Groundhogs are known for their amazing burrowing abilities, which is no surprise with all the time they spend underground!A groundhog’s burrow is quite intricate and has more than one entrance. This animal begins to build its burrow during the spring after it has emerged from hibernation so that it has a safe place to spend the summer and fall.However, groundhogs’ burrows can be quite detrimental to a property if they are left to grow out of control. The underground tunnels may cause structural damage underneath a house and even lead to a house collapsing. If there are any signs of groundhog damage or holes in or near the vicinity of a home, such as teeth marks on trees or plants, hollow crops, or mounds of dirt and soil, then it may be time to take action. Keep reading to learn all about how to identify a groundhog burrow and how to deal with lots of them!What are groundhogs?Groundhogs are also known as woodchucks and whistle pigs. They are mid to large-sized rodents. The woodchuck is the largest species of the Sciuridae family, containing squirrels, chipmunks, and marmots. However, unlike squirrels, groundhogs live underground and hibernate during the winter.They are only found on the continent of North America and live in the range of Alaska to Alabama. Wild groundhogs live underground, hence their name. They are known for their tendency to build elaborate burrows underground, as well as their affinity for gnawing on wood. Their behavior can be seen as quite destructive, as they destroy underground plumbing, wiring, and building foundations in the process.This animal species is diurnal in nature, meaning that they are active from dawn to dusk. They can be seen working hard to dig under the ground during the spring, summer, and early fall seasons, as they prefer warm weather. Once fall comes around, they begin to gather food reserves to store in their den to eat during their winter hibernation.Where do groundhogs make burrows?Groundhogs use their burrows as safe places to feed, breed, and store their food reserves during the winter. They spend the most amount of time underground in their dens, only coming out to search for food or to explore.Their dens are usually located near trees, fence links, or along walls. Besides these areas, there may be additional, smaller holes in a yard created by young woodchucks. Groundhogs tend to dig their burrows on the slightly inclined ground and use only dry soil. This is because wet soil can collapse on them.If you notice too many wild groundhog burrows in your garden, then there may be a need to get rid of them as groundhogs may unwittingly gnaw through underground electrical wiring, plumbing, and building foundations. Groundhogs can cause a lot of structural damage and they can be dangerous for you and your family. They have sharp, powerful teeth and very large appetites, because of which these small animals can cause more damage than you would think!The deep holes made by these animals can also fill up with water during rainy weather, which can cause the tunnels underneath houses to collapse, making groundhogs very dangerous! Groundhogs tend to build their holes in slightly elevated areas so that the chances of flooding during the rainy season are slim. However, there is still a chance that these holes and tunnels can flood during heavy rain.An interesting fact about groundhogs is that they dig separate burrows for the winter and summer seasons. Summer dens are usually located in open, grassy areas, while their winter homes are built in shady areas like in the woods. Summer burrows will have open entrances, while the winter dens will be lined with grass and blocked off with soil so that the cold air does not permeate through while they are hibernating.What do groundhog holes look like?Groundhog hole sites can be easy to identify. However, a burrow can have multiple entrances above ground, and the main entrance is the only one that is easily visible. The others are usually camouflaged with weeds, dry leaves, soil, and other vegetation.The main burrow entrance is quite easy to come across as it looks like a mound of dirt around a deep opening, between 10-12 in (25-30 cm) in diameter. Once underground, the groundhog burrow system is quite intricate. There can be multiple exits, usually between two to four. There are separate chambers for sleeping, breeding, and keeping food stores. Each exit hole is carefully covered to hide them from potential predators.How To Get Rid Of GroundhogsThe main reason these animals enter a yard or garden is to look for food to eat and a safe and secure place to live. There are a few measures you can take for groundhog control to prevent them from seeking out your yard as a refuge in the first place. The time they are most likely to be seen is right as spring sets in, as they awake ravenous with hunger after their long winter hibernation.Groundhogs also breed as soon as they awake from hibernation, which begins in February. They need to dig burrows to mate in and raise their kits during the summer. A single female can give birth to two to four kits at a time.Groundhogs are extremely fond of green vegetables, plants, and fruits, so they may seek out crops in vegetable gardens like beans, peas, berries, and cherries. You can prevent groundhogs from eating these by harvesting any fruit or vegetables earlier when they are ripe so that they do not attract any of these rodents.If you notice any old or abandoned animal dens or burrows in your yard, make sure to fill the holes up before any groundhogs can move in. You can use soil, however, gravel makes it harder for them actually to dig through and reclaim the burrow for themselves. It may be necessary to fill the entire tunnel, as keeping these hollow, especially the ones under your house can cause significant damage in the future.Woodchucks, true to their name, love gnawing on large tree branches or tree trunks. If you notice any gnaw marks at the bottom of any trees in a garden, spray them with groundhog repellant. You can also set up a fence that is at least 3 ft (1 m) high and 1 ft (0.3 m) underground, so they cannot enter from above or by burrowing underneath the fences either. Groundhogs usually construct multiple entrances for their burrows while burrowing, and they live in underground dens, which can have around three to four different chambers. They like to camouflage these entrances with weeds, piles of leaves, and other vegetation. You can prevent them from doing so by pulling out any unnecessary weeds, trimming the grass, and keeping the lawn neat and tidy at all times.If there are too many of these animals on your property to control, you may have to call pest control or fumigate their burrow system. Simply light a cylinder and place it in one of the entrances of the burrow. The smoke bomb will drive out all the groundhogs from the burrow.To get rid of one or two groundhogs off your property, you can set up traps at the main burrow entrances. Trapping them using raccoon traps ensures that they are not injured, and can be relocated elsewhere. Place bait like carrot, lettuce, or celery to lure them in. However, you can also leave them be as they feed on insects like crickets, grasshoppers, and other bugs, which may be a menace to your garden. Leaving them alone is recommended as long as they do not cause much damage.
Groundhogs are known for their amazing burrowing abilities, which is no surprise with all the time they spend underground!
