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Getting Rid of Groundhogs

August 29, 2013

Here's what we do to drive groundhogs away from structures (house, shed, propane tank, etc.): Dump dirty kitty litter into the hole. The groundhog leaves the area for sweeter smelling options and no critter is harmed! Try it!


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14 Questions

Here are the questions asked by community members. Read on to see the answers provided by the ThriftyFun community.

July 3, 2012

My neighbor has a wood pile on pallets that this very large ground hog lives under. This ground hog is eating my flowers all the time. He especially likes marigolds. I need to get rid of it with out a whole lot of expense.

By Kathy P

Answers

July 4, 20120 found this helpful

Well you could trap the critter in a hav a heart trap and relocate him to another location. They sell them at hardware stores and the trap needed for a ground hog would cost about $50. Or maybe getting rid of the pile of pallets may also help. Of course someone will suggest mothballs that are useless.

 
April 19, 20160 found this helpful

Ground hogs are too smart to go into traps.

 
May 25, 20170 found this helpful

Maybe some are, but I recently caught and relocated two using a trap. Used cantelope as bate.

 
July 17, 20170 found this helpful

sorry to disagree, but I have trapped 2 groundhogs over the years with a large animal trap (rented from animal rescue league). put a piece of cantalope in one, and 2 very ripe tomatoes in the other. just took a day for each one.

 
July 31, 20170 found this helpful

No, theyre not. The key is to know what youre doing!
After having tried things (moth balls, fox urine, product in store for these critters), the trap is the ONLY thing thats working.

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DO NOT handle it with your bare hands. Good idea, if rain coming let sit in yard a few days. Dont touch bait with bare hands either. Ive been using pieces of watermelon, cantalope. My neighbor has even baited with a soft cookie. Put leaves in bottom of trap so it feels like regular ground (to critter) as it goes in. I set a lil trail whereby once following it ways to get away are limited. Has wirked great so far-4 and a raccoon. Key is dont handle trap, bait with hands use gloves.

 
September 17, 20170 found this helpful

I have been told repeatedly that empty a cats litter box down their burrow works very well but you have to do it to all of their openings. They don't like the smell. After they are gone fill in their holes first with gravel then dirt. I'm going to try it!!

 
October 13, 20170 found this helpful

Put cantaloupe rinds with a thin layer of fruit after you cut it into the back end of the trap. That has trapped many groundhogs for me.

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Put the trap in a large bag and attach to your exhaust pipe. Kills them in about 5 min. In pa you are not suppose to relocate them.

 
June 24, 20180 found this helpful

Not really. We have trapped several in a large hav-a-heart trap baited with cabbage leaves and apples.

 
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August 14, 2015

We have serious groundhog problem. I have seen solutions suggesting ammonia rags, used cat litter, etc. I am not sure if this will work with our pests, as they have burrowed into our sand mound septic system.

There are huge burrows. Help please!

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Bronze Answer Medal for All Time! 220 Answers
August 15, 20150 found this helpful

From your description, you have much more than a DIY groundhog problem! I suggest a pest removal company ASAP as they may have already damaged your septic system.

 

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August 15, 20150 found this helpful

Try using Juicy fruit gum. You chew it just until soft. Poke a hole in their run or hole and drop in. They are lured by the scent.They eat it and can't digest the gum so it kills them.

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You can also use caster oil poured into the run or even spread around and down the hole. They don't like the smell and leave. This also works for moles.

 
August 15, 20150 found this helpful

I'm pretty sure the gum thing is an old wives' tale. Humans can't digest gum either, but it just passes through our systems undigested.

 
April 23, 20170 found this helpful

it actually works for moles I know. tried it many times.

 
July 31, 20180 found this helpful

Gum does work.

 
December 30, 20180 found this helpful

How cruel...Juicy fruit gum? I have woodchucks and I would never allow them to suffer that way> Very inhumane...

