How to Deter Groundhogs From Your Property | Fencing That Works

Groundhogs dig under, climb over, and chew through most casual barriers, which is why they keep winning against pinwheels and spray-on repellents. The working route to deter groundhogs from your property is physical exclusion layered with cleanup. Here’s exactly what that looks like, plus the honest limits of every other method.

Why Repellents Keep Failing (And What Works Instead)

Commercial sprays, predator urine, capsaicin granules, and castor oil mixes rarely solve a groundhog problem by themselves. The Farmer’s Almanac and the Humane Society both describe these products as temporary and inconsistent, often washing off in rain and needing constant reapplication. Some groundhogs simply ignore them after a few days.

Physical fencing stops the animal before it reaches your garden, which is why exclusion is the method every trusted source puts first.

Building a Groundhog-Proof Fence

Use heavy poultry wire, hardware cloth, or 2-inch woven-mesh wire. Make it at least 3 feet tall, though the Missouri Department of Conservation suggests 5–6 feet for extra insurance. Bury the bottom edge 12 inches underground and bend that buried section outward in an L-shape or 90-degree angle, so a digging groundhog hits wire instead of open soil.

For extra determination, bend the top 15 inches of the fence outward at a 45-degree angle and add a single electrified wire 4–5 inches above the ground and 4–5 inches outside the fence line. If you use that electrified wire, post a warning sign and keep vegetation trimmed so the wire doesn’t short out.

For a shed, deck, or porch, attach mesh skirting that extends 12 inches into the ground and bends outward at 90 degrees. That L-shape is the detail that actually stops tunneling.

Removing What Attracts Groundhogs in the First Place

Groundhogs pick properties with both food and cover, so cleanup is half the battle. Clear brush piles, debris, rocks, and stacked wood where they shelter. Keep grass trimmed, pull weeds, and prune shrubs so burrow entrances lose their hiding cover.

Then remove the food sources. Harvest vegetables on time, pick up fallen or overripe fruit, and never leave pet food, pet water, compost, or trash accessible outdoors. A clean yard with a proper fence sends groundhogs to a neighbor’s property instead.

For readers ready to compare ready-made solutions, see our tested roundup of groundhog deterrents that work in practice.

Supplemental Deterrents (And Their Limits)

Motion-activated sprinklers startle groundhogs and are among the more useful deterrents, but they must be moved frequently or the animals will habituate and ignore them. Visual scare items like pinwheels, dangling CDs, Mylar balloons, aluminum foil strips, and scare tape work briefly at best.

Ammonia-soaked rags can act as an effective repellent near burrow openings, per the Missouri Department of Conservation, and flooding dens with water sometimes works because groundhogs dislike wet burrows. Use any repellent strictly per package directions.

What Not to Do

Do not block an active burrow until you are certain the animal has left, and avoid sealing burrows during the young-rearing period, typically May through July. If you fill a vacant burrow, use gravel followed by soil, then secure the spot with mesh or a rock slab.

Do not trap and relocate groundhogs. It may be illegal in many states, and the Humane Society notes it is often inhumane — relocated animals frequently die from stress or a lack of food, water, and shelter in unfamiliar territory.

FAQs

Will ultrasonic devices keep groundhogs away?

No reliable evidence shows ultrasonic devices deter groundhogs, and no trusted source recommends them. Groundhogs adapt quickly to unfamiliar sounds, especially when food and cover remain available. Your money is better spent on buried fencing and property cleanup, which address the reasons groundhogs stay in the first place.

How deep do groundhogs dig, and does that matter for fencing?

Groundhogs dig burrows that can run 2 to 5 feet deep with multiple entrances, which is why a short surface fence fails. Burying the fence 12 inches underground with an outward 90-degree bend stops the digging pattern groundhogs actually use. Without that buried L-shape, a groundhog will simply tunnel under a fence that looks solid above ground.

Is it safe to use mothballs or poison to get rid of groundhogs?

No. Mothballs are not registered for outdoor groundhog control and can contaminate soil and water, while poisons risk harming pets, children, and non-target wildlife. Both approaches also leave animals to die in burrows, creating odor and fly problems. Fencing and habitat removal remain the safe, effective solutions.