Groundhog Removal in New Jersey

Groundhog Control and Removal in New Jersey

Not very many people know that groundhogs are in the rodent family, but everyone who has had the misfortune of dealing with these pests knows how irritating they can be. Read on to learn more about how to identify groundhogs, also known as woodchucks, and how to effectively implement groundhog control on your property

Groundhog Identification

Groundhogs are the largest members of the squirrel family. Adult groundhogs can grow to weigh between 4 and 14 pounds. Their coarse fur is typically brownish-gray in color, but they can also have black or white fur as well. Some of the most notable features of a groundhog are:

• A compact, heavily built body
• Short ears
• Bushy tail
• Short legs
• Long, curved claws

These rodents are active mainly in the daytime, especially during the early morning and late afternoon hours. These ground-dwellers can create extensive burrows—some as long as 46 feet—along riverbanks, in fields, along roadsides, and near homes. 

These burrows will often have as many as 5 entrances each, which means there will be a whole lot of small holes around your yard to twist your ankle. Woodchucks use their burrows for sleeping, escaping enemies, raising their young, and hibernating. Woodchucks will typically hibernate from October through March, with a quick visit by the males in early February.  

Dangers Associated With Groundhogs

While groundhogs are not a direct threat to people or pets, this by no means implies that they aren’t destructive pests. 

Groundhogs can become problematic for homeowners by tunneling underneath homes, lawns, gardens, garages, and patios. They can cause damage to your lawn, gardens, and landscape as they feed and tunnel. Groundhogs are avid herbivores, meaning they love to eat vegetables, so if you have a garden, it will be a prime target for these pests.

Groundhogs rarely carry diseases, although if you get bit by one, it still would be a very good idea to have it looked at by a doctor.

Groundhog Control

There are a few groundhog control steps you can take to help deter groundhogs from your property in order to help stop them from damaging your lawn and gardens, and your home’s foundation.

The first step is to secure your property. Place a wire fence around garden areas to prevent groundhogs from using the gardens as a food source. Make sure there are no large holes or gaps in your home’s foundation they could go through to gain access to your home. Clear any piles of debris that are on your property.

You’ll also want to make your property less enticing by limiting the food sources for groundhogs. Be sure to harvest crops such as beans, peas, and melons as soon as possible. Trim back the plants on your property, especially those that groundhogs might eat or use for cover.

At the first sign of groundhogs living on your property, you should contact an animal control expert for quick and effective groundhog removal in New Jersey.

Groundhog Removal

While groundhogs are not known for their super aggressive behavior, they are wild animals and therefore should only be handled by trained experts, like those at ChemTec Pest Control.

At ChemTec, we can quickly get rid of groundhogs through our customized groundhog control services. Our professionals have the experience and equipment needed to humanely trap and remove nuisance groundhogs from your property. 

We also offer exclusion methods and can offer habitat modification techniques to keep these pests from returning to your property. 

If groundhogs have become a problem for your home, contact us for more details about our services for groundhog removal in New Jersey.

Experience for yourself the difference a ChemTec professional can make for your property.

Additional Groundhog Articles

Want to learn more about how to deal with groundhogs? Be sure to check out our other articles like Preventing Wildlife Problems In New Jersey.