CritterChatter™ Blog
Controlling Woodchucks Before they Control your Yard
Woodchucks, or more commonly referred to as groundhogs, are the largest member of the squirrel family. These little critters are just beginning to be problem this month, as it is the beginning of spring and waiting to take care of these little problems would be unwise.
While woodchucks can seem fairly cute and virtually harmless, they can cause foundational damage for homes and garages, as well as possible damage to pools with their excavating.
Woodchucks can also be frustrating to a gardener and with gardening season upon us, you may find something else gets to your fruits and vegetables before you do. That something could have been a woodchuck, since they love plants. They also tend to enjoy bark and are attracted to places where woodlands meet open spaces and fields – where all their favorite food could potentially be.
If you think your yard problems could be attributed to woodchucks there are a couple specific things you can look for. Woodchucks like to claw things, so look at tree bark for claw marking. Also look for trampled or eaten plants and large burrow openings of 8 to 12 inches with mounds of dirt in front of the hole called a "porch."
With the large agricultural influence in the Midwest, woodchucks have a field-day in the rural areas. They feed on alfalfa, clovers, fruit tree and ornamental shrubs, soybeans, beans, squash, peas and other garden plants. Their mounds can also slow or damage mechanical harvesting equipment.
So be on the lookout for woodchucks this month. This is also the time of year females have their litters of around 6 or so, so they will be looking for food and safety for themselves and their young. While you shouldn’t try to take care of your woodchuck problem yourself, you can attempt to prevent against the potential problem by planting flowers that could be woodchuck-resistant. Fences around gardens and sheds are helpful along with a good old-fashion scarecrow.
It's important to never take care of this critter problem yourself with traps, toxins or other chemicals. Woodchucks have the potential to carry diseases, just like other wild animals. But if you do have an issue, do not let it persist or you may have no plants left in your garden and serious structural damage to your home.
