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Groundhogs

Groundhogs

Marmota monax

Mammalalso: Woodchuck, Whistle pig

A large burrowing rodent, also called the woodchuck, that can flatten a vegetable garden in short order. Groundhogs graze heavily on leafy greens, beans, peas, and many vegetables, feeding most in early morning and evening, and their big burrows undermine beds, foundations, and walls.

🔎 How to spot it

Groundhogs are stout, low-slung rodents about 16 to 27 inches long including the tail, with grizzled brown fur, short legs, and a bushy tail, weighing up to a dozen pounds by fall. The clearest signs are wide burrow entrances, 10 to 12 inches across with a mound of excavated soil, usually along field edges, fence lines, or under sheds and decks, plus neatly clipped plants and trampled rows near the burrow.

🥀 Damage it causes

They are voracious grazers, mowing down lettuce, beans, peas, greens, and many other vegetables, often eating young plants to the ground and sampling far more than they finish. Their extensive burrow systems can undermine foundations, walls, and walkways, and the entrance mounds and holes are a hazard in lawns and pastures.

🛡️ Prevent it

A good fence is the best defense. Use a fence at least three feet tall of woven wire or heavy poultry wire, with the bottom 12 inches buried and bent outward in an L underground to stop digging, and the top 15 inches left loose and bent outward so they cannot climb over. A single electrified wire four to five inches off the ground adds protection. No repellents are reliably effective.

🧯 If it is already here

Where one has moved in, live-trapping and removal can help, but check local wildlife regulations first, since relocating animals is restricted in many areas. Removing brush piles, tall weeds, and the cover near burrows makes the site less attractive. Scare devices and frequent human activity give only temporary relief, so durable fencing remains the dependable answer.

💡 Good to know

Groundhogs are true hibernators, denning up from fall until late winter, so damage is seasonal, heaviest in spring and summer when they are fattening up. They are good climbers and diggers despite their bulk, which is why an effective fence has to address both over and under. Their abandoned burrows are later used by rabbits, skunks, and foxes.

🌱 Plants it attacks

548 plants in the library can be attacked by this pest

Acorn SquashAdirondack Blue PotatoAdzuki BeanAfrican Blue BasilAfrican MarigoldAgapanthusAgeratumAgrimonyAji Amarillo Pepper🍓Albion StrawberryAlice du Pont Mandevilla🥔All Blue PotatoAloe VeraAmbrosia CornAmethyst Falls WisteriaAmish Paste TomatoAnaheim PepperAnemoneAngelique TulipAngeloniaAniseAnise HyssopAnjou PearAnnabelle Smooth HydrangeaAnnual VincaApeldoorn TulipApple MintApril Tryst CamelliaArizona Sun Blanket FlowerArmenian CucumberArp RosemaryArugulaAshwagandhaAsian PearAtlantic Giant Pumpkin🥕Atomic Red CarrotAugust Beauty GardeniaAutumn Joy SedumBachelor's ButtonBanana PepperBarbara Karst BougainvilleaBartlett PearBay LaurelBeauregard Sweet PotatoBecky Shasta DaisyBee Balm🍅Beefmaster TomatoBenarys Giant ZinniaBengal Tiger CannaBetter Boy Tomato🥬Bibb Lettuce🍅Big Beef TomatoBig Boy TomatoBitter MelonBlack BeanBlack Beauty EggplantBlack Beauty ZucchiniBlack Beluga LentilBlack Cherry TomatoBlack Kabouli ChickpeaBlack Krim Tomato🥬Black Seeded Simpson Lettuce🥕Black Spanish RadishBlack-Eyed PeaBlack-eyed Susan VineBlood OrangeBloomsdale SpinachBlue Bird DelphiniumBlue Bird Rose of SharonBlue FescueBlue Lake Green BeanBocking 14 ComfreyBok Choy🥕Bolero CarrotBonesetBorageBosc Pear🥒Boston Pickling CucumberBottle Gourd🍅Box Car Willie TomatoBrandywine TomatoBroad Windsor Fava BeanBroccoli RabeBrunneraBrussels SproutsBull's Blood BeetBurdockBurgundy OkraBurning BushButtercrunch LettuceButtercup SquashButterfly Blue Pincushion FlowerButterfly Marguerite DaisyButterfly WeedButternut SquashCafe au Lait DahliaCalabrese BroccoliCaladiumCalendulaCalibrachoa

For educational and informational purposes only. Pest control advice is general guidance drawn from university cooperative extension sources; always identify a pest positively and read and follow the label on any product before use, especially around food crops, children, and pets.