9 Expert-Approved Tips For Getting Rid Of Groundhogs

Whether you call them woodchucks, whistle pigs, ground pigs, or groundhogs, these large ground squirrels can be a real nuisance in your yard and garden. “Groundhogs eat whatever is available and most nutritious,” says Sheldon Owen, PhD, wildlife extension specialist at West Virginia University. “They consume large quantities of herbaceous vegetation, especially fruits and vegetables. But they’ll also eat clover, bark, and landscape plants.”

Groundhogs live in an extensive underground system. “They are fantastic burrowers,” says Wesley Anderson, PhD, assistant professor at Auburn University and wildlife extension specialist at the Alabama Coop Extension System. “Their burrows can cause infrastructure issues when they dig under a shed, deck, patio, or sidewalk. The holes also can be a risk to people or livestock that may fall in and break a leg.”

Once found only in the Upper and Mid-South, groundhogs have expanded their range in recent years as far south as central Alabama and northern Mississippi. “They’re often mistaken for beavers or nutria by homeowners who haven’t seen one before,” says Anderson. 

Identifying Groundhogs

Groundhogs are large rodents, weighing up to about 14 pounds and measuring up to 2 feet long. They have gray-brown or gray-red fur on stout bodies, short legs, clawed feet, and a small brushy tail. Like all rodents, they have large incisors

Groundhogs prefer to live near pastures, along the edges of woods, along roadsides, near undeveloped areas of neighborhoods, or under sheds or structures. Their home range is anywhere from a ½ acre to 2.5 acres, depending on competition from others and the availability of food, says Owen.

You may see the main entrances to their burrows, which are 10 to 12-inches in diameter. The burrow systems may reach 30 feet in length with multiple entrances, says Owen. When these stocky-looking animals are startled, they make a loud whistling noise (thus one of their common names!) before diving into the nearest hole.

Active during the day, groundhogs rarely travel far from a protective burrow to forage and dine. If you see a woodchuck on your property, they probably live nearby, says Anderson. They’re also not likely to leave any time soon if the eating is good in your yard.

How To Get Rid Of Groundhogs

Whether or not you believe groundhogs can predict spring’s arrival (they’re actually not very good at it, with one study finding they have about a 50 percent success rate!), these voracious rodents can take a toll on your garden in a hurry. Here’s how to discourage them from making your garden an all-you-can-eat buffet:

• Identify the culprit. Set up a game cam if you haven’t seen a woodchuck and aren’t sure what’s causing the damage, says Anderson.
• Fence your garden. This is the gold standard for keeping woodchucks out, says Owen. They are excellent climbers and diggers, so your fence must be 3 feet tall, with a 9 to 12-inch section bent over at the top away in an L-shape facing away from the garden and 12 inches buried underground or a section bent outward at the bottom to discourage digging. Use 2-inch woven wire to prevent young woodchucks from squeezing through.
• Consider an electric wire. A single strand of electrified wire fencing (it’s enough to discourage them but not hurt them) is another good option set at 4 to 5 inches above ground, says Anderson.
• Try repellents. “They have questionable effectiveness,” says Owen. “But it doesn’t hurt to try them. Just don’t rely on them.”
• Use 2-inch woven wire fence to screen off access under porches and decks. If you’re having issues with groundhogs burrowing under structures, you can attempt to block access to the area with fencing or cinder blocks, says Owen. Just make sure the animal isn’t under there.
• Consider using scare devices, such as a motion-activated garden sprayer, which shoots the animal with a burst of water. But you’ll need to keep moving it because once a woodchuck figures out there’s nothing to fear, it will ignore it, says Anderson.
• Forget about sonic devices, essential oils, pet waste, and human hair. They have not been shown to be effective, says Owen.
• Do not trap and release groundhogs elsewhere. It is illegal in most states, and it’s not humane because the animals often die due to lack of resources or stress, says Anderson.
• For pesky groundhogs, you may need to hire a nuisance wildlife specialist for removal.

Are Groundhogs Dangerous?

Groundhogs do carry parasites, such as fleas and ticks. Like all mammals, they also are susceptible to rabies. In addition, although they startle easily and would rather flee than fight, they will defend themselves if cornered. “They have large incisors and strong claws that are used for digging so they can seriously injure a dog by biting and scratching,” says Owen.

Do Groundhogs Hibernate?

Groundhogs are one of the largest mammals that hibernate every year. In late summer and early fall, groundhogs start chowing down even more vigorously to prepare themselves for hibernation, when a groundhog will lose up to 30 percent of its body weight. By late fall, they enter their burrows, and their metabolism slows. They survive winter on their fat reserves, awakening in February or March when it’s time for mating season, says Anderson.