Groundhog Tearing Up Your Lawn? Tips On What To Do Next

Groundhogs can cause serious damage to your property before you even know they are there. They love to eat different types of grasses and whatever is in your garden. Groundhogs dig big holes for their den and also have underground tunnels that cause major structural damage to your home or business, damage to crops and gardens, and can even be a danger to your animals.

Tips for removing groundhogs

In the state of Michigan, groundhogs can be live trapped and released on a landowner's own property. They can also be euthanized following the American Veterinary Medical Association's laws governing euthanasia.

It is important to note that groundhogs may NOT be relocated to another property once they are trapped.

If you live in an area where hunting is allowed, groundhogs may be harvested all year in Michigan on state ground when you have a valid hunting license. If you're on your own land, or private land with permission from the landowner, you may hunt them year-round without a hunting license. (Please see Michigan's Hunter's Digest for more rules and regulations if you're considering hunting these animals).

If you live in an area where hunting and trapping is now allowed (see Michigan's Hunter's Digest and your local city ordinances), you should contact a nuisance animal control company to take care of the problem for you.

Tips to prevent groundhogs from tearing up your land

There are special fences we recommend that can assist the groundhog from digging holes into your foundation. Typically, they like to den as close as they can to your home or porches as a way to protect themselves. Installing these fences around your gardens, porches, and decks can help prevent them denning nearby.

Put the fence underground as far as you can, we recommend about a foot deep. The exposed portion of the fencing should be minimum 3 feet as groundhogs can climb over it easily if it's too short. Also, wrapping your trees with material that stops them from climbing is a good tactic. Wrap the tree at least 3 feet high to prevent the animal from climbing up it.

If you find a den on your property, using strong smelling things like a towel soaked in ammonia or used cat litter to put at the opening of the den can help drive them out. It's important to note that any unlicensed use of insecticide or pesticide may have legal consequences, so it's best to contact your local pest control company for help with this matter.