Groundhogs are also known as woodchucks and are basically giant rodents. They’re between one and two feet long and can weigh as much as 10 pounds. They dig quite impressive tunnels to live in. A groundhog burrow may have as many as five entrances and 45 feet of tunnels five feet under the ground! Groundhogs are primarily herbivorous creatures that munch on wild grass, berries, agricultural crops, clover, dandelions, and alfalfa. In your garden, groundhogs will eat your seedlings before they even have a chance to sprout. They eat a third of their weight in vegetation every day; so if a groundhog finds your garden, you can say goodbye to your veggies in a very short period of time!
To provide overhead stability for their underground cities, groundhogs tend to dig their burrows against structures – like your home, shed, or under your patio – and as a result, they can significantly compromise the structure of your property. As they’re digging around your yard, groundhogs move hundreds of pounds of soil. Your driveway or patio can cave in due to the tunnels groundhogs dig underneath.
You can help prevent groundhogs on your property by making your yard less attractive to them. Limiting sources of food and shelter will keep the groundhogs from settling into your property. You can do this by:
If you have abandoned groundhog burrows on your property, cover the entrances with wired fencing that you bury about one foot below ground level to prevent new groundhogs from moving in.
In NJ, PA, MD and DE, groundhogs are common pests that will eat everything in your garden in addition to causing potential structural damage to your home, patio, driveway, or shed. If you’re ready to protect your property and gardens from groundhogs, give Viking Pest Control a call. Our trained pest control specialists can provide garden pest control services to eliminate groundhogs (and other garden pests) with the use of humane traps and habitat modification.
Call Viking at 800-618-2847 to learn more about groundhog wildlife control services, or get a fast, free quote online today!