Humane Ways To Get Rid Of Groundhogs

I recently sat down with Liz Frieling, co-owner of Vanguard Wildlife Solutions, a veteran-owned and operated business providing strategic wildlife removal and repair solutions in Southern New England. She had this to say about humane ways to deter groundhogs from destroying your home and garden:

Exclusion is one of the key methods to deter groundhogs from your property. Other humane methods are examples of habitat modification, and we recommend using multiple methods in conjunction with one another to achieve the best results.

An example of exclusion that we do for groundhogs is called a Block Out, where we screen off the area around a shed, deck, porch, garden bed, etc. The screening is buried underground at a 90-degree angle to prevent wildlife from burrowing underneath.

Groundhogs don't stray far from their dens, so denying them access to shelter under a nearby structure can help keep them out of your garden.

Block outs:

- If you fence-in your garden, the fence should be installed at least a foot underground and we also recommend a Block Out of the perimeter to further prevent burrowing wildlife.

- Chicken wire does not work. We often remove damaged chicken wire that did not thwart burrowing animals. We use a PVC-coated hardware cloth that we bury underground at a 90-degree angle, so groundhogs are unable to burrow underneath.

Other Humane Methods:

- Add some new plants.: Placing plants that are undesirable to groundhogs around the perimeter of your garden can prevent groundhogs from nibbling on your crops, such as boxwoods, daffodils, or marigolds. Garlic, too. A list of groundhog resistant crops can be found here.

Gardeners may also plant "sacrifice crops" away from their garden to try and coax groundhogs away from their coveted crops.

Whenever you are choosing plants for your garden, always make sure they are native to your area – this will also provide better performance in the garden.

- Predator spray: Spraying the urine or pheromones of a predator higher in the food chain (i.e. coyote, bobcat) around the perimeter of your yard or garden can deter groundhogs and other wildlife. Gardeners should spray every couple of weeks on a dry day.

- Clean out clutter: Woodpiles, brush piles, and other overlooked yard debris can provide shelter for several unwanted pests, including groundhogs, skunks, and rats.

Epsom salt and other myths

- Epsom salt will not prevent wildlife and it can potentially cause damage to plants in high concentrations.

- Another myth we sometimes hear from our customers is pouring ammonia in a groundhog hole. Do not do this. It will not prevent wildlife and can potentially cause other ecological problems in your yard. Same for moth balls.

Conclusion:

There is no hard and fast way to deter groundhogs, otherwise we would all be doing it. However, using a couple different methods together can make your garden less palatable for these notorious nibblers. Gardeners interested in humane pest control in the garden should also look into permaculture methods.