 
May 4, 20190 found this helpful

I actually have used the juicy fruit method. They could "digest it"... but they actually die bc they choke on it first. Not exactly humane in my opinion- but it was a last resort.

 
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April 23, 2012

Will throwing mothballs down the hole chase them out?

By Herb from Highspire, PA

Answers

April 24, 20121 found this helpful

Some people put a lot of faith in mothballs. I don't. The critters either move them or just go around them. I think I would buy a have-a-heart trap. When you have them in the trap take them for a ride about 10 miles and release them.

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I don't have ground hogs but I do that with other critters on my property. I can't get rid of them completely but I can controll the population. With 290 acres of woods behind my property it is impossible.

 
April 24, 20120 found this helpful

Put a T-post in the ground tie on a string and something that will bang against the post when the wind blows, like a tin can or pop can- moles and shrews don't like vibrations.

I found that out from an elderly man at a nursing home who used to farm ground all over Bee, Nebraska he was a very successful farmer. he said that when he was a kid his dad gave him a penny for each mole hole he could rid the mole from. Back in the olden days a penny could buy a 3 pieces of candy!

 
July 2, 20160 found this helpful

Just caught the two under my shed two at once I took lettuce made a small trail into cage making sure to put a huge piece on the part that closes the cage put it out at 11am had them caught by 1 the eat around those hours we took them left them go miles away from my house and anyone else's good luck just remember they sleep at night up all day

 
 
Anonymous
July 6, 20160 found this helpful

Just caught the two under my shed two at once I took lettuce made a small trail into cage making sure to put a huge piece on the part that closes the cage put it out at 11am had them caught by 1 the eat around those hours we took them left them go miles away from my house and anyone else's good luck just remember they sleep at night up all day

 
July 22, 20160 found this helpful

Will putting mothballs under the ramp and deck chase them out

 
Anonymous
March 13, 20180 found this helpful

Groundhogs will not relocate they will die you might as well just kill him

 
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June 15, 2009

How do I deter a pair of groundhogs that are living under my shed? I don't want to trap and release them, nor do I want anyone to kill them. Is there anything I can throw down into their hole to make them relocate?

By Kim McGrantham from NJ

Answers

June 16, 20091 found this helpful

You're going to think this is crazy but, go to a store like Big R, Rural king, etc. that sells hunting supplies. Buy a bottle of fox urine. Take it home a put on some cotton balls and place inside a knee hi pantyhose or something like that. I suppose a pillow case or even on an old rag would work. Put whatever you put the fox urine on in the hole or around where the groundhog are.

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They will leave. We did this ourselves when we had a groundhog under the concrete in one of our outbuildings. He left and has never been back. They are scared of foxes! The item was less than $10. I found this somewhere on the internet. Hope it helps you.

 
June 17, 20090 found this helpful

Moth balls do it every time, and they don't hurt the animal that you are trying to rid yourself of, they just get going elsewhere

Chile

 
June 17, 20090 found this helpful

We have used this method and it works, hope you have a cat or know someone that does! After locating their holes, they may have 3 holes,dump a box of used kitty litter in the hole and cover with something heavy like a patio block. The critters will move on to better digs.

 
April 19, 20160 found this helpful

unfortunately killing them is the only solution. A hound dog or border collie or lab should be able to kill them for you or shoot them. There is no other solution to get rid of them which is sad because they are cute and furry and just trying to eat.

 
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April 12, 2013

How would I get rid of a groundhog that lives in my basement?

By Trina N

Answers

April 15, 20130 found this helpful

Go to your local barber or hairdresser and ask them for the clippings from when they do hair cuts. Spread this around in your basement and the critter should leave immediately going out the same way it came in. We use this method around our storage building from time to time and we no longer have any groundhogs living under it. Hope this helps.

 

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April 16, 20130 found this helpful

Mouse or rat poison, perhaps?

 
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June 30, 2012

How can I get rid of ground hogs? I have a family of 4 under my shed.

