No, it’s not Groundhog Day, but those pesky critters just keep coming back to your garden, wreaking havoc on your carefully tended plants.
Did you know that a single groundhog, also known as a woodchuck or whistle pig, can consume over a pound of vegetation per day?1 These voracious appetites can quickly decimate your yard.
But before you reach for harsh chemicals, consider these 18 creative and humane ways to send those groundhogs packing.
1. Sprinkle Spices They Despise
Groundhogs can’t stand the taste and smell of certain spices. Mix together pepper, cayenne, and tabasco to create a potent groundhog repellent. Sprinkle this spicy blend around your garden and yard to keep them away.
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2. Harness the Power of Predator Urine
While it may sound unconventional, spraying your property with predator urine like coyote or fox can scare off groundhogs. They’ll think twice about sticking around if they smell their natural enemies nearby.
3. Give Them a Hairy Scare
Believe it or not, groundhogs are afraid of human hair. Collect clippings from your local barber or salon and scatter them at the entrances to groundhog burrows and around your garden. The scent will make them think twice about trespassing.
4. Create a Colorful Obstacle Course
Groundhogs don’t like bright, vivid colors. Place colorful toys, beach balls, aluminum pans, or CDs around your yard and garden. The flashes of color and movement will startle them and encourage them to find a new hangout.
5. Whip Up a Castor Oil Cocktail
Mix half a cup of castor oil with two cups of water and spray it in and around groundhog burrows. They can’t stand the smell and will soon vacate the premises. Persistence is key – you may need to reapply for a few days.
6. Employ the Stench of Mothballs
While mothballs can be dangerous for pets and kids, they are very effective at repelling groundhogs when used carefully. The strong naphthalene odor drives them away even at low concentrations.
7. Illuminate Their Escape Route
Install motion-activated lights to surprise groundhogs with a spotlight whenever they venture into your yard. The sudden brightness will send them scampering away to darker pastures.
8. Fertilize with a Side of Deterrent
Blood meal is an organic fertilizer that doubles as a groundhog repellent. Sprinkle it around the perimeter of your garden, focusing on common entry points. The nitrogen boost is great for plants, and the smell keeps groundhogs at bay.
9. Trap & Relocate Humanely
Live traps allow you to safely catch groundhogs and release them in a wooded area far from your home. Bait the trap with apple slices, carrots, or lettuce. Check traps frequently and relocate groundhogs at least 5 miles away.
10. Bombard Burrows with Sudsy Ammonia
Mix 1 part ammonia with 3 parts water plus a squirt of dish soap to create a potent groundhog repellent. Pour it down their burrow entrances to create fumes they can’t tolerate. Add castor oil and cayenne for extra impact.
11. Befriend Furry Enforcers
Encourage your dog or cat to patrol your yard and garden. Groundhogs see them as predators and will often steer clear if they regularly smell their presence. You can even collect dog or cat fur and sprinkle it around groundhog hot spots.
12. Barricade with Underground Fencing
While regular fences won’t deter digging groundhogs, sinking your fence two feet underground creates an impenetrable barrier. Use sturdy wire fencing or hardware cloth and bury it at least 12 inches deep around the perimeter of your garden.
13. Sow Smelly Herbs They Shun
Plant strongly scented herbs like mint, sage, basil, rosemary, thyme, and oregano around your garden. Groundhogs dislike their powerful fragrances and will often avoid areas where these herbs grow abundantly.
14. Wage Psychological Warfare with Windchimes
Believe it or not, the noise from windchimes or playing music outside can be unsettling to groundhogs. The unpredictable sounds make them skittish, encouraging them to find quieter digs elsewhere.
15. Fumigate with Noxious Gas
Locate all groundhog burrow entrances except one. Light a gas cartridge or run a hose from your car exhaust and direct the fumes into the open hole. Quickly seal it to trap the groundhog inside with the carbon monoxide until it flees or perishes.
16. Douse Dens with Unpleasant Liquids
In addition to ammonia, groundhogs despise the smell of garlic and castor oil. Crush garlic and mix it with water and castor oil, then pour the solution down burrow entrances. Repeat for a few days until activity ceases.
17. Singe Feet with Agricultural Lime
Sprinkling agricultural lime around groundhog burrows and garden perimeters can help drive them away. The lime burns their feet when they walk across it, making your yard an uncomfortable place to hang out. Just be careful with pets.
18. Banish with Booming Vibrations
Create underground vibrations to scare groundhogs away from your property. You can purchase ultrasonic stakes that emit vibrations, or get creative by placing pinwheels, vibrating toys, or a radio near burrow entrances.
Source:
- https://blog.nwf.org/2011/01/10-things-you-may-not-know-about-groundhogs/
Davin is a jack-of-all-trades but has professional training and experience in various home and garden subjects. He leans on other experts when needed and edits and fact-checks all articles.