Woodchucks may not chuck wood, but they can do a lot of damage
Woodchucks are one of the most stubborn pests you might find in your yard or garden. They eat voraciously and love to tunnel under lawns, driveways, and building foundations, which can cause serious damage. However, if you suspect a woodchuck is living nearby, there are several strategies for dealing with them and minimizing that damage without harming the animals. Let’s go over how to keep woodchucks away from your home for good.
Woodchucks are commonly called groundhogs or whistle pigs, the latter name stemming from their high-pitched sounds. These medium-sized mammals have brownish-gray fur, weigh five to 10 pounds, and are roughly 16 to 20 inches long with a four- to seven-inch furry tail. They're primarily active from spring through fall and hibernate underground in the winter.
A woodchuck's diet consists mainly of plants, many of which can be found in household gardens. Foods they enjoy include apples, beans, cabbage, cucumbers, dandelions, grasses, tomatoes, zucchini, and much more.
If they have a reliable food source, woodchucks stay within 100 feet of their burrows.
Woodchucks usually live alone, though mothers with young will share a burrow. The average cost to remove a groundhog ranges from $150 to $200, depending on where the burrow is located and the method used to trap it.
Before you start thinking about wildlife removal costs, you'll need to confirm that you're actually dealing with woodchucks. There are several ways to identify a woodchuck infestation. You may spot them walking around your lawn or poking their head out of a burrow entrance. They're most active in the early morning or evening, which is when they tend to feed.
A common sign is missing or damaged vegetables. Woodchucks eat about a pound and a half of vegetation each day, so their impact on gardens is usually obvious. You may have a woodchuck on your hands if you notice missing or chewed-on plants or vegetables.
Woodchuck droppings are small, cylindrical, and dark in color. You may see them near burrow entrances or feeding areas.
Once a woodchuck has made its home, it sticks to its territory. Woodchucks tend to create well-worn pathways between their burrows and the places they feed. These paths may be noticeable as trampled grass or vegetation.
If you have a dog, you may notice it gets agitated or barks and digs at specific areas on your property. This could be a sign that your dog has picked up on the scent of a woodchuck.
Finally, you may notice burrow entrances. Woodchucks like to burrow in discreet spots, such as:
Along the edges of shrubs
Under wood piles, decks, or sheds
Along the walls of a house or porch
A woodchuck burrow entrance is about a foot across and may have a mound of soil built up around it. Secondary entrances usually lack a mound.
To keep woodchucks away from your home for good, use a combination of yard maintenance, repellents, and exclusion fencing. Here are some of the top woodchuck deterrents.
If you don't currently have a woodchuck infestation and you want to keep it that way, the first step is to make your property inhospitable for them by doing the following:
Routinely prune and mow to remove ground cover that woodchucks can eat or hide in
Harvest ripe fruits and vegetables right away
Pick up produce that may have fallen from trees or bushes
Remove brush, wood piles, and other potential hiding spots
Woodchucks have a strong sense of smell and are sensitive to certain natural irritants. Some of these can be spread on garden plants, while others can be spread around your property.
Predator urine is an effective woodchuck deterrent that creates the illusion of danger for them. Home improvement stores sell fox, coyote, wolf, and bobcat urine, though having pets urinate around your property can also do the trick. Likewise, spreading used kitty litter in and around burrow entrances may serve the same purpose.
Groundhogs dislike castor oil, blood meal, talcum powder, ammonia, and lime. If you want a food-safe option to spread on plants, you can spread cayenne powder, crushed red pepper flakes, or crushed garlic. Some stores sell chemical repellents that claim to work on groundhogs, but these tend to be ineffective.
No matter which repellents you choose, they won’t last permanently and must be routinely reapplied. Try different combinations of repellents in other areas to see which technique is most effective for your needs.
Rather than simply spread repellents, you can deter woodchucks by planting things they dislike. Woodchucks avoid the following plants due to their scents, tastes, or textures:
Herbs: Woodchucks dislike the strong smell of mint, oregano, and thyme
Allium: Crops such as onions, garlic, and chives also have a strong deterrent smell.
Chrysanthemums and marigolds: These flowers double as an insect repellent.
Roses: Roses have thorny branches that woodchucks won’t cross.
Holly and yucca: Rather than thorns, spiky leaves on these plants deter woodchucks.
Place these plants alongside one another in rows around the perimeter of areas you want to protect from woodchucks. You can also use repellent materials instead of mulch, such as pine needles and thorny branches, which are uncomfortable for groundhogs to walk on. Keep your natural barrier well-maintained and rotate plants to keep woodchucks from getting accustomed to them.
Despite higher material costs and labor requirements, fencing is the most effective method to keep woodchucks away. Build a fence from metal mesh with openings less than one inch wide. Make it at least three feet tall aboveground and one foot below ground. Bend the bottom six inches and the top foot of the fencing outward to prevent digging and climbing.
Some homeowners add electric fencing for extra protection. If you do this, ensure that you install a warning sign nearby to prevent injury.
Follow these steps to install exclusion fencing:
Plan the fenced area and gather your materials.
Mark fence post locations and ensure they're evenly spaced.
Dig a hole for each post with a post-hole digger or auger.
Insert the posts and secure them with soil, gravel, or concrete.
Unroll the fencing material taut along the perimeter and staple or clip it to the posts.
Install a gate as needed per the manufacturer's instructions.
There are other methods for preventing or removing woodchucks, but not all of them are safe or recommended. Some methods to avoid include:
Live traps: Trapping a woodchuck live then requires you to relocate it. This is often illegal, and handling a woodchuck yourself can be dangerous.
Kill traps: Kill traps are effective, but they often harm unintended targets, such as other animals, pets, and small children.
Poison bait: Like kill traps, poison bait can harm unintended targets. It is also inhumane since it kills the animal slowly.
Burn gas cartridges: Just like poison, these cartridges are considered inhumane since you’re releasing noxious gas into their burrows. This method is also dangerous because it involves flames, which could cause significant damage if near combustible materials.
While many homeowners attempt to keep woodchucks away on their own, there are situations in which the best approach is to contact a local wildlife control company.
Whether your DIY attempts have failed, you're dealing with a large population, or you're concerned about the safety of your family, pets, or property, professional animal control can take away the stress and labor involved in woodchuck mitigation.
On average, expect a total woodchuck removal cost between $150 and $200, though you may pay as much as $500 to have a large infestation removed.
The scents that groundhogs hate most include garlic, hot peppers such as cayenne, and various herbs such as rosemary, lavender, basil, mint, sage, thyme, and oregano. Planting these crops in or near your garden and by the entrances to groundhog burrows can help ward them off.
Groundhogs love to eat a variety of plant matter. This includes beans, peas, sunflowers, tender greens such as leafy vegetables, clover, dandelion, and alfalfa, and sweet fruits such as apples and berries. Groundhogs eat up to a pound and a half of plant matter each day, so household gardens often become their prime target.
No, woodchucks do not “chuck” or consume wood. They don’t even eat sticks or bark. Instead, they chuck large quantities of soil while constructing their extensive burrows. Woodchucks can displace roughly 35 cubic feet of dirt (equivalent to about 700 pounds) daily while building their underground burrows.
