Groundhogs might seem cute, but they can quickly turn your garden or lawn into a mess. With their insatiable appetites and extensive burrowing, a single groundhog can consume up to one pound of your crops daily and turn your landscaping into a maze of tunnels.
Use our guide to learn how to identify and get rid of groundhogs that have taken up residence on your property. We break down everything from spotting the signs to using humane removal methods to protect your garden from these furry intruders.
What Do Groundhogs Look Like?
Groundhogs are large rodents with short legs and bushy tails. These critters are about two feet long, weigh up to 14 pounds, and move close to the ground. Their fur is mostly brown and they have small ears, black eyes, and prominent noses.
Typical Groundhog Behaviors
Groundhogs are voracious herbivores that live underground in burrows. These rodents hibernate in the winter and set up their homes in meadows, pastures, crop fields, and lawns near the woods. You’ll probably see them in tall weeds, grasses, and gardens since they eat plants and veggies.
Groundhogs hibernate from October until February, when they usually start breeding. They’re most active when preparing for hibernation and build dens under sheds and barns. An adult woodchuck can eat more than 1 pound of vegetation a day, which can ruin crops and lawns. Groundhogs often build dens under sheds and barns where they can easily access food.
Groundhogs warn each other of encroaching danger with high-pitched whistles, which is why they’re often called “whistle pigs.”
Signs of Groundhogs
Groundhogs use their thick claws to dig burrows and networks of tunnels. These underground spaces can have up to three holes that function as burrow entrances and tunnels that are 25 feet long. Groundhogs use these areas as living spaces and latrines.
You probably won’t get a clear image of these lairs, but watch for large mounds of dirt that indicate the presence of burrows. Chewed-up vegetation is another sign that groundhogs might be in your area. Groundhogs love fruits like cantaloupes and vegetables like tomatoes, cucumbers, zucchini, corn, alfalfa, cabbage, and peas.
Additional signs that groundhogs are nearby include scratching and digging across your lawn and flower beds. You’re most likely to see a groundhog foraging for food in the early morning or during the evening. They’re timid animals, so watch from a distance as you gather details about the potential location of a burrow.
Identifying signs of a groundhog burrow will help you set into motion a successful removal plan.
Pro Tip
- Groundhogs—also known as woodchucks—both stand on their hind feet to eat, reaching 16 to 20 inches above ground. This distinguishes their feeding damage from that of rabbits, which chomp away at bark and vegetation from ground level to about a foot above ground. Noting the height of the damage on your plants can help you confirm which pest you’re dealing with.
Read more: How To Keep Plant-Eating Animals Away From Your Garden
Groundhog Removal Strategies
Identify specific goals when it comes time to plan out groundhog removal and seek humane options whenever possible.
DIY Groundhog Removal
Homeowners can remove groundhogs from their properties using one of the methods below. Before you start on a do-it-yourself (DIY) mission, make sure that a new litter of groundhogs isn’t living in the burrow. The best time for DIY groundhog eviction is generally between early July and late September.
Place heavy wire fencing strategically to prevent groundhogs from entering gardens and areas beneath porches or sheds. Fences should be made of durable material such as hardware cloth and need to be at least 3 feet tall. Bury the lower portion of the fence at least 1 foot underground and make sure it’s secure so that groundhogs can’t penetrate the barrier.
Remove tall vegetation and any other coverings that groundhogs use to protect their burrows. This method is less successful if groundhogs’ homes are firmly established or if there are ample food sources nearby.
Try placing foul-smelling items such as castor oil, crushed garlic, cayenne pepper, mothballs, chives, talcum powder, or blood meal around groundhog dens. You can also mimic a predator by spreading soiled cat litter or urine from coyotes or bobcats around groundhog burrows. Tossing human hair clippings around your garden may also be effective at keeping groundhogs away.
Trapping and relocating groundhogs at least 5 miles away from your property is the most effective way to get rid of them. You can buy groundhog traps at your local home improvement or farm supply store. Once you’ve trapped a groundhog, move the animal while it’s still inside the trap to another location.
If you set a trap, you’re responsible for removing the captured groundhog. Those who don’t want to take the animal themselves may be able to get it removed by the division of wildlife.
