What Are Groundhogs?
Groundhogs are burrowing animals who belong to the squirrel family of marmots. These digging pests are also called woodchucks. They are mostly found in all the parts of North America, Canada, and Alaska. It is a lowland animal that spends most of its time underground.
Groundhogs have four large incisors that they use to eat their food.
Moreover, they have claws which they use to dig burrow holes. They are large rodents and can grow as much as 22 inches in length. Furthermore, the weight of this animal ranges from 2 to 6.3 kg.
How To Distinguish Grounds from Other Burrowing Rodents?
Groundhogs find diverse similarities to other burrowing animals like gophers and moles. They have large incisors as that of gophers. Moreover, one may find their claws similar to that of moles.
However, you must be able to identify this animal from the other animals to find a suitable solution. The color of incisors of a groundhog is white or ivory white. On the other hand, the color of a gopher’s incisors is yellow.
A groundhog hole is also a good way to distinguish it from other small animals. The entrance hole of a groundhog’s tunnel is very large compared to other animals’ burrow holes. Moreover, the tunnel is as deep as 30 feet.
The teeth marks of a groundhog on the rotten fruits may also identify them from other rodents. They leave an inclined mark of teeth on the fruits and vegetables.
Do Groundhogs Hibernate?
Interestingly, a groundhog is the only animal in the rodent family that hibernates. This animal hibernates during the whole of winter by sleeping in its tunnels. Groundhogs spend their winter from October to March hibernating.
During hibernation, the heartbeat of these animals falls to four beats per minute. Moreover, their body temperature also drops while they sleep deep in their tunnel system.
Can Groundhogs Swim?
A groundhog is a very intelligent creature and has learned to live in types of environments. It has learned the art of adaption, which means that it can survive in all environmental conditions.
A groundhog is an expert swimmer and can swim long distances. This is the property not associated with the other rodents of the same family.
Are Groundhogs Good at Climbing?
Amazingly, groundhogs are excellent climbers too. These animals have diverse features that make them stand apart from the other members of their family. They can climb a tree in a matter of a few seconds.
Usually, a groundhog only climbs a tree for a food source. The other possible reason for climbing a tree is that this animal wants to escape a predator. They can dodge their predators by climbing trees.
Where Do Groundhogs Live?
Groundhogs prefer to live in a wooded area of a garden or lawn. Most individuals dig a burrow for their home. This burrow can be up to three meters deep and three meters wide, with more than a dozen entrances.
Unlike most small animals, males and females don’t live together. Instead, males visit and introduce themselves to females to find a mate in the spring.
What Is the Lifecycle of a Groundhog?
On average, a groundhog can live up to 6 years. However, the maximum lifespan of groundhogs has been recorded at 14 years. During hibernation, a groundhog loses one-fourth of its body weight while sleeping in burrows.
Woodchucks mate during early spring giving birth to baby woodchucks. A female woodchuck can do two to nine litters during the mating season. A litter of a woodchuck has three to six babies. Therefore, the population of woodchucks increases at an exponential rate.
The babies of a woodchuck stay with the mother for the first two to three months. After that, they move out to make their burrows.
How To Identify Groundhogs Burrow?
You can identify the burrows of a groundhog by its size.
The burrow of a groundhog is far greater than the other pests of the burrowing family. Furthermore, there are no mounds outside the burrows as that of moles and gophers.
What Is a Groundhog Day?
Groundhog Day is a North American traditional festival celebrated on February 2 of every year. This day marks the assumption when the groundhog wakes up from its hibernation period.
According to the natives, it is the day when the groundhog comes out of its den at the start of spring.
Why Are Groundhogs Called Whistle Pigs?
Groundhogs are great social animals since they communicate very well with other groundhogs. A groundhog makes a whistling sound to alert other groundhogs in the presence of potential danger or a predator.
The whistling sound is a unique attribute of the groundhog. Due to this, it is also called a whistling pig.
Do Woodchucks Chuck Wood?
It has been a misconception among the masses that groundhogs chuck wood, and that is why they are called woodchucks. However, that is far away from reality.
A groundhog chuck soft and moist soil of a lawn or garden at a very speedy pace. It is an excellent excavator, and therefore, it can chuck 35 cubic feet of dirt in a single go.
What Do Groundhogs Love to Eat?
Groundhogs are herbivorous, and they love to feed on plants on a lawn. Mostly, they love to eat sweet plants like tomatoes. Furthermore, they also eat corn, peas, and the roots of other plants.
The grass is one of the favorite foods for groundhogs, and they will cut down the grass of a garden within a few minutes. These unwanted creatures can clear the grass of a garden without making a noise.
