New and Unread Tree-Mails
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   twitcher Jun 20, 2013 8:35 AM CST |
| Can anybody help. A family of groundhogs lives under a neighborhood house. The house is empty but the beasts have discovered our garden next door and are destroying it. Research suggests that trapping is the only solution, but traps are expensive and iffy. We've tried the local gov. and law enforcement, but they all suggest living with the situation or to try fencing, which usually doesn't work. My blueberry crop is in jeopardy, so this is war. Anybody ever deal with this successfully? |
Name: aud/odd Pennsylvania (Zone 6b)   Cinta Jun 20, 2013 9:01 AM CST |
| Do you see holes? Do you have a cat? I had holes where they came in. I filled the hole with used kitty litter and closed the hole and put a rock over. They do sell ground hog spray that helps but if you are in fear of food products you cannot spray it on the fruit. Sprinkle some red pepper and if you have a carpet place near you ask them for their tac strips. I put them between all my beds and around the entrance. Ammonia-soaked rags can be strewn along the perimeter of your garden, forming a stinky barrier to repel groundhogs. Epsom salts can be sprinkled on the vegetation and fruits of your garden plants to render them foul-tasting to groundhogs. The good news about this strategy is that Epsom salts will also help some of your garden plants to grow better. Another strategy that suffers from the same drawback is discouraging groundhogs with foul-smelling agents such as ammonia. Ammonia-soaked rags can be strewn along the perimeter of your garden, forming a stinky barrier to repel groundhogs. But even ammonia's smell fades eventually and a re-application will be necessary. It was a big battle but they seem to be staying away this year. The tac strips also work for the rabbits. If they walk or hop on those boards they leave quick. I thought it was the deer eating my hostas and it turned out I was getting more damage from the groundhogs than the deer. http://landscaping.about.com/c... |
Name: Greg Colucci Seattle WA (Zone 8b)             gg5 Jun 20, 2013 11:17 AM CST |
Sorry Twit!  |
Name: Julia Washington State (Zone 7a)         springcolor Jun 20, 2013 4:32 PM CST |
| Hope you win! At least get them to go someplace else. Sempervivum for Sale |
Name: Lynn Dallas, OR (Zone 8b)         valleylynn Jun 20, 2013 4:45 PM CST |
| I wonder if the Plantskydd would work. Chris uses it with success. Just not sure about the groundhogs? |
Name: Kate NEKingdom of Vermont (Zone 3a) www.LabourofLoveLandscaping.com   LabourofLove Jun 20, 2013 7:22 PM CST |
| A .22 cal. works just fine! Kate Kennedy Butler Glover, Vermont life without music would be a mistake Nietzsche |
Name: Julia Washington State (Zone 7a) springcolor Jun 20, 2013 7:26 PM CST |
 On my!!!Sempervivum for Sale |
Name: Lynn Dallas, OR (Zone 8b) valleylynn Jun 20, 2013 7:54 PM CST |
We better start up a fund for bailing him out of jail, since he lives in the city limits.  |
| twitcher Jun 20, 2013 10:07 PM CST |
| Thanks, Cinta, for your suggestions and the rest of you for your sympathy. We have neighborhood cats, but I no longer have any. Ammonia is not a good option, as it fades and I do not have a daily presence there to renew it. Cost is also a factor. I'll have to look for a source of used kitty litter (or maybe get a cat myself!) I can't address the holes directly as they are on another property. Since I was looking for a long term solution, I bought a nice trap. Got a good deal on it, only $35. (I'd rather have spent the cash on some Oro's) Its set up and baited, this time with watermelon. You are supposed to leave a trail from where the critter walks to the trap, then put more of the bait in the trap. We'll see on Sunday if it works. A neighbor says that we have 4 or 5 of them varmints as they are reproducing. I am also putting up a fence, but that is a major pain as it gets in the way of garden maintenance (I have raised beds) and bought a bottle of repellant to use. The tac strip idea sounds wonderful, but I fear I will get more injury than the varmints, as I have become a bit of a klutz in the bast few years. I'd love to take up arms against these monsters, but its in a neighborhood. That would get me in serious trouble although when we called and talked to the police about the problem, we were told "If it was me, I'd shoot them, but I didn't say that!" I got the trap at a local farm supply store. In discussion with store personnel, I was told a couple of sure-fire solutions that involve poison. Unfortunately the delivery mechanisms involve risks to other animals, including pets, so I'm not going to try them. I did hear that groundhogs love wild cherry pepsi though. Anybody know if that is true? If so, it would make a good bait for the trap. It's all out war until they are gone. They've been there for several years and we had a peace treaty in place for all that time, but now they went and did a "Pearl Harbor" on me, the sneaky pests. |
Name: aud/odd Pennsylvania (Zone 6b) Cinta Jun 20, 2013 10:45 PM CST |
| All I can tell you is the fence will not work. I have a fence that is why I asked if you saw holes. Mine dig a tunnel and come up over to my property. Just warning you. Do not get comfortable thinking you are safe after the fence goes up. |
Name: Chris Ripon, Wisconsin      goldfinch4 Jun 21, 2013 1:01 AM CST |
| Oh Twit, this is really bad news. Other than shooting them, I've never heard of anything that really works. Cubits Store: The Sempervivum Patch - plants, containers, accessories! Also stop by Timber Treasures and Garden Buddies on Cubits |
Name: Kate S Wales UK (Zone 9a)       Eviesmummy Jun 21, 2013 1:45 AM CST |
  Oh no Twit, I hope that the trap works and you can get rid of them. Thankfully groundhogs are one pest that we don't have to deal with this side of the pond. Kate UK |
Name: Lynn Dallas, OR (Zone 8b) valleylynn Jun 21, 2013 3:33 AM CST |
| Twit, can you give us photos of the damage? And maybe one of the groundhogs? |
| twitcher Jun 21, 2013 6:23 AM CST |
| Kate, If I catch some, I could try to send them to you. That should be far enough away Lynn, no pics so far. The rats run away when they see or hear me. I only get brief glimpses. Now, if I catch one.... |
Name: Lynn Dallas, OR (Zone 8b) valleylynn Jun 21, 2013 7:39 AM CST |
 Yes twit, catch one for us, um for you I mean.  |
Name: Kate S Wales UK (Zone 9a) Eviesmummy Jun 21, 2013 8:32 AM CST |
| Kate UK |
Name: aud/odd Pennsylvania (Zone 6b) Cinta Jun 21, 2013 8:36 AM CST |
| They do say they are easy to scare I did not try this but they said pinwheels work. In my yard there is a gravy chain of chasing. The Deer chase the Turkey The Turkey Chase The Groundhog' I Chase everybody. This is a pic..by the time I ran and got my camera he was already running away they had him surrounded.  They had their babies out for a walk and he walked up on them and they went crazy on him.  After they chase them away they think they are king.  |
Name: Julia Washington State (Zone 7a) springcolor Jun 21, 2013 10:01 AM CST |
| That turkey is strutting his stuff!!! Sempervivum for Sale |
Name: Lynn Dallas, OR (Zone 8b) valleylynn Jun 21, 2013 10:07 AM CST |
| Twit, there is your solution. Get a flock of turkeys. |
Name: aud/odd Pennsylvania (Zone 6b) Cinta Jun 21, 2013 11:30 AM CST |
I have extra turkeys I can spare....You want some?  |
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