Temporary Ground Hogs
 

A few days ago, I found my lettuce and beans eaten. All of it in one night. Next day, I saw the most adorable and profoundly stupid baby ground hog in the yard. Its siblings were nearby. They were just small enough to fit through the mesh of the deer fence.

My fix was to pile dried grass and weeds (all of which I have plenty) against the inside of the fence to a height of about 10-12". Now they can't easily access an open mesh entry/exit. It's not a very
strong barrier, just a visual one.

It only has to hold up until they're too big to fit through the holes. Then I'll have almost a year to put up some chicken wire or other smaller mesh to deter next year's babies.

Nan

Groundhogs also known as woodchucks. If it weren't for television and the internet, I wouldn't have a clue about them. I know moles, voles, and things that dig tunnels ("Holes" would have rhymed, but wouldn't be accurate) I know about squirrels, but never had one bothering the gardens. They ate your lettuce and beans, so they must be a pain for us gardeners.

I would like to know more about them - that's part of why I replied.

Lots of groundhogs here... They really are cute (but destructive)! Today an enormous one ran pell-mell through the yard; I didn't know something so round could run so fast! (A hawk was circling overhead.) To deter them from using my garden as an all-you-can-eat buffet, I use a combination of Repels-All, Liquid Fence, and deer netting, but disguising the scent of your garden goodies with garlic, cayenne pepper, and epsom salt reportedly works, too.

Sorry to hear that, Nan; they have been a terrible problem for me. Adults, at least, can just snip through plastic fencing so you need metal mesh. I have battled them for years and finally put up 4 foot metal fencing (2x3"), with 12" of chicken wire (1" mesh) at the bottom. At the bottom, the fencing goes below ground and bends out in an L shape and is weighted by cinder blocks so they can't go under as easily. Think Maginot line when you build defenses against these destructive animals. Good luck!

[QUOTE=PhilaGardener;702891]Sorry to hear that, Nan; they have been a terrible problem for me. Adults, at least, can just snip through plastic fencing so you need metal mesh. I have battled them for years and finally put up 4 foot metal fencing (2x3"), with 12" of chicken wire (1" mesh) at the bottom. At the bottom, the fencing goes below ground and bends out in an L shape and is weighted by cinder blocks so they can't go under as easily. [COLOR=Red] Think Maginot line when you build defenses against these destructive animals.[/COLOR] Good luck![/QUOTE]

It might ought to be better than the Magiot line or they will just go around it.:))

Historically one of the biggest wastes of time money and manpower any country ever came up with.

Now back to our regularly scheduled groundhog thread.:roll:

Worth

terrible creatures! I know no one wants to hear... "Shoot them" but they are a seriously destructive pest. not only the damage to the garden the burrowing and homes they make are detrimental to large animals ( falling in and breaking a leg) farm equipment can break hitting a hole and people can step in a hole and hurt themselves if not beak something. they dig under barns and foundations under decks etc... I am not Walt Disney turning any of these pests human with cute little faces and dialog between us and them. Farmers ask people to come shoot them in their fields.

Salt, I am not sure that you have woodchucks in TX. I think that people here view them similarly as Texans do armadillos. They dig holes all over the place. The ARE somewhat cute but can cause a lot of damage and really do not have any natural enemies other than dogs and cars so they seem to overpopulate. The adults are the size of a small dog or a large cat.

I have had them taking bites of my tomatoes in the summer when it is really hot and dry but usually they do not bother my garden too much and they stay out in the fields eating grass and weeds. The main reason that farmers hate them is that their holes are not highly visible in fields and farm equipment can break axles or animals such as cows and horses can break a leg by stepping into one.

The holes that they make are fairly flat and do not have a big pile of dirt beside it to make it more noticeable and they usually have several entrance and exit holes in one tunnel system.

[QUOTE=PhilaGardener;702891]Think Maginot line when you build defenses against these destructive animals. Good luck![/QUOTE]

Not to split hairs, but the Maginot line was over engineered, really expensive, and a terrible defense when it was actually needed :-)

[QUOTE=clkeiper;702893]terrible creatures! I know no one wants to hear... "Shoot them" but they are a seriously destructive pest. not only the damage to the garden the burrowing and homes they make are detrimental to large animals ( falling in and breaking a leg) farm equipment can break hitting a hole and people can step in a hole and hurt themselves if not beak something. they dig under barns and foundations under decks etc... I am not Walt Disney turning any of these pests human with cute little faces and dialog between us and them. Farmers ask people to come shoot them in their fields.[/QUOTE]

I have shot mine.:?:
It's either that or have to shoot a horse when it's broken a leg from stepping into a 16" diameter entry hole. And those tunnels run deep.