By Denise

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June 30, 20120 found this helpful

I haven't actually tried this, but I've heard that some wild critters will move away if you play loud obnoxious music near them. Of course it may also be hard on you and your neighbors, and unless there is a way to block up entrances, they may return.

 
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June 24, 2011

I am looking for a home remedy to get rid of groundhogs. They ate all my parsley and lettuce. I've tried the things that they sell at the store; it didn't work. I hope someone can help me. Thank you.

By Rocco

Answers

June 24, 20110 found this helpful

Okay, as a vetern of many groundhog invasions I can offer some advice. However, I am sorry to say that the best way to stop a gourndhog is to remopve it from your property, either humanely or not. These animals do not share or stop feeding.

That said, here are some tips that work for awhile at least;
1. Fence the garden, dig down about a foot to bury the fence to discourage the citter. You may also consider electric fence, a string about 2 inches above the ground gives a shock to the nose that won't wound, but still trains them to stay away.

2. Black pepper, ground up and sprinkled liberally. The smell can make some animals sneeze which they dislike. Red pepper flakes work for more persistent animals, but this must be reapplied after rain.

3. Have your dog or a friend's dog wander round the garden at least once a week. The smell of a predator will often discourage the groundhog.

These are techniques that I've used successfully in the past, sadly though some groundhogs will go to great lengths to eat your garden.

Good Luck!

 
June 28, 20110 found this helpful

I've dealt with groundhogs/woodchucks for years, and the only thing that worked for me was to remove them from the property like the previous poster stated, then I made sure where they were living was covered with chicken wire, so no new ones could move back in.

They usually eat within a short distance of where they are living, so I'd suggest figuring out where that is, then set up a live trap in front of the hole they have dug. Generally they are living under a shed, garage, porch, deck, something like that where they can dig under it pretty easily.

Once you are sure that you've caught them all, staple chicken wire to the base of each outbuilding on your property, lift the sod in front of it, about a foot, then lay the chicken wire under the sod. This will prevent them from digging close to the building.

I have never found peppers or repellants to work, and you have to be careful what you use around food crops.

Fencing your garden would work, if you can prevent them from digging under the fence. Good luck!

 
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June 26, 2007

How do I keep groundhogs from eating my sunflowers?

Sandy from Bluff City, TN

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July 1, 20070 found this helpful

I have often heard to throw moth ball al over the lawn it will keep all rodents away

 
By Kim (Guest Post)
July 3, 20071 found this helpful

We have pocket gophers where I live. I'm not sure if this will work for groundhogs because they tend to come outside more. Are they eating the roots or the stems? But I bought this thing called a mole chaser. It's like a metal windmind looking thing. You put it on a metal hollow pole in the ground. It vibrates the ground and the underground critters don't like it. I have a big garden and one mole chaser right in the center works to keep those pocket gophers at bay. FYI- The sonic sound things don't work.

 
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August 13, 2014

I would like to know how to keep woodchucks out of my garden.

By Rose

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Silver Post Medal for All Time! 255 Posts
April 21, 20190 found this helpful

I have used, with success, the battery operated ultrasonic vibrating repeal ants. They run them off.

 
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April 14, 2009

How do I get rid of woodchucks in my yard?

By MaryArmstrong from Charlotte, MI

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Anonymous
Bronze Feedback Medal for All Time! 112 Feedbacks
April 17, 20090 found this helpful

You can use a trap to catch them alive:
gardening.yardener.com/DispatchTheWoodchuck.html

You can use gas cartridges to kill them.
You can fence an area to keep them out of a garden or other area, but you can only use certain types of fence at least a certain height and buried a certain depth in the ground.

 
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February 28, 2013

I have a fenced-in garden, but still the woodchucks are finding their way into my garden by climbing over the fence. Does anyone have any suggestions for keeping these animals away from my vegetables? I would hate to give up gardening because of these critters.

By Emily R.

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June 15, 2009

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