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Woodchucks, also known as groundhogs, are large furry rodents that are brown with bushy tails, small ears, short legs, and curved claws.
These creatures can grow to be about 3 feet long and can weigh up to 14 pounds. Woodchucks' favorite foods include alfalfa, clover, peas, beans, lettuce, and cole crops.
How to Identify Woodchucks in your Garden
Woodchucks dig burrows to live in, so if you see any deep tunnels in your yard, under your deck, or near your foundation, you may have a woodchuck. Their burrow entrances are usually 10 to 12 inches wide with the excavated soil spread around the entrances. There are usually 2 or 3 entrances, so check around to make sure its a woodchuck's home. Woodchucks eat mostly during the early morning and afternoon, so try to see when your garden is receiving the most damage. These creatures will also gnaw and claw at fruit trees, so check your trees for any such marks.
How to Get Rid of Woodchucks
- Plant a line of garlic near the woodchuck's entrance.
- Sprinkle blood meal or talcum powder around your garden. You can also try using hair clippings as well.
- Put up a wire fence around your garden. Be sure to bury it about 10 to 12 inches deep in the soil so the critters can't burrow underneath it. Since woodchucks are agile, make sure the fence is at least 3 feet high.
- If you have persistent woodchuck problems, the best solution may be trapping. Set humane traps and release the creatures far away from your garden.
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Comments
What can I use to repel
What can I use to repel ground hogs that is safe for chickens to get into. We eat our hen eggs so I don't want us or the chickens to get sick. Our persistent groundhog found the new location of squash (all types). We do have a 4 foot fence but alas it is not buried.
It is my personal experience
It is my personal experience that there are only 3 things you can do with ground hogs;
#1) you live with them
#2) you shoot them for food-ONLY for food(good eating too!! there is a "how to" in farmer's Almanac)
#3) fence them off.
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Fencing them off does not have to be expensive. In the farmer's almanac it says to put the fencing 10'' - 12'' in the ground...I say that is not enough...18" to 24" would be best, and if you are going to put fencing in the ground, it had better be a very strong type of fencing(IE:chain link is best).
Check around at fencing dealers & see if they have any chain link fencing they want to unload. Some times you can get this for free or super cheap.
My personal favorite way to deal with Ground Hogs is to have them for dinner. This keeps the Ground Hog population down, feeds the family & is good for the farm as a whole.
A mesh fence buried a foot
A mesh fence buried a foot deep really is the best solution, but there are other options. Readers have told us that they've had luck with electric fencing. Have you tried the solutions above? Many of them are safe for chickens. Try planting a line of garlic near the entrance. Also, try spreading Grapefruit-sized clumps of dog and/or cat hair throughout planted areas. A dog or two would also help the situation. Best of luck!