The surest way to prevent moles, voles or groundhogs from coming back is to kill them. report. On top of the mounds are plug holes that seal the entrance and also act as a barricade for predators. 13 comments. We have to keep them in check they can clean off a lot of soybeans. How To Plug Groundhog Holes? Underground watering systems and wiring is often damaged by the pests as they burrow. Reply With Quote. Chipmunk holes are one notable example, and while the entrance to a burrow can be tiny, the tunnels can stretch a good 20 to 30 feet underground. At this point there is pretty much nothing you can do they are in hibernation. A trap can catch hold of the groundhogs and thus eradicate the problems. Burrows generally contain 2-5 entrance holes, each about 6-8 inches in diameter. If you have a groundhog living in your yard, you may notice large holes (i.e., burrow entrances) that start appearing on the surface of some areas of your yard. A groundhog (Marmota monax)—otherwise known as a woodchuck, land beaver, or whistle pig—is a rodent.It will mercilessly eat the plants in your garden until there's nothing left and will make holes all over your yard. I do not have any experience about its effectiveness with gopher holes. Once you have poured ammonia down a tunnel, the groundhog will instantly stop using it. It is not reliably effective. Leaving Hibernation. Encouraging groundhogs to leave . Better yet, clear such areas altogether and start a new garden. When the groundhog gets too close, the sprinkler activates and scares them off. Wait three to four minutes and watch nearby holes. share. Groundhogs have complex burrows with multiple openings. These stakes weigh next to nothing and bite into rocky, or hard ground with ease. When using ammonia, make sure that you plug all the holes since there are surely many of them. Filling in a hole with dirt might seem like the obvious solution, but chipmunks (or other critters) may still reclaim the burrow and reopen the hole. I saw it a few times but didn’t know what to do about it. Additionally, the presence of woodchuck holes makes lawn care challenging. Castor Oil. These hidden burrows serve as protection from predators, places to breed and a location to hibernate. In the end I had to use about 3/4 of the bag (!) Is this crawl space directly underneath your home? hide. Important Tip: Be sure to seal the holes so they cannot get out after you put the cartridge or bombs in their hole. It was eating tomatoes, cantaloupes, and watermelons. These will only serve as hideouts for groundhogs. If the groundhogs are home when you smoke the holes that usually takes care of that site for a long time. But, the divets for holding the tent loops is minimal at best, I wouldn't trust them to hold your tent down in high winds and pulling them can be a pain if the loop breaks and you don't have pliers with you. Nov 5, 2014 12:47 PM EDT Editor’s Note: The open enrollment period for Medicare extends to Dec. 7. There’s a right way and wrong way to handle groundhog holes as the tunnel systems, even when left undisturbed, can collapse with heavy rainfall or be taken over by another groundhog. Because the hole opened up against the foundation, this allowed water to seep in. Most legal rodent poisons are designed to kill rats or mice, not woodchucks. There will be several. If so, it might be best to have a contractor take a look at it. Groundhog burrows typically feature one main entrance with up to four exits. In fact, it is the … Here are a three ways to fill a chipmunk hole and ensure it won’t be excavated again. Groundhog den entrance (Photos courtesy of Stephen M. Vantassel, CWCP) Fumigants frequently fail when the woodchuck isn’t present or when gas concentrations don’t achieve sufficient strength. The numerous holes and tunnels are not only hazardous and contributors to ground instability but can also damage underground water systems and drive up repair costs. Within two to three days, check to see if the groundhog burrow is reopened and retreat the area if necessary. Snakes could easily enter a gopher’s burrow if the plug was not in place. But on the other side of the equation, a groundhog can easily become a pest or worse, a danger to your property. Groundhog holes can be dangerous for some pets as well if they happen to step into a hold and break or injure a leg. To reduce the chances of attracting groundhogs, make depriving them of areas with tall grass, tall weeds such as Japanese knotweed, overgrown shrubs, and brush piles part of your landscape maintenance. In fact, it is the … This thread is archived. [Related Article: How To Plug Groundhog Holes?] Gophers have many predators including snakes, coyotes, skunks, and more. They’re kind of cute, fun to watch and generally nonthreatening --as long as you’re not confronted by a mother with a half-dozen babies. When I was using this technique, my groundhog problem just stopped. Repeat steps 1 through 4 until all groundhog burrows are closed. Whelp, I've got Groundhogs burrowing in, around, under my home's foundation (crawlspace). We rented a 52 acre farm that was infested by groundhogs. digging holes and burrowing under lawn or structures; Seek out any groundhog burrows on your property - you can identify these by locating their entrances/exits. 83% Upvoted. Groundhog burrows should be left alone until the babies are old enough to leave, which usually happens around early July. The watermelon and cantaloupes had holes in them from its long teeth. DEAR JOAN: Tell us what the gophers do with all the dirt when they make a tunnel. Having groundhog holes in the lawn can cost property owners a lot of money. Keep the grass cut short and they will move to the woods.