What Attract Groundhogs to Your Garden?
The presence of vegetable and fruit plants is the major attraction for groundhogs. Furthermore, the wooden area within your garden is also a good shelter for groundhogs since they love to dig tunnels underneath garage sheds or wooden fences.
Is Groundhog Infestation a Severe Problem?
Infestation is a major groundhog problem since these pesky creatures can multiply in numbers within a short period. Moreover, they can dig your whole garden and create sinkholes.
A groundhog can dig deep tunnels beneath the foundations of a house. Therefore, it can cause structural damage. Hence, a groundhog problem can worsen with time once this creature finds shelter on your property.
How Groundhogs Damage Your Garden?
These unwanted animals can cause immense damage to your garden and property. They can eat plants from stem to roots in a matter of a few minutes.
Furthermore, they can cause trip hazards all around your property by digging a huge network of tunnels. The groundhogs love to make their den underneath the foundations and wooden fences of a garage.
Therefore, it can cause severe structural damage to the building and may result in settlement. Hence, it is pertinent to implement groundhog removal strategies to clean your house from these creatures.
What Is a Sonic Groundhog Repellent?
A sonic groundhog repellent is a solar charge device that uses ultrasonic pulses to get rid of groundhogs. A groundhog repellent is a natural and humane pest control method. It is similar in function and characteristics to that of a gopher repellent.
A gopher repellent has a long rod of 12 to 14 inches in length with a solar panel attached on top of it. The solar charge panel of this gopher repellent takes energy from sunlight to power the rechargeable battery.
The unique formula of this device emits a series of high-intensity sound waves. These waves are extremely disturbing for these animals since they have sensitive ears.
Resultantly, they live the premises as this gopher repellent emits sound waves after every 30 seconds, which irritates these unwanted creatures.
How Does a Groundhog Repellent Work?
The ultrasonic solar stakes work by emitting a series of high-frequency sound waves every 30 seconds. These deterrents work the best for keeping groundhogs at arm’s length from your property.
The best groundhog repellents work by taking advantage of the weakness of groundhogs. The weakness of these pesky creatures is their sensitive hearing sense. The gopher repellent can ward off unwanted pesky creatures in a matter of a few days.
The gopher repellent works in a circular pattern and emits sound waves throughout the tunnel system of these animals below the ground.
How To Install a Sonic Groundhog Repellent?
It is very easy to install a groundhog repellent. This pest control method is the easiest to implement as compared to other methods. You only have to plug the rod of these groundhog repellents inside the ground.
Furthermore, while plugging the groundhog repellents inside the ground, you must be careful to ensure that the sunlight falls directly on the solar charge panels. In this way, it will keep on operating without any interval.
Make sure to plug it straight into the ground and near the holes of burrows to get the best results.
Does A Sonic Repellent Cost-Effective Solution?
Yes, this sonic repellent is the cost-effective pest control method to get rid of unwanted creatures. It is a less costly pest control method, and you can get a free quote from any shop of a local exterminator.
Furthermore, there are no maintenance issues for this repellent, and it is a cost-effective solution in the long run.
What Is the Average Coverage Area of a Sonic Repeller?
The coverage area of a sonic repeller ranges from 550 square feet to 2,000 square feet. The coverage area varies as per the brand available in markets. You can go online to get a free quote for many different brands with different coverage areas.
How Long Does a Sonic Repeller Last?
The repellent works on the solar power rechargeable battery by using solar energy.
A fully charged repellent can go on for 5-7 days. However, the practical experiments show that it last long if installed correctly on the ground facing sunlight.
Do Sonic Groundhog Repellents Work on All the Rodents?
Yes, this repellent works on all rodents since these creatures have sensitive ears. This repellent can work equally great on moles, gophers, and rats alike. You have to install this repellent near the openings of tunnels.
After installation, you have to wait for some days, and it will irritate the unwanted pests so much that they will leave the premises of your property.
What Are the Advantages of Using Sonic Spike to Deter Groundhogs?
This repellent has countless benefits owing to its ease to use and higher effectiveness. Let us mark some of the important benefits of this repellent.
- This pest control method does not use harmful chemicals.
- It is an environmentally friendly instrument used to get rid of unwanted burrowing intruders.
- It is a non-toxic and humane method to get rid of burrowing creatures.
- The device is one of the best groundhog repellents recommended by a local exterminator.
- It is very easy to install just by inserting its rod in the ground.
- It works on all types of unwanted pesky creatures.
- This is a time-saving product and is very easy to install.
Do Sound Repellents Work on Groundhogs?
