How To Get Rid Of Groundhogs | The One Fence Change

Most people spot a groundhog munching on tomatoes and immediately reach for the strongest-smelling repellent they can find. Garlic spray, predator urine, ultrasonic stakes — the hardware store shelves are packed with products that promise to send whistle pigs packing. Yet the animal usually shows up again in a day or two, because the real problem isn’t the scent.

The honest answer to how to get rid of groundhogs involves three steps that work together: remove what attracts them, block what shelters them, and then — if one is already settled in — trap it humanely. Shortcuts like sprays alone rarely last a season.

Start By Checking For Active Burrows

Before you do anything else, you need to figure out where the groundhog is living. They don’t just wander in from the neighbor’s yard and snack on your garden; they dig burrows with multiple entrances, often hidden under sheds, woodpiles, or along fence lines.

Walking the perimeter of your property on a quiet morning is the first real step. Look for holes that are roughly 6 to 10 inches wide, often with a mound of dirt kicked up at the main entrance. Groundhog burrows also tend to have a secondary, more hidden escape tunnel.

Here’s a simple test: loosely plug the hole you find with leaves or lightweight soil. Check back the next afternoon. If the plug has been pushed out or replaced with fresh dirt, the burrow is active and you’ve found your target.

Why Habitat Changes Beat Sprays Alone

Groundhogs are creatures of comfort. They like tall grass they can hide in, brush piles for quick cover, and a reliable food source within a short distance of their underground den. A repellent might smell bad to them, but it smells a lot worse than a ripe tomato plant they’ve gotten used to.

Making your yard genuinely less inviting is what pushes them to move on. Here are the high-priority changes:

• Tidy up brush and woodpiles: Groundhogs use stacked firewood, overgrown hedges, and fallen branches as cover. Remove these, and they feel exposed every time they surface.
• Mow tall weeds and grass: A well-trimmed lawn gives a groundhog nowhere to hide while foraging. They prefer to stay within a few feet of cover.
• Don’t leave fallen fruit or vegetables: Windfall apples or rotting squash on the ground is a free buffet. Harvest promptly and pick up anything that drops.
• Keep compost bins closed and rodent-proof: Groundhogs will scavenge in open piles. A sealed bin with a secure lid removes that food source.
• Elevate garden beds if possible: Raised beds with a solid bottom (not just open soil) make it harder for groundhogs to access plants without climbing.

These changes can take a week or two to fully discourage a resident groundhog, but they make every other method — traps, fences, repellents — far more effective. A groundhog that feels exposed is more likely to take the bait in a trap.

Fencing That Actually Stops Them

A standard chicken wire fence is practically useless against a determined groundhog. They can climb surprisingly well for animals that look like squat, furry potatoes, and they will dig under a fence that isn’t buried deep enough.

The Humane Society recommends a fence that is at least three feet tall and buried at least 12 inches into the ground. If you really want it to work, add an outward-angled section at the top. The animal climbs up, hits the angled part, and has to drop back down — check for burrows before installing so you don’t trap an active animal inside the garden.

An underground L-footer (a section of wire that extends outward horizontally about 6 inches underground, away from the garden) can also block digging attempts. The groundhog tries to tunnel down, hits the buried wire, and can’t get past it without surfacing right into the open.

Electric fencing is another option for serious vegetable gardeners. A single hot wire set at about 6 inches off the ground, combined with a lower wire at 3 inches, delivers an unpleasant but harmless jolt that groundhogs learn to avoid after one encounter.

Whatever fence option you choose, make sure the bottom edge is flush with the soil surface. Any gap — even an inch — is an invitation a groundhog will find in minutes.

Humane Trapping The Right Way

Once habitat and fencing are in place, trapping is usually the best way to remove a groundhog that’s already living on your property. But most people make two mistakes: putting the trap in the wrong spot, and using the wrong bait.

1. Place the trap directly at the burrow entrance: Not in the garden, not near the shed, not in the middle of the yard. The burrow entrance is where the animal naturally passes every day, and the trap feels less threatening there.
2. Use fresh, sweet bait: Cantaloupe, apples, and sweet corn are far more effective than lettuce or grass. Groundhogs have a strong sweet tooth, and the smell of ripe melon carries well.
3. Camouflage the trap floor: Cover the metal floor with a shallow layer of dried leaves or grass so the animal doesn’t feel the metal underfoot. Nervous groundhogs will avoid stepping on bare wire.
4. Check the trap often: Once an animal is caught, don’t leave it sitting in the sun for hours. Check at least twice daily — morning and late afternoon — and relocate it quickly.
5. Have a relocation plan ready: You need a suitable release site at least five miles away (check local laws first) or a licensed wildlife rehabilitator lined up. Relocating without permission can be illegal in some areas.

After the groundhog is gone, permanently close the burrow with rocks and packed soil. If you leave an open hole, raccoons, skunks, or rabbits are likely to move in within a few weeks.

Repellents That Actually Add Something

Repellents alone won’t solve an established groundhog problem, but they can help keep new animals away after the resident one is removed. The key is to use them as a maintenance tool, not a primary solution.

Granular repellents that contain garlic, capsaicin, or sulfur can be sprinkled around the garden perimeter every few weeks. Some homeowners report success with vibration stakes, which create a subtle pulsing in the ground that groundhogs find unpleasant. Predator urine (coyote or fox scent) triggers a fear response, but it washes off in rain and needs frequent reapplication — granular groundhog repellent tends to last longer between applications.

Natural spray repellents made from garlic oil or pepper extract can be applied directly to the leaves of vulnerable plants. The taste alone is usually enough to make a groundhog search elsewhere for a meal, especially if the preferred food sources have already been removed.

One caution: ultrasonic devices and electronic repellers have limited research behind them. Some people swear by them; others see no change. Given the low cost and zero risk, they’re worth trying as a supplement, but don’t rely on a $20 gadget to solve the problem alone.

The Bottom Line

The most reliable path to getting rid of groundhogs involves three layers: remove the habitat that attracts them (brush, tall grass, fallen fruit), install a fence that buries at least 12 inches deep, and use a live trap baited with melon at the burrow entrance for any animal that’s already moved in. Repellents and sprays can help keep new ones away afterward, but they rarely solve an active infestation alone.

If the groundhog has burrowed under a deck, shed, or house foundation, professional wildlife exclusion services can seal entry points and install one-way doors — a job that’s worth paying for given the risk of structural damage or animal entrapment inside the walls.