How do you get rid of a ground hog in your backyard?

Question

I have tried rat poison bars, the bars were taken out by hand and placed on the grass. Chicken wire, cement, hot ice, dog feces, gasoline and it still comes back. Last spring I planted daffodils, herbs and gladiolus in the hole. She was gone all summer or so I thought, I think she just moved under the house. When the exterminator sprayed under the house we noticed a hole. In Oct., she returned to the original hole and pulled up the plants. And yes, she came back for Ground hog day a week early.

Maryellen · Answer

I have done some pretty extensive research on this problem, as we live by woods and a creek and have a free-standing garage that they can get into via a lean-to for the tractor. They have made two holes to get out by tunneling under the garage wall. Awful! Apparently you cannot do anything to deter them. Foxes are supposed to scare them, but we had a mama come and give birth to 4 pups that she brought out every morning to play in the backyard, and an hour later, the groundhogs were out! We have dogs but that doesn't seem to deter them either. There are two methods that work. The first and simplest is a live trap baited with peanut butter bread balls. Easy to make and they love peanut butter. They are too smart to eat/drink anything that would be poisonous to them. The problem with this method is that you are then left with a live animal that you have to do something with. Most of what I found said you have to take them at least 15 miles away, or they'll just find their way back. And in a lot of places it's illegal to transport 'vermin' and release them. This is horrible, but you can also shoot them while they are in the trap, or submerge the whole trap in a garbage can full of water and drown the groundhog. Be careful while handling the trap, though; groundhogs are MEAN! The other method is to find all of the holes they use. There will be several. Then plug them all up with dirt except for one; usually the one with the largest dirt collar is the one they frequent the most. Then hook some kind of hose up to the exhaust of a tractor or diesel truck and put it down the hole and let it run for at least half an hour. A regular car will work, just not as fast. The carbon monoxide will fill the tunnel(s) and kill the beast. This method is the most humane in my opinion, but it's really difficult to locate all of the holes because the run could be as much as 100 yards! Good luck and I will be following this post to see if anyone else has a better/easier idea because we've already seen two more last week when it was sunny and warmer!

Juanita Plock · Answer

Run a garden hose to the hole and fill with water. Then place heavy construction bricks at each end. This worked for us when we lived in southern Illinois.

Dorothy · Answer

.22

Betty Fancher · Answer

I remember my dad attaching a flexible pipe to the exhaust of his pickup and putting the end of it into the den hole. He ran the pickup for about half an hour.....

Mari Dots · Answer

omgosh, its really dangerous to put out poison. I can understand your problem but poison kills unintended animals, I hope some of these other suggestions will help. I'm in favor of the .22 myself. Just make sure its dead.

Christine · Answer

Put Irish spring saved soap in and around the holes ,they are like a gopher and hate the smell

Gail Sarten · Answer

Try a road flare.......find the main hole light the flare and put in the hole and bury..........we tried everything when trying to get rid of gophers and this was our answer........might work on the groundhogs as well.........so if ya try this dont be alarmed when you see little spirals of smoke comming from your yard........

Elizabeth Poteat · Answer

We used to have them bad in our pasture and were always afraid a horse would step in one and break a leg but Mother Nature ended taking care of our problem. First the Fox came in and ran out the Ground Hogs and after that wild Coyotes ran out the foxes. They decided they didn't like our mares that would kick and paw them so they left. Don't know any real remedy because they have so many escape holes.

Carolynsuenance · Answer

Try putting Juicy Fruit chewing gum in the holes.

Carol · Answer

Enlist the help of a trapper, or borrow and set a #220 conibear trap in the opening of the hole. This will kill the groundhog like a mouse trap. It's a much more humane way to exterminate than death by poisoning or car exhaust. Very effective.

Lrfraser · Answer

I always used moth balls down holes. They also stop snakes from coming into your yard.

Dave D · Answer

If you are fortunate enough to dispatch the groundhog make sure that you use heavy gloves and long sleeves or better yet a rake or shovel to move the remains. Most all of these groundhogs (Marmots) have fleas that are carriers of disease.

Barbara · Answer

Gophers / ground hogs have a sweet tooth.  I dig down into the hole.  I try to find the tunnel, but is not necessary.  I throw in 2 or 3 pieces ob double bubble gum.  They will eat the gum.  The gum will clog up their digestive system and kill them..Usually they will be in their tunnel so you will not see them.  No traps, no poison, no gophers!

Rose · Answer

Animal control will loan you a trap.when captured.they will pick it up.not sure what your jurisdiction does.my neighbor has one under her house.he hibernates. In winter we will see him sometime in march.his name is Otis and she doesn't have the heart to kill him. He is rather cute and doesn't do any damage but dose eat her tomatoes.my neighbor and I were trying to capture kittens to find homes for them but instead we caught a racoon and something like a beaver.oh we'll gods creatures.ended up letting them go.

Rose · Answer

Rose here again,enlist the help of your local animal control.once animal is captured it can then be released into another nonresidential wooded area.hope something works out for you it can become a nuisance.good luck

Julie Schroer-Wischmeier · Answer

Put out bubble gum near their hole. I sounds weird but they chew it up and can't digest it. Also sugary soda pop works well too.

Ann · Answer

You can contact your County Extension Agent and they have good ideas and if you live in a smaller area, they will come out and assist in ridding the groundhog of your area.

How do you get rid of a ground hog in your backyard?

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How do you get rid of a ground hog in your backyard?

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