Groundhog Advice
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Original Question: We have at least one family of gophers that just recently showed up around our house. They are very cute to watch - especially the mother and little one following it around. However, they are also very much enjoying all my annual flowers that I planted! Ate all of my morning glory seedlings, now working on the marigolds, zinnias and so on.
Any ideas? Any food I could provide to keep them away from my flowers? Any deterrents without hurting them? (like a spray that tastes bad?)
Thanks!
Ann Ide 6/27/07
Responses
Home Depot & Lowes have a spray called Deer Off (about $19 for 32 oz) which you spray on the vegetation. It is foul tasting---worked well for us for woodchucks and deer. But you have to continually spray all the new leaves and flowers for it to work. I got tired of the constant spraying (annuals grow fast), so eventually bought the smoke bomb sticks, bombed the woodchuck dens, and the problem went away for the season.
I recall there being a formula on the internet for a similar spray which you can mix at home, certainly a less expensive approach but still requiring constant spraying.
-Stan Wulf
Take a five gallon sacrificial water jug and collect urine. Add a cup of Listerine (to slow decomp), a few tablespoons of liquid laundry detergent, and throw in a package of chewing tobacco and some cayenne pepper. I don't know how much effect this will have on woodchucks, but I imagine it wouldn't hurt to try. Also, I've heard that adding ripe egs can influence things. You just have to keep doing it every ten days or so.
Also, you can get bags of hair clippings from your dog groomer or barber and leave them lying around.
Steve Orr
Years ago we had a family of woodchucks take up residence beneath a brushpile in our backyard and we also thought them to be cute to watch until they started to annihilate our annuals, behead our broccoli, blitz our beanstalks, consume our cauliflower and cancel out our carrots. Yikes!
We really didn't want to apply a chemical to any of our vegetables and after reading up on the many ways to remove them we opted for the least scientific approach: we got ourselves a dog and found that his presence alone was a great deterrent. My understanding is that the woodchucks soon found a more favorable venue/organic garden, all-you-can-eat-buffet, hopefully down the road a bit over the town line and into Sudbury
I think it's against the law to trap and transport wild animals so it might be a good idea to call the town's animal control division () and see what they have to say. I also took a peek at F&W Pest Control's website and they appear to have a "nuisance animal" category.
Very best, Gerry White
I found this on the web. Can't say it works, but seems cheap enough to try.
http://www.critter-repellent.com/woodchuck/woodchuck-repellent.php?source=Go ogleAW&gclid=CIvElqiX_4wCFRGCGgodzC9bDg
Stu Pologe
I think this is powdered fox urine. This and several other predator urines can be purchased at the Farmer's Exchange, 40 Pearl St in downtown Framingham (a block or so from the DMV), . The staff there is very knowledgeable about the products they sell.
Lisa Wolf
Actually predator urine works quite well. The natural predator of deer is the coyote, while the fox is the natural predator of smaller critters such as rabbits, woodchucks, squirrels, etc. We carry both the liquid called Fox Urine or Coyote Urine, as well as a granular form, called Shake-Away. Shake-Away also comes in both fragrances. These items are perfectly safe to use if family pets and children come in contact with them. These items are readily available at the Farmers Exchange, located at 72 Nickerson Road in Ashland (formerly located at 40 Pearl Street in Framingham). For additional information, we can be reached at .
Joan Klan Rastani
I find the best bug and small animal deterrent to be a good sprinkle of cayenne pepper on everything. It doesn't hurt the flowers or veggie's and trust me, for 99 cents for a container at the drug store spice rack, it's the best bargain in town.
You do have to reapply ever few days and of course if it rains.
Don't worry, the animal police won't be coming looking for you either....
Ginny Marino
As good as fox urine is it doesn't beat the actual foxes. After spotting a groundhog this spring, none of our plants were touched. A week ago a grey fox showed up in our yard.
Farmer's Exchange has moved to 72 Nickerson, Ashland, MA 01721 508) 231-0900
(Trapper) Bob Quinzani will trap and kill (or for more $ legally transport).
Agencies will insist that one either kill or have it killed.
If caught transporting the fine is $2000.
Killing them is not a pleasant experience but drowning has it all over mortal combat.
David Weitzler
Got lots of replies regarding my groundhog/woodchuck inquiry. Thank you so much everyone. Here's a quick summary of the replies that were not posted to the list:
Groundhogs and rabbits do not like Artemesia commonly called "Wormwood." Artemesia is a fast growing perenial sage plant which is commonly grown in this area. However, be forwarned that it rapidly spreads like mint and you may likely have to weed much of it out of the garden each year.
Check out www.massaudubon.org there's a page called "living with > woodchucks" Whatever you do, don't start feeding them. Fruit tree > netting > or fencing will probably be the best start.
Let your dog out in the yard, or get a dog. Seems to work well.
Someone suggested spreading mothballs around area you want to keep them out of. However, someone replied to that with a story of how they put mothballs down chipmunk holes and the next day the mothballs were all over the yard. "Chip and Dale" just popped them out, and stuck around.
Someone had good luck with a vibrating stake that you put in the ground. It is confusing to the woodchucks and keeps them awake. Becomes unpleasant enuf that they eventually leave. He said it was available at hardware stores.
Russell's garden center said that a product with capsein and some other ingredients works better than the fox urine products. They like RepelsAll (sp?) because it has some latex in it and doesn't wash away with the rain.
I think I got the most responses for using anything with red pepper (capsein) in it, or the actual powder from the spice rack.
Right now I don't have any more flowers to treat! But I think my vote would be for the RepelsAll, if they ever grow back. We're enjoying the little critters as much as the flowers (we have plenty of other stuff to enjoy that's too tall for them to reach), so we won't be trying to get rid of them, at this point anyway.
Thanks again! Ann Ide