Yes, it works on groundhogs effectively.
These pesky creatures hate high-frequency noise that can irritate them so much that they run away from the premises.
These marmots have sensitive ears and cannot withstand the high-intensity sounds of repellents.
Does Thanos Repel All Work on Groundhogs?
Yes, Thanos sonic groundhog repellent works on all groundhogs without any discrimination. It is one of the best and non-toxic instruments to get rid of these unwanted creatures.
The repellent has an extraordinary coverage area spanning 2,000 square feet. Moreover, it will repel these unwanted pesky animals from your yard within two to three weeks.
Can You Use Castor Oil as A Repellent for Groundhogs?
The use of castor oil pellets is the best and most natural method to ward off these creatures. Groundhogs hate the unpleasant smells. The smell of castor oil makes them go crazy.
All you need to do is pour castor oil into a spray bottle. After that, sprinkle it all over the turf. The primary ingredient of castor oil has a smell that these animals do not like. Therefore, they will move away from the property.
This method has a few shortcomings since you have to reapply it again and again. A rainfall may wash away the effect of castor oil. Hence, you have to apply it again after regular intervals.
Can A Cat Litter Scare Groundhogs?
Cat is one of the topmost predators of these pesky creatures. The presence of a predator nearby is enough to scare them away. Therefore, you can use cat litter to scare these unwanted guests from your yard.
Cat litter odor drives them crazy, and they leave the property out of fear.
Is Gas Cartridge an Effective Repellent to Get Rid of Groundhogs?
A gas cartridge is another fraction of natural ingredients. The active ingredients of a cartridge include carbon monoxide, which is a deadly killer of these unwanted intruders.
You have to light these cartridges of all-natural ingredients and throw them down the tunnel of a groundhog. After that, plug the hole so that it may not escape.
After some time, you will see that it will kill those filthy creatures. These all-natural ingredients have a long-lasting impact on these pesky intruders.
Are Gas Bombs a Good Solution to Repel Groundhogs?
The presence of a gas bomb is yet another bad news for the groundhogs. It consists of ammonia and other gases. Once you throw it inside the tunnel, plug the opening of the tunnel so that the animal might not escape.
Within the next few minutes, it will kill these unwanted creatures.
Can Poisonous Peanuts be Effective to Kill Groundhogs?
Gopher poison peanuts are another easy way to get rid of these unwanted marmots. It is actually a trap to lure them into eating that peanut butter coated with poison.
The marmots love peanut butter and can come running from a long distance by the smell of it. Therefore, this is an effective trap to lure them using peanut butter. However, you must read the information contained in ad policies before using this method.
Another drawback of this method is that it can be equally harmful and deadly for your pets and kids.
Is Flooding a Groundhog’s Burrows Worthy?
Flooding the tunnels of gophers by using a garden hose has been a classic method. However, using a garden hose to flood the tunnels can make things worse. The tunnel system of these marmots is very complex and sprawls over a large area.
Therefore, flooding the tunnels may develop sinkholes in your beautiful turf. Moreover, it can also damage the foundations of your house.
Is Pepper Spray Good to Ward Off Groundhogs from Your Garden?
Yes, pepper is the ingredient that these marmots hate among all other natural products. Therefore, you can use this pepper and spray it all over your garden. Repeat the process for a couple of days, and you will see splendid results.
The marmots will run away smelling the pepper on your property and will never come back. The only con of this methodology is that you have to apply it again and again.
How Much a Trap Is Effective Against Groundhog Infestation?
A trap is another way to punish these intruders. The use of a trap is a classic technique. However, this method is not much favorable since it is inhumane. Moreover, it requires a lot of time since you may have to change the location of a trap again and again.
Therefore, this method is not recommended to control the infestation of marmots.
Can Fencing Protect Your Garden from Groundhogs?
No, fencing will not protect your garden. Groundhogs can both climb the fence and make a tunnel underneath to come inside your property. Therefore, fencing is not a good idea when dealing with these marmots.
What Is the Best Non-Toxic Method to Deter Groundhogs?
The best non-toxic method to ward off groundhogs from your property is by using a sonic repellent. The sonic repellent is a humane method and is also safe even if your pets or kids are around.
Moreover, it is a very effective method in the long run.
How to Get Rid of Groundhogs? Final Thoughts
Groundhogs are a major headache since their population can increase once they have found a shelter in your home. They can turn your property into a devastating piece of land within a very short period.
Therefore, it is very crucial to control these marmots. The best and most effective way to do this is by using sonic repellent. The sonic repellent will kick these creatures out of your property once and for all.