What keeps groundhogs out?

[dconklin]

A friend of mine has been having a problem with ground hogs eating her broccoli and romaine lettuce. It is weird too because these ground hogs walk right past her neighbor's house (and they have the same vegetables) but then stop at her garden to eat. The families of groundhogs start out in a park in the morning (where you can usually spot them early) and then work their way over to her house. But like I mentioned, they walk right past her neighbor's garden and go to hers!

She has a fence around her garden but they dig. Is there a plant that can help keep them away maybe or something else? We are not sure why they pass the neighbor's garden with the same veggies but yet eat hers.

 

[Shellyann36]

In the past I have used Wrigleys spearmint gum for these little pests. Stick a few pieces of gum in one of their holes and they are attracted to the scent. They will eat it and die. Not pleasant for them but it will save your garden. If you have several of them put more than one piece of gum out.

 

[t.e.witt]

I have never tryed it but I have heard that if you dump used kitty litter in their hole they won't use it and leave.

 

[TheCrazyPlantLady]

That would be because of the ammonia in kitty litter - ammonia dumped in their nest when they are not home will make them abandon it, and really, who can blame them. The trouble is, that if the nest isn't in your neighbour's yard, and it sounds like it isn't, that isn't going to help her.

Groundhogs can slip through openings 3 inches by 4 inches wide, which means your neighbour needs to block any areas at the base of her fence, and around gates, that the groundhogs could slip through.

We had our first groundhog this year. The little guy was damn cute as well, but man, when he systematically ate every one of my kohlrabi, it was war! After much research, we abandoned the first idea, which was to quickly fence our vegetable garden, because of the hassle, so we devised a plan to block the entrances to his nest in our shed, except one for him to come out of, and block all the entrances to the yard, leaving one exit, then flush him from his nest and chase him out. Well, it worked better than expected because he was in the yard when we went out, and we herded him to the exit, and he was gone. But then you have to be diligent about keeping the entrances closed - a week later we left the gate open for a couple of hours, and he was straight back!

Hope your friend has some success with rousting her unwanted visitor!

 

[dconklin]

They are not living in her yard, they are mostly by the park. They just come through and eat out of her garden and leave. So we can't do anything to chase them out of their hole since we don't know where they are living. Her yard isn't fenced in but the garden is and they dig under the fence to get in.

Interesting to know about the gum, I wonder if she put it in her yard but away from the garden if it would work. She doesn't want to kill them tho, but she doesn't want them eating her veggies!

 

[Babble64]

I have a woodchuck pest problem, too! They are under our deck and the deck is built close to the ground. I would use the gum and kitty litter trick if I didn't think we would end up with a dead critter under our deck or stink up our relaxing spot with cat smell! Honestly, after two summers like this I'm tired enough of them to consider trying the kitty litter trick.

 

[zigs]

Has anyone used Bill Murray as a deterent?

 

[Shellyann36]

They are not living in her yard, they are mostly by the park. They just come through and eat out of her garden and leave. So we can't do anything to chase them out of their hole since we don't know where they are living. Her yard isn't fenced in but the garden is and they dig under the fence to get in.

Interesting to know about the gum, I wonder if she put it in her yard but away from the garden if it would work. She doesn't want to kill them tho, but she doesn't want them eating her veggies!

The gum will kill the one that eats it. When I heard about it the way it was explained was that the groundhog would eat the gum (they are really attracted to it because of the scent) and go back to his home and die. The gum makes his stomach stick together. For some reason after one of the family dies they will move out of the area. I had the problem and tried the gum and it worked for me. They did not die in my yard they went elsewhere to die.

I have a woodchuck pest problem, too! They are under our deck and the deck is built close to the ground. I would use the gum and kitty litter trick if I didn't think we would end up with a dead critter under our deck or stink up our relaxing spot with cat smell! Honestly, after two summers like this I'm tired enough of them to consider trying the kitty litter trick.

I have used the gum trick and they did not die in my yard they went back to their nest to die.

 

[dconklin]

The gum will kill the one that eats it. When I heard about it the way it was explained was that the groundhog would eat the gum (they are really attracted to it because of the scent) and go back to his home and die. The gum makes his stomach stick together. For some reason after one of the family dies they will move out of the area. I had the problem and tried the gum and it worked for me. They did not die in my yard they went elsewhere to die.




I have used the gum trick and they did not die in my yard they went back to their nest to die.

It sounds like this may be her best solution. She has tried many things and it just hasn't helped. I know she doesn't want to kill the little critter (who does really) but on the other hand, there are a bunch of them all around where she lives and they are eating all her broccoli and lettuce!

 

[Shellyann36]

It sounds like this may be her best solution. She has tried many things and it just hasn't helped. I know she doesn't want to kill the little critter (who does really) but on the other hand, there are a bunch of them all around where she lives and they are eating all her broccoli and lettuce!

Tell her to unwrap the gum and stick it into two or three holes and that should do it. Mine were gone within a week. They did not die near my home (or at least I never discovered them) and there was no smell. I was so happy to find this remedy.

 

[Babble64]

I bought some stuff from Country Max last night, sprinkled it all over the infested area and...then we had a downpour last night. Ours are living under our deck so if they die and go in there we are likely to have a smell beyond what we can deal with. But when we discovered that one had actually burrowed into the cellar...well, they HAVE to go. If this doesn't work, the gum might be our best bet. Then I can only hope they go somewhere else to die.

 

[Babble64]

Has anyone used Bill Murray as a deterent?

Well, I have considered the possible need for a professional, but I can't afford it. I'm thinking Bill Murray would be WAY beyond my budget....but it might be worth it, for the laughs!

 

[Shellyann36]

I bought some stuff from Country Max last night, sprinkled it all over the infested area and...then we had a downpour last night. Ours are living under our deck so if they die and go in there we are likely to have a smell beyond what we can deal with. But when we discovered that one had actually burrowed into the cellar...well, they HAVE to go. If this doesn't work, the gum might be our best bet. Then I can only hope they go somewhere else to die.

Yikes at them being under your deck and in the cellar. Good luck.

 

[Babble64]

Yikes at them being under your deck and in the cellar. Good luck.

I was SO hopeful! We sprinkled and sprayed repellent and I've seen only one since then...and when it fled it went AWAY from the deck. But my husband said he heard them under the deck the other evening....and he suspects they were busy making more woodchucks! GRRRR!!!

 

[Shellyann36]

I was SO hopeful! We sprinkled and sprayed repellent and I've seen only one since then...and when it fled it went AWAY from the deck. But my husband said he heard them under the deck the other evening....and he suspects they were busy making more woodchucks! GRRRR!!!

That is not good. I wonder how far down they are burrowed? I wish you the best of luck.