Would anyone have any idea what to plant or otherwise do to deter groundhogs other than fencing or trapping? Trapping is my very last alternative, and I can't do fencing for my layout. Their burrow does not appear to be in my yard, but none of my neighbors grow the goodies we do, so I'm sure to have them back this year.

Last year was the first year they devastated my flower garden, although I'd been growing zinnias, cosmos, and other things they eat for two years before that. I caught one scaling the cattle panel I have my tomatoes growing on, and was able to scare it away, but the flower garden is much more accessible.

Hmm. We don't get groundhogs around here so I don't know that much about them, sorry to say. I do know that my dogs (German Shepherds) are a great deterrent and keep just about every critter away from the gardens, chickens and house.

Maybe someone up in your area will stop by and have another solution for you.

Best wishes,
Christine

I've found trapping and relocation, or shooting them if that fails are the only control measures that work. 1 can decimate an entire garden in an evening. I believe in live and let live , but all the labor I put into my garden is not for the ground hogs, nor will I give up my garden to this sometimes cute but insidious beast.

Many are easy to catch in a HavAHart using cantaloupe as bait, most find it irresistible, but a few will not be baited.

Thanks--I've been reading thread after thread, and they all seem to point to traps if killing them outright is not possible. I did try Deer Stopper last year--too late--and it worked, but they have to take a bite first. I'll try that for the beginning of the season and see how it goes, but it seems Plan B is the trap.

I have never tried it , but they are mammals and should react to pepper spray?

I am late but I have every known garden destroyer known to man. I found my friend has been prickly plants. Barberry clippings around the plants I want them to stay away from has been awesome. I stumbled upon this by accident. I trimmed the bushes and dropped some as I was disposing of the clippings and realized they had not ate my daylily buds in that area. This stops rabbits and groundhogs. Also good are rose clippings.

If you have a fence line and you have a cat you can sprinkle used kitty litter along the entrance.

I have also found that "Mole Chasers" , those vibrating devices will keep them from setting up shop or burrowing, but do not deter them from feasting. I hope to have our wireless collar working by next year, training needed, but I'm sure our greatest deterrent will be our Carin Terrier.
Even though we have with great success treating our lawn and gardens with BT, the mole chasers were effective in keeping moles/voles at bay also. We border a large woodland and enjoy an abundance of wildlife, so the ground hogs will be present no matter what we do.
I have found the mole chasers at yard sales and flea markets for a fraction of the online price, so become familiar with what they look like and keep an eye open.

So, I'm finally back. I sprayed Deer Stopper something like twice a week, then once a week, then stopped altogether after about three months. They seemed to leave my plants alone long after the smell must have worn off, just because of the memory of that awful taste. But at the end of teh season they took a nibble, realized I must have forgotten, and went after everything again. So the spraying works, and you probably don't have to keep up such a stringent schedule, but it does need to be consistent if you want a pretty fall garden.

It just seemed appropriate to say Happy Groundhog Day!

Phil says," Early spring". I say I'll take it.

Balzac Billy did not see his shadow either, so early spring here too!
Whoo Hoo!

LOL, Caroline -- define "early" !

On the other hand, I guess whatever early is here in the north is a lot better than "late" ...

"early" is a flexible term?

Well it was 60 today in my part of the woods so the groundrat may be right. I hate them but I guess they have to eat too.

Last year was the first year they devastated my flower garden, although I'd been growing zinnias, cosmos, and other things they eat for two years before that. I caught one scaling the cattle panel I have my tomatoes growing on, and was able to scare it away, but the flower garden is much more accessible.

--

Chung Cư An Bình City, Chung cư gemek premium, gemek premium

canhthongxanhtq, they can be trapped in a Havahart using cantaloupe and relocated pretty easily. The couple I couldn't trap met an untimely end due to acute lead poisoning.

canhthongxanhtq said:Last year was the first year they devastated my flower garden, although I'd been growing zinnias, cosmos, and other things they eat for two years before that. I caught one scaling the cattle panel I have my tomatoes growing on, and was able to scare it away, but the flower garden is much more accessible.

This was the exact sequence of events--including the cattle panel climbing--that happened in my garden. Last year, though, I sprayed the deer stopper. I was extremely vigilant spraying after every spring rain and sometimes in between for the first two and a half months, spraying everything they eat, but was negligent for the rest of the season, only spraying if I noticed a nibble.

They didn't take another bite until the season was pretty much over and I couldn't be bothered, even though they still live here (under the house).

We're not sure we're up to the task of relocating them, ourselves, so I'm just glad they know my garden smells and tastes terrible (to them).

Here's one I haven't heard of before... I was out at a garden near us yesterday and the gentleman running the place suggested pounding rebar in to the ground and putting glass bottles on the top. His reasoning was that the wind in the bottles vibrates the rebar all the way down into the ground and the underground critters don't like it. He says it works for him, so I'm going to try that this summer and see how it goes.

djinnevada said:Here's one I haven't heard of before... I was out at a garden near us yesterday and the gentleman running the place suggested pounding rebar in to the ground and putting glass bottles on the top. His reasoning was that the wind in the bottles vibrates the rebar all the way down into the ground and the underground critters don't like it. He says it works for him, so I'm going to try that this summer and see how it goes.

That sure is different--staging an earthquake! Not enough wind here, though, I don't think...

It makes sense to me, my mole chasers give of an electronic buzz that does work.