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Woodchuck / Groundhog Removal and Control

Groundhogs are usually classified as a pest species due to their habits of digging and eating crops. The most common complaints include the following:

Large burrow next to home

Large burrow under deck

Garden/landscaping being eaten

For these reasons, many people wish to have this nuisance animal trapped and removed. They can be trapped in live cage traps, or special lethal traps mounted right on the burrow entrance.

GROUNDHOG BIOLOGY: Groundhogs (Marmota monax) are rodents, and adults average 8-10 pounds. They give birth in spring to 3-6 young. They can live up to six years in the wild. They are primarily herbivorous, eating a wide variety of plants.

GROUNDHOG BEHAVIOR: Grounhogs are diggers. They excavate tunnels and burrows underground, in which they live and raise young. The tunnel may have up to five entrances and 50 feet of total tunnel distance. They create a den to live in, and to hibernate in. They are primarily active during the daytime. They can climb and swim, but they mostly stay in fields, foraging. When they sense danger, they retreat for the tunnel. Woodchucks can create a wide variety of vocal noises. They grow fat during the summer, lethargic by autumn, and in winter, they hibernate. They emerge in spring and start the mating process.\

NUISANCE CONCERNS: Woodchucks are considered agricultural pests, since they love to eat a wide variety of crops. However, their burrowing habits often cause a bigger problem. Horses can break their legs by stepping into burrows, and when a groundhog digs under a house or deck, the removal of soil can undermine the foundation.

GROUNDHOG DISEASES: No important diseases associated with groundhogs. THAT WE ARE AWARE OF!

HOW DO I GET RID OF GROUNDHOGS? The best method is trapping and removal. If you simply block off their holes, they will dig them out again. They can't be poisoned. They can be live trapped in cage traps.

WHY CAN'T I JUST USE A REPELLENT? Many people try various repellents to get rid of groundhogs - everything from mothballs to fox or coyote urine. However, none of these are effective. The only sure means of woodchuck control is trapping and removal.