog burrow will go down several feet, then incline back upward for a few feet. After that, it can go on horizontally for 15 - 25 feet. This quite ingenious design prevents the tunnel from flooding. The main tunnel will branch off into two to three side tunnels wich make up separate areas, for differnent purposes. One of these areas is used exclusively as a latrine. Groundhogs are very clean animasl and will deposit all of their waste in this latrine area. After a latrine is full, the area is sealed off and a new latrine area is dug. Occasionally, a groundhog may remove the dried excrement and bury it outside the burrow. This is why you are not likely to find any groundhog droppings on the surface. The other areas make up dens; this is where child rearing, sleeping, and hibernating happens.
Read more: How to Get Rid of a Groundhog in Your Yard
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