Groundhog Identification & Prevention

What are groundhogs?

Groundhogs, commonly known as woodchucks, are large rodents recognized for their tunneling behavior and winter tradition of acting as weather forecasters. This rodent is larger than most pests, growing between 16 and 22 inches long and weighing up to 13 pounds. They have compact bodies with brown fur, short tails, and curved claws for digging their burrows.

Signs of groundhogs around your property include piles of dirt in outdoor areas, destroyed vegetable gardens or vegetation, and sightings of these pests around dawn or dusk. Although, on occasion, you may find them sunning themselves in the middle of the day. Groundhog control is essential if you want to get these pests off your property and out of your garden.

Are groundhogs dangerous?

Groundhogs are not known to be very aggressive, and they rarely attack humans, but this is a possibility if they are hiding around your property and trying to protect their young. If a groundhog scratches or bites you, you will need medical attention.

Groundhogs are mostly destructive to outdoor areas as a result of their underground tunneling and scavenging for food. A groundhog invasion may result in the destruction of vegetable gardens, outdoor foliage, and loose soil that ruins the health and appearance of your outdoor areas

Additionally, groundhogs may carry pests in their fur, like fleas and ticks, that fall off them and onto your property, creating troublesome infestations of their own.

Why do I have a groundhog problem?

Your property may be encouraging a groundhog problem by having plenty of fruits, vegetables, and flowers around within easy reach of hungry groundhogs. They may also be enjoying areas of moisture they can drink from and harborage areas such as piles of debris, overgrown foliage, or abandoned animal dens.

Where will I find groundhogs?

Groundhogs are almost always in outdoor areas burrowing or tunneling underground. You may notice loose soil, mounds, or dirt piles indicating these pests have moved in, and groundhog removal is necessary.

How do I get rid of groundhogs?

Professional groundhog control methods and prevention tactics for your property are essential to keep these destructive critters at bay.

The best way to get rid of groundhogs is to reach out to a professional groundhog pest control company. Our team at Mike's Pest, Termite and Wildlife Control is ready to help you with whatever your property needs to be free from groundhog invaders. We'll help protect your outdoor areas against groundhog destruction and return them to a peaceful, safe space.

How can I prevent groundhogs in the future?

Groundhog prevention, in addition to professional groundhog control, helps to keep these large nuisance pests off your property.

• Eliminate groundhog harborage areas around outdoor spaces, such as piles of debris, overgrown foliage, woodpiles, long grass, and abandoned animal dens.
• Elevate vegetable gardens and ensure they have a base underneath them that groundhogs cannot tunnel into to protect your plants from these hungry pests.
• Always pick up fallen fruit or other organic matter from outdoor spaces to stop the aroma from attracting groundhogs to your property.
• Spray a mixture of puréed hot peppers and garlic around the perimeter of your property to keep groundhogs away; the strong smell will deter them, and they will move in a different direction.
• Consider installing fencing around your property, making it several feet deep and a few feet high to stop groundhogs from burrowing or climbing into your outdoor spaces.

Reach out to Mike's Pest, Termite and Wildlife Control today for more advice or assistance removing groundhogs from your property.