I have almost done the same and would have broken my femur. Not pretty.:cry:

They are truly a menace to life and limb.:x

Had the excavator come last summer and dig out each burrow with the backhoe.
Literally dug out 20+ burrows in the pastures.
So far, no sign of anyone returning...

Back in the day, I had chicken wire fencing all the way around my large garden area to keep rabbits out. It was a constant struggle to keep it maintained and find where they made a hole to get under etc. Then one year I had it kept up really good, the mother rabbit brought her tiny one and got it into the "safe space" to live the good life. :roll: Yep even through chicken wire. :no:
Nowadays I have my vegetables in small beds and only those areas are fenced and/or covered. Rabbits come and go, eat grass, oregano or whatever perennials they like, and they don't bother the small areas that are protected.
Anyhoo I wouldn't discount the cleverness of mother animals, to get their young into a protected fenced area. Finer mesh is a good idea.

I live in the city and there are 2 (that I have seen) adult groundhogs that have burrows within 100 yds of my house. The lady next door loves having them next to her property. She moved here after retiring from the CA state govt about 3 years ago and is a nice lady. She came over last week excitedly knocking on our door wanting to show my the 4 baby armadillos that were digging up her flower bed. She was so excited and happy. She looked at them as natures pets. I wasn't quite as thrilled. As long as they don't start tearing up my garden and flower beds I will leave them alone. But I won't be too sad if I see them sleeping in the middle of the road.

[QUOTE=bower;702899]Back in the day, I had chicken wire fencing all the way around my large garden area to keep rabbits out. It was a constant struggle to keep it maintained and find where they made a hole to get under etc. Then one year I had it kept up really good, the mother rabbit brought her tiny one and got it into the "safe space" to live the good life. :roll: Yep even through chicken wire. :no:...[/QUOTE]About a week ago, DH saw the big mama ground hog hanging around outside our garden. She was doing just what you said: leading her babies to a safe buffet.
Nan

Resource Utilization
 

For those who may embrace the lethal route: [URL]http://wildliferecipes.net/Game_recipes/Small_game_recipes/Woodchuck_recipes/index.asp[/URL] . (Never tried this species, but rodents—rabbits and squirrels, as examples—can be delicious.)

Fly tiers will be very interested in the fur.

Remainders can be composted to feed plants next year.

Interesting. Normally I catch them and release them in a wild area. But this would involve mama & 3 babies if I wanted to get rid of them.

Nan

Groundhogs will eat a garden quicker than a family of deer. If you don't fence plan on feeding them. They are difficult to live trap but conibear traps work well over active burrows. They feed during daylight hours so they are easy to pattern. I've found the 11AM to 2PM time frame is a good time to set up and wait. They are smart and spook very easily. Lead from 30 yards out does the job.

A groundhog is a marmot as well as the prairie dog and other related ground squirrels.
It is thought that this is where the original black death came from in areas of Asia from fleas on marmots ending up on rats and then people.
[url]https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yersinia_pestis[/url]

Worth

[QUOTE=Worth1;703007]A groundhog is a marmot as well as the prairie dog and other related ground squirrels.
It is thought that this is where the original black death came from in areas of Asia from fleas on marmots ending up on rats and then people.
[URL]https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yersinia_pestis[/URL]

Worth[/QUOTE]


Not quite.



A ground hog is in the marmot genus, as [URL="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Groundhog"]Groundhog[/URL], woodchuck, or whistlepig, [I]M. monax[/I] found in most of North America, but prairie dogs are in the family [B]Prairie dogs[/B] (genus [I][B]Cynomys[/B][/I]), which has 5 species.



[url]https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marmot[/url]


[url]https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prairie_dog[/url]

Bjbebs-I just use the plain cage-type with the spring loaded door. I put them on the ground hog's path to my garden, baited with carrots. They get caught easily. The biggest problems with these traps are: 1.) raccoons often get caught instead, and 2.) when I'm done, I have a live ground hog to get rid of.

You're right about either fence or feed 'em. They're worse than deer in that deer are picky. Ground hogs will eat almost anything.
Nan

[QUOTE=Nan_PA_6b;703023]Bjbebs-I just use the plain cage-type with the spring loaded door. I put them on the ground hog's path to my garden, baited with carrots. They get caught easily. The biggest problems with these traps are: 1.) raccoons often get caught instead, and 2.) when I'm done, I have a live ground hog to get rid of.

You're right about either fence or feed 'em. They're worse than deer in that deer are picky. Ground hogs will eat almost anything.
Nan[/QUOTE]

My groundhogs are picky! They wait until the largest, prettiest tomatoes on my vines start to blush, then pick them off and eat a few bites, then just leave most of the tomato on the ground take me even madder! They never touch the ugly deformed cat faced tomatoes. I have my garden fenced which does keep the deer out, but unless you have the posts real close together, they just force their way under the fence. Even with part of my garden fenced with 6' privacy fence, they dig under it. Last summer my wife was in the kitchen and saw one in my garden. I went out on my deck and there was a large groundhog standing up on its back legs holding a nice tomato in its front paws looking straight at me eating away.

