Groundhog Activity Throughout the winter, they are inactive, their heart rates slow and their body temperatures drop to approximately 39-40 degrees Fahrenheit.

Hibernation. Groundhogs are one of the few species that enter into true hibernation, and often build a separate “winter burrow” for this purpose. This burrow is usually in a wooded or brushy area and is dug below the frost line and remains at a stable temperature well above freezing during the winter months.

Groundhogs, also called woodchucks, spend the warmer months eating to build up the fat layers they need to survive a winter in hibernation. They create deep dens to keep them protected as they sleep away the winter. …

According to the legend: If Punxsutawney Phil sees his shadow, there will be six more weeks of winter weather. If he does not see his shadow, there will be an early spring. That’s how the Punxsutawney Groundhog Club describes the Feb.

Barash says that mark and recapture data suggests that about 30% of the adults die annually, whereas about 77% of the young don’t survive the year. Over-winter mortality, that is, death during hibernation, is a common fate. Simply, many groundhogs go into hibernation and never come out.

Groundhogs are found in open pastures, woodlots, fields, ditches, and roadsides. During early spring, groundhogs are most active during the warm parts of the day. However, during the warmer spring and summer months, the day is spent in their cool burrows and feeding occurs during the very early morning and at dusk.

Plants with strong fragrances, such as lavender, will keep groundhogs out of your garden. The Farmers’ Almanac says groundhogs also dislike the smell of these herbs: mint, sage, basil, lemon balm, rosemary, thyme, chives and oregano.

Groundhogs or woodchucks are the major hole-digging mammal of eastern North America. The average groundhog excavates over 700 pounds of dirt digging just one den, and a single groundhog may have four or or five dens scattered across its territory, moving in and out of them as crops and weather change.

Noel Falk, the “Plant Doctor” had recommended using “Double Bubble” brand bubble gum to eliminate groundhogs. Supposedly groundhogs love this particular brand of bubble gum, but once they eat it, it gums up their insides and ultimately kills them.

If ground hogs are eating the gum, they will bring the empty papers to the surface which make it easy to see that you are getting results. It will take 6 or 7 days before it will kill the hog and he will usually come out of his hole to die in close proximity to the hole.

Dial deodorant soap, and Irish Spring soap contains “tallow” which repels deer. Drill holes in the soap so that you can run a string through the soap to hang them from trees, or the fence erected to get rid of groundhogs.

Strychnine

Groundhogs hate the smell of mothballs, but the truth is, they are just not strong enough to scare these rodents away. In brief, mothballs are not a strong deterrence against groundhogs, and you would be wise to use more effective methods, such as trapping or spraying ammonia.

The primary predators of groundhogs are hawks, foxes, coyotes, bobcats, dogs and humans. However, motorized vehicles kill many groundhogs each year.

Fumigation. Using gas cartridges such as Giant Destroyers to fumigate the ground hog’s den is usually the easiest method of getting rid of the pest for good. The gasser is ignited and placed in the ground hog’s burrow. The carbon monoxide fumes that are emitted will suffocate and kill the pest.

Groundhogs aren’t difficult to kill, but it depends on the cartridge, the bullet and shot placement just like any other game animal. A . 22lr will drop ’em if you hit them in the right place with the right .

Groundhogs do not like the smell of human urine. A gross, but highly effective repellent is to collect urine in milk jugs and pour a bit at the entrance to the burrow every few days.

The most effective remedy to get rid of a groundhog denning under your shed or porch is by trapping and removing it. The use of live traps to catch and relocate groundhogs is popular and it is known to be very effective. You may hire or buy a live trap as they are readily available.

Sprinkle blood meal, ground black pepper, dried blood, or talcum powder around the perimeter of your garden. You can try using hair clippings as well. Puree and strain hot peppers and garlic, mix them with water and enough liquid soap to make it stick, and spray it liberally around the garden.

If not properly controlled, groundhogs can cause serious structural damage when burrowing. Plantings, woodpiles and debris surrounding your home provide shelter for groundhogs, making them more likely to live on your property or burrow underneath the grass or foundation.

Lavender – Try planting some lavender around the garden. While it smells lovely to us, groundhogs find it offensive and avoid the areas where it is. They also dislike the smell of these herbs: basil, chives, lemon balm, mint, sage, thyme, rosemary, and oregano.

Activity: Groundhogs are diurnal (active during the day) from spring to fall. Most activity occurs during the early morning and early evening hours, at which groundhogs emerge from their burrows to gather food.

When digging, groundhogs help aerate soil. Roots, like all other parts of the plant, have to respire, taking in oxygen and emitting carbon dioxide. In unturned soil, roots deplete their limited oxygen while CO2accumulates, making it hard for them to ‘breathe.

Get a square bale. Take the mortars and bale to the groundhog hole, light the mortar, throw it as far down the hole as you can get, then drop the bale on top of the hole and sit on it. The blast will send a concussion wave through the tunnel and kill or at least seriously injure any groundhogs in the tunnel.

six years

Though groundhogs don’t typically attack people, groundhog-human interactions are common.

she-chucks

Groundhogs are uniquely private animals that avoid humans as much as they can. They give birth to their young a month after mating and stay in their burrows to take care of their babies, only leaving to search for food. rains, and other conditions can lead to the death of the mother leaving the babies as orphans.