Pro Tip
- According to This Old House Magazine, when using a live trap for groundhogs, toss a blanket over the trap to keep the animal docile while transporting it. And make sure to drive at least 10 miles from your house before releasing the animal—farther than the commonly cited 5-mile minimum—to reduce the chance it finds its way back.
Professional Groundhog Removal
If you’re uncomfortable using DIY methods to remove groundhogs, consider getting assistance from a pest control specialist. A wildlife professional has the resources necessary to access groundhog burrows and take action to remove their inhabitants.
The cost of professional groundhog removal ranges from $150–$300. The method of removal, location of the burrow, and transportation needs may change the overall cost.
Professional groundhog removal methods include the following:
- Fumigation: Exterminators can seal off groundhog burrows and use gas cartridges to fill tunnels with gas. This approach kills groundhogs and doesn’t require body removal. You’ll need to make sure that lethal removal tactics are legal in your location.
- Live trap and relocation: Professionals can lure groundhogs into traps using fruits and vegetables as bait and then relocate them to a new home.
- Repellent: Groundhog control specialists can apply repellent granules or sprays around your home’s perimeter, near the groundhog’s habitat, and inside burrows. Groundhog repellents are typically nontoxic, but only professionals should handle them. This service may require more than one visit.
Professional exterminators may also offer groundhog removal through lethal trapping, but this is typically only used as a last resort. If you’re hoping to remove gophers, raccoons, marmots, skunks, chipmunks, or voles in addition to groundhogs, an expert can easily take care of both.
Pro Tip
- If you choose the repellent route, be aware that most products are labeled to last about 30 days — but a single rainstorm can wash them away, requiring reapplication. As one wildlife expert noted on a This Old House segment, “If you go with the repellent, know that you’re gonna have to stay on it and keep at it again and again and again.” Factor in these repeat visits when considering the overall cost of repellent-based removal.
Note: The cost data in this section and throughout this guide was sourced from Angi, HomeGuide, and Fixr.
Groundhog Prevention Methods
Once you’ve gotten groundhogs away from your property, take preventive measures to keep them at a distance. Consider the following strategies:
Remove Habitat
Remove items that protect the entrances to groundhogs’ burrows or tunnels such as woodpiles, low-hanging shrubs, compost piles, and tall grass. This will encourage returning groundhogs to find somewhere else to go.
Close Burrows
You can close tunnels permanently once the groundhogs have been removed. Bury a panel of welded wire, which is similar to chicken wire, over each entrance hole. The electric wire will also work to keep groundhogs away. Make sure it’s at least 1 foot deep and pin it down with landscape staples.
Use Repellents
Deter groundhogs with hated scents such as castor oil, used kitty litter, crushed garlic, cayenne pepper, talcum powder, and blood meal. You can also purchase predator urine from your local home improvement store and spray it around your yard. Groundhogs will think of your lawn as a dangerous place if they smell one of these odors in the area.
Pro Tip
- Leaving a wide buffer of mowed grass around your garden can further discourage groundhogs, because the open exposure makes them vulnerable to predators like hawks and foxes. As This Old House Magazine has noted, removing brush and woodpiles, mowing tall grass, and clearing growth from under shrubs and trees eliminates the sheltered access that groundhogs and other small creatures rely on to feel safe while foraging.
Our Conclusion
Groundhogs are cute but could cause substantial damage around your home or farm. Their lengthy tunnel systems are large enough to sink tire tractors, and they can cause foundation damage to your home. Try to remedy your yard’s groundhog problem with humane DIY methods of removal, or call in professionals for help. Complete the groundhog-removal process by putting preventive measures into place to keep groundhogs away from your property for the long haul.
FAQs About Groundhog Removal
How do you get a groundhog to leave?
You can get a groundhog to leave with prevention methods such as applying repellents or changing habitats. Trapping and relocation may be necessary if the groundhog’s home is especially stable.
What do groundhogs absolutely hate?
Groundhogs absolutely hate strong smells such as ammonia, garlic vinegar, lavender, mint, Epsom salts, cayenne, and talcum powder.
How do I get rid of a groundhog under my shed?
You can get rid of a groundhog under your shed by spraying strong-smelling repellents around it. If that doesn’t work, try using a live trap.
How do you plug a groundhog hole?
To plug a groundhog hole, cut mesh into 3-by-3-foot squares and bury them one foot deep at the entry point to each burrow. Make sure that burrows are unoccupied before plugging holes.