I have effectively used smoke bombs in the past, but all of the burrows are on neighbors property and they will not let me kill them.

The burrows here are on the neighbor's property, too. I put up the deer fence and they dug under, so I dug a trench at the fence line & sunk a low fence down into the ground. Not very deep, just 2-6", but it's enough to discourage the 'hogs. Also my fence is surrounded by weeds on the outside making it harder for them to dig through the roots to go under. (Yeah, that's why I have weeds there...) At the gate, I laid deer fence on the ground so they can't dig under that part. It's now pressed into the dirt so we don't trip over it.
Nan

[QUOTE=Nan_PA_6b;703048]The burrows here are on the neighbor's property, too. I put up the deer fence and they dug under, so I dug a trench at the fence line & sunk a low fence down into the ground. Not very deep, just 2-6", but it's enough to discourage the 'hogs. Also my fence is surrounded by weeds on the outside making it harder for them to dig through the roots to go under. (Yeah, that's why I have weeds there...) At the gate, I laid deer fence on the ground so they can't dig under that part. It's now pressed into the dirt so we don't trip over it.
Nan[/QUOTE]

My garden is rather large and it cost quite a bit to fence it. At this point, I have come to the realization that the critters are going to get their share. I plant extra with that in mind. Doesn't make it any less frustrating, but that is just the way I handle it. I too left the wire fence untrimmed, but they still find a way to get in. I see the groundhogs daily in fields around my garden, but they have not invaded my garden yet this year-once the tomatoes start coming in, so will they.

I too do not fence and grow enough to share to a point. Unfortunately they don't play fair. At the first sighting, they're fair game.

For those that do use fencing remember groundhogs are excellent climbers. I've seen them go up a tree many times. Not sure how they would approach a floppy wire fence

They haven't climbed my 8' deer fence...yet.


Nan

I have an electric fence hot wire I can run along the top if they get ideas. It was the year they got in an ate all my heirloom bean varieties that I got serious about perimeter control. It wasn't inexpensive or easy.



Yes, the problem with live traps is that when you catch one you have to do something with it, and I don't want to pass problems on to others!

[QUOTE=PhilaGardener;703083]


Yes, the problem with live traps is that when you catch one you have to do something with it, and I don't want to pass problems on to others![/QUOTE]

thank you. Here in Ohio it is actually not permitted to "pass along" nuisance animals yet people do it all the time... grrr! you must have permission of the land owner to do so, except for raccoons... you must kill them. that helps prevent the spread of rabies.

I have used this system for years after a local trapper helped me get rid of groundhogs. The first summer I used this kind of trap we caught 13 groundhogs! Last summer it was 12. They are quick and more merciful than the old leg traps we used to have. Shooting is too risky because you never know where a bullet might ricochet off of since the hogs are often next to our outbuildings when spotted. These are not for the faint of heart but they work and using the tool to set them makes it easier since the spring is hard and the tool gives you the leverage. We use the same hole over and over as groundhogs are attracted to the smell of previous groundhogs. Reusing a hole prevents having to search for the new ones which may be in an awkward site to get to easily.
Check out this site if you are not opposed to a final solution but don’t want to shoot or cart them off to torment a neighbor down the road!
[url]http://www.setngotrapper.com/[/url]

Groundhogs in the garden are serious. We usually get 1-2 young a year when mama chases them out of the den. The nearest farm field is a scant 200 yds and we have a pear tree heavy with fruit then, in late July or August. They need to be taken care of, as they are more destructive than anything else to a garden. They will get in your squash patch and take one bite from each and every butternut until they find one they like. Of course, they won't like the taste of any, and so will ruin them all.

I ran across this solar powered pest repellent. I have no idea if it is effective but I thought of this thread when I saw it.

[url]https://www.solarfairyledlight.com/products/solar-powered-pest-repeller[/url]

Has anyone had those sonic things work?

[QUOTE=Nan_PA_6b;703170]Has anyone had those sonic things work?[/QUOTE]

I have no experience with that particular model, but I did try something similar to this in my basement:

[FONT=Calibri][URL]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yZIy0lRxvPY[/URL][/FONT]

[FONT=Calibri]It was worthless.[/FONT]
[FONT=Calibri]Every spring, I use live catch traps for my groundhogs. I then relocate the rodents, and I am usually good until next spring. I find that relocating them 4 to 6 inches is ideal, providing you go in the proper direction.[/FONT]
[FONT=Calibri]Be sure to either close, or lock open, your traps before sundown; it is a nuisance to have to deal with non-target critters in the morning, like skunks or possums. [/FONT]

[FONT=Calibri]Jim[/FONT]