Shane Atwood 10/6/25
Everyone who has ever had a food related establishment or garden knows about the groundhog, or woodchuck. These little brown guys may look like cute plush teddies, but they know their way around a garden. They love digging holes that can twist ankles if you aren’t careful, and are able to climb short trees and can even fight dogs. It’s well known that they’re a menace to anyone’s garden, so this blog post will show you how to get rid of them.
First off, you need to identify how they dig holes, and luckily, there’s a formula for it. According to the article “10 Ideas for How to Get Rid of Groundhogs”, the formula’s like this:
“Groundhogs dig tunnels in the same relative fashion each time: They use their short front legs to dig inward for a few feet, then dig at a slight upward incline before going horizontal for up to 25 feet. Their burrows, where groundhogs spend most of their time, can be 50 feet long.”
And now that we’ve identified the method to their madness, we can now find ways to humanely get rid of those little buggers. The same article I mentioned above lists 10 ways, very apt for its title I might add. They list predator urine, epsom salt, commercial repellent, motion sensing sprinklers, row covers and fencing, natural repellents, habitat removal, hair clippings, groundhog nest removal, and trapping and relocating them. Killing them is highly discouraged, but allowed as a very last resort. However poison and lethal traps are never the answer. Also, killing these guys is illegal in many areas, so make sure you know the law of the land before becoming Butcher Boy.
And there you have it. Now you know how to identify groundhog burrows, save your garden, and not harm them. Now, it’s your turn. Go out, grow a garden, and plant a ton of fruits and vegetables. Fear nothing, for now you know to get rid of those ground hogs until February 2nd. Enjoy yourselves!
Source: https://www.facebook.com/thespruceofficial. “The Best Ways to Rid Your Yard of Groundhogs.” The Spruce, 2024, www.thespruce.com/groundhog-damage-in-yard-2131141.