Groundhog Control & Removal

Groundhogs, also known as woodchucks, are large, ground-dwelling rodents. Adults average about ten pounds. They are strictly vegetarians. Groundogs dig large, complex, interconnecting burrows. They are excellent & prolific diggers. Each spring, a female gives birth to 4-6 young. Groundhogs are true hibernators in the northern parts of their range. The spring emergence always occurs exactly on February 2nd. Oftentimes the groundhog will engage in a behavior known as shadow spotting. Well, perhaps that's not true, but they do emerge in he springtime and resume their digging patterns.

Nuisance concerns: The primary problem encountered with groundhogs involves their propensity to dig. They can and do move a lot of dirt, and when this digging occurs near a human structure, such as under a concrete deck, the absence of supporting dirt can lead to a vulnerable foundation prone to cracking. The secondary concern is the groundhog's appetite, and the damage it can cause to crops.  Many people wish to remove this animal before their garden is destroyed.  Like all rodents, the groundhog's teeth grown continually, and thus this mammal must gnaw, but this isn't usually a problem for property owners.

The best way to handle a woodchuck problem is via trapping and removal.  If you try to simply fill in their burrows, they will dig their way out.  If you attempt to use a repellent, the animals will either ignore it or simply dig elsewhere.  There's really no solution outside of trapping and removal.

Wondering how to get rid of groundhogs? There is no magic spray or device that you can use to make them go away. Some people try to sell predator urine, such as coyote or fox urine to get rid of woodchucks, but that doesn't work. They also try to sell ultrasonic sound emitters. These devices are worthless at eliminating groundhogs. Some old wives' tales recommend the use of mothballs or ammonia-soaked rags to make them leave, but I've been to countless homes where these techniques failed - biologists know that these attempts won't work. The ONE AND ONLY WAY to take care of your problem is with trapping and removal of the animals. If you need to find a professional trapper in your hometown, just click our comprehensive list of hundreds of wildlife removal professionals, and you can have your problem quickly taken care of!

This woodchuck was captured by my good friend Bruce, who lives on Massachusetts. The critter was digging under his porch and eating his plants, and he finally decided that it had to go. He called me to ask for my expert advice. I carefully described a trap consisting of an apple under cardboard box propped up by a stick to which a string is tied. Bruce is so trusting, that he set up said configuration, and waited many frustrating hours patiently waiting for the groundhog to ...click for more

Here is are example emails that I received regarding groundhog control problem:

Hello, i came across your website after i had a very unusual encounter with a groundhog. I just moved to Pennsylvania and i live around a lot of open land. My car (a Honda CRV) is always parked outside on the driveway. Today i had just walked out of my garage and saw a Groundhog under my car and I love animals so of course what do i do, i stand there n watch it instead of scare it away! i was so excited at first until i saw it climb up into my car! i tried tapping the outside of my car to scare him loose. when that didn't work i opened the hood of my car. i saw it laying under the engine somewhere. i tried blowing on it but that didn't work. so finally i called an animal control number i found in the phone book and i asked for suggestions. the man told me to pour water on it. so i grabbed a cup n splashed it with water. He got out after that happened but even after he was still hanging around the bottom of my car. he wasn't too scarred to leave. at one point he even got back up onto my tire while i was right near by. Now maybe it was because he was scarred and he just wanted to be sheltered but I'm still concerned its because he's a little too comfortable there! (LOL) I'm nervous he will come back. is there any suggestions or tips you might have to either detour or prevent the critter from coming back into my car?! if so i would GREATLY appreciate it. I'm just scarred one day I'm going to get into my car to go somewhere and hurt him or run him over. also i wouldn't be too thrilled if he chewed or gnawed any wires. thank you very much! Susan

Hello, my name is Lori and I am sending a message regarding a woodchuck living at my parents house. He has apparently made a home underneath their shed in the backyard. But my mother is not happy about his choice in eating her flowers. We do have a trap and that we could use to transport him to another area, but I am concerned about the possibility of young ones. Can you tell me how to find out if there are any young? And what can I put in the trap in order to catch him/her? I want to do it the best possible way for the groundhog. I don't believe in hurting or stressing any animal. Can you tell me the best thing to do is? Thanks for your help. Lori