ID this horrible creature please!!!!

If there are many in your area, Kass, you may remove one and others will follow.

You have to make the removed woodchucks burrow uninhabitable by new arrivals. I've read that filling them with used kitty litter, dog feces or lots of dog hair, or ammonia soaked rags sometimes will work. A dirty job, but it's worth it if you want to keep your garden. Of course, you can always try to fill it in with dirt and rocks....

My back yard is fenced and up until last year I had awful problems with the groundhogs. They like to stand up and push the tomato plants over. They always semed to take one bit out of a tomato and go onto the next until all of the ripe tomatoes had been tasted. We thought they were getting in under the fence but we found out they were climbing over the fence. I'm pretty sure the groundhogs around here can fly.

I have since purchased a trap and relocated them. I haven't seen them since. I planted radishes in the garden and last year they ate the radish leaves and left the tomatoes alone. I probably didn't grow the right variety of tomatoes.

They are very resourceful.

They can re-dig dirt and rocks!! Our woodchuck that we have now lives under our storage shed. We have filled it in with dirt and rocks and they dig through and around. We've even filled the holes with cement and they still dig around it. We poured motor oil down it one time and that is supposed to work but didn't - he kicked dirt onto it. I may try some of those burrow fillers. Thanks for the suggestions Tamberlin. Eleanor

Try a mirror.

well, this one has been here for a looooong time... my neighbor has been dealing with him... he had a big hole and filled with rocks... one day we were talking and next thing I know I was talking to myself... Carl (my neighbor ) just fell into another hole... and of course he told me that now Woody was in my property... oh well, I guess Woody is now my problem...

Nobody saw him today...maybe he was really scared by my screams !!!!! he has pulled all my tomato plants and they are so heavy that I am afraid to break it if I touch it too much!!!

The more you scream the happier they are!! LOL I'm posting a pic of the babies we had last year. Mom was camera shy. Eleanor

oh....they are cute... oh I just hope Woody is a he... I would be devasted if is a she and has babies...

This message was edited Aug 29, 2007 2:51 PM

This is hilarious!! LOL. Seriously, though, groundhogs can be a MAJOR garden problem. Other than shootin' 'em, the best way is probably a large trap. On the other hand, they're very sneaky & clever. When I tried to trap one once, I discovered that I had snared an opossum instead (!).

I tried to trap one but only ended up with the shadow. Of course that means six more weeks of groundhogs.

oh that's bad!!!! nobody saw him today either... I am sure he has changed his lunch time...

Maybe he went home for lunch just like you did, Kassia! Wonder if he called out, "Hello every woody that loves me", too!

Isn't that what Paris calls out every day??

Victor!!!

Again?!

Filling the holes back in is useless. They re-dig them. Catching them and driving them far away is the best solution other then bullets. They ate my newly planted brussel sprouts, they eat my black eyed susans when new. They like purple coneflowers. Rat poison may be next for me....

Please use it on the woodchuck, Tommy!

I hope there are no wandering cats, dogs or birds that could get at the rat poison.

I was only kidding about actually using it, as I think Tommy was too. It's nasty stuff. It was Tommy's wording - looked like he wanted to end it all!

I think I'll give this the "Thread of the Year" award! I'm enjoying it very much!

I've been very fortunate - there have been woodchucks in my yard for years (over 15), but they've never gotten into my veggie garden. A week or so ago I caught one nibbling at my climbing petunia, so I ran after it yelling, and scared it away.

Sweet relief.

I always said that if the groundhog was in the driveway or the road I could easily run it over. But I couldn't. But I did accidentally run one over on the way home from work. It just got up and scurried away.

Even though they are not cheap I would recommend the trap and relocation. I got my trap at the garden center.

For some reason they have not yet been a problem in my garden, even though they are all over the neighborhood. I often see many at once so I don't see how trapping would ever work.

When we had our's trapped by the pros they had enough traps for the whole family - mom went in first within an hour and one by one her offsrping walked right into their own traps. All caught within 2 hours!! How did they know which trap was their trap - the one that was still open!! Eleanor

I am still in shock looking at Eleanor's picture ... I told my sister she better watch it tomorrow... I have not seen any more damaged tomatoes today... so maybe I am so ugly I scared Woody away.... !!!!!

These stories have me laughing so hard, I'll take the heat of St. Louis over your woodchucks anyday.

Cathy



This message was edited Aug 30, 2007 1:28 AM

Kassia - don't worry, it's too late in the season for them to have babies!! If there were babies they would already be out and about and destructive. Eleanor

Kassia,
I will drop the trap by today. Don't worry, the woodchuck is still there!
Andrew is going to Maine for the weekend so he's off hunting duty for the time being....
If you are home in the evening, we can show you how to set the trap....
Deb

This is a major reason I built high raised beds for the veggies. At 30 inches high, I doubt those blobs of fur could scale them without a catapult.

Thanks Deb!!!! I am home tonigh... Lucky Andrew!!!! well, I may go to ME too... a friend built a dome house and I am dying to see it...

I just come here for the laugh!

We can send you a groundhog if you like, Laurie.

yes... when I get him I will mail him to you!!!! too bad I can't auction him on ebay!

It could go ebay but not alive. Taxidermy but that cost a lot of money and so it is best to let him/her go free.

List it as a "surprise" package. I know the post office would just love to pick up the package for you.

Anything liquid, perishable? Do you need insurance? It would be yes to all of the above.

Ok, the blasted thing was spoted a few minutes ago and yes he ate tomatoes... my wonderful sister just told me that she took a picture!!!!! and this time he actually came around the front!!!!! oh he is getting way to friendly...

I am ready for that trap... I have tons of new roses to be planted... I will kill him if he gets close to my roses... now I am kind of upset~~~~

You think?

Kassia -
Do you have some bait?
We will be over around 5:30 - 6:00 if I can push the gang into moving....
I HATE woodchucks!!!
Deb