trapping groundhogs?

Critter, Just saw this and don't want to wade through all the posts. But I did get rid of my groundhogs. Humane trap baited with Cantolope rinds
We caught 3 of them at my house and another one at my son's place in less than a week.

They've stopped going for bananas, here... but I've got a cantelope in the fridge! Thanks for the tip!

Mine is GONE!!!!! OH, I am so happy!

Stuffed a couple of ammonia soaked rags (thanks Jill) near the entrance of the hole and that was it. Did some more the next day--just to make sure.

This morning I filled up the hole, sunk some ceramic tile pieces flush against the concrete of the steps and poured a bunch of small rocks on the outside of all of it. Since this was the first time I ever had one, I am not going to loose any sleep over it. Will keep checking, though.

Gita

Woman Triumphs Over Groundhog! (details at 11)

Congrats, and may he never return!

:o(.....:o(((.....:o((((((

Woman does NOT triumph over Ground Hog!!!! It is back!!!!!!! With a vengence!

Came home today and saw all the dirt scattered all over my sidewalk. It had dug under all the tile I put down and just shoved all the rocks aside as if they were mere marbles. I was so sure I had gotten rid of him/her! Now I have to start all over again.......:o(((((
Serves me right! He just dug deeper to get under all the stuff I put up to block the side of the previous hole.

Serves me right! SO! As soon as I could, I got some more rags and really soaked them in Ammonia and put them at the entrance. Then I sprinkled more Ammonia all over the soil near the entrance and also on the other side of my front steps. I think I should have done this as a preventative measure on a regular basis instead of gloating that I had won the battle.
I sure will from now on. I just hope the Ammonia does not affect, or kill, my beautiful, nearby Camellia. That would be a disaster!!!! Do you have any information on Ammonia and it's effect on plants?
I have Mike in GA happy as a lark, b/c I sent him a bunch of cuttings of this Camellia. He said I made him the happiest man on earth!

My Camellia is called Bob Hope and was so named in 1972. I am sure you have seen pictures I posted of it somewhere. I have posted them quite a bit. Seems a rather rare specimen.

Something else for me to fret over! Just what I needed!!!! Bah--Humbug!

Gita

Sorry to hear your pest has returned!

I doubt it's a problem since you said "sprinkled" not "poured," but in the future I think I'd just stick with the ammonia soaked rags and not put it directly on the soil, just to be safe. Hopefully the smell will drive him/her off again!

Hmmm Maybe he is gone for sure this time!! So far mine is, thank goodness, but if he does come back, I will have to remember the ammonia soaked rags!

Hey Jill, saw you are having a plant sway/get together. Hope you all have lots of fun and get lots of good stuff!!! How far are you from me again? LOL

~ Suzi :)

It's probably about 3 1/2 hours or so, Suzi... but I think a couple of folks are planning to make a weekend of it and come up Friday night or even Thursday already, do some "nursery stomping" on Friday, and head back home Sunday... Think about it! :-)

Well, since the 7th is younger DD's b/day, chances are slim; besides, nothing to trade. I worked massive OT mid-Apr till end of July, so didn't even plant tomatoes. Gosh, I sure feel deprived! Thankfully, getting some time to catch up on house and yard now.

~ Suzi :)

Just read the beginning and end of this. Gita, if we have a campfire I'll share my ashes with you on Swap Day. Some for me too, fellow GH sufferer. Should be able to get the kids into a campfire in next couple weeks. esp with this nice cool weather we're suddenly treated to if it keeps up.
Oh they love your cantaloupe rinds.

This message was edited Aug 11, 2007 11:36 PM

Bumping this thread.

I am looking to employ a fox. Travel paid for, must have a tremendous appetite for groundhogs, rabbits and squirrels, a growing family would be good. Enjoying an occasional bark conference from a dog also a plus. References required.

Alas...I have no heart, and only recently realized that the groundhogs ARE going to be a problem.

I forget where I read the sure-fire cure... wasn't it something about put a bunch of sand into the place they enter... which reminds me, I think mine is back too... Bah Humbug! ~ Suzi :)

Was it putting ash in their holes? I haven't tried it but a friend at work
swears by it. He says they hate to dig in the ash and will abandon
their hole to avoid it.

This is the first year the groundhogs were munching on my perennials back in May. I was horrified. I had 5 or 6 just starting to come up and they were gnawed down. And I live in the city. One day as I was opening the front door to leave for work, the GH was coming up the front steps. We stared at each other and then he waddled down and went under our porch. Well, my good neighbor has since trapped 2 of them. He used egg and apple. Then he would drive them out to a local park. The remaining groundhog(s) are now smart enough not to get in the trap -- it tries to shake the egg out of the trap. I did use Shake away or something similar when the plants were gnawed down. I think it helped keep him away and gave them a chance to recover. But i ran out and then he was at them again. All plants though recovered except one. Between the Jap. beetles and the groundhogs, it's getting ridiculous. It used to be my worst enemy were those darn thistle weeds that refuse to die.

sucuqu I feel your pain. We have one again in the back yard, usually they stay in the front. I am flooding the hole again. I wish it would work, but we have so many it is something of a losing battle.

I had one last year--dug a hole right under my concrete front porch. It kept coming back over and over. I sought help on DG and got some good ideas.
I soaked some rags with clear Ammonia and stuffed them in the hole when it was not there. You have to 'refresh" it every few days. I also used moth balls mixed in with the soil I filled the hole with. Between both of them--it worked. He/she never came back.

I have lived here 38 years and never seen one until last year. I still keep looking at the spot--expecting a pile of dirt any day......

Gita

Yes, We very successfully got rid of our groundhog family last year with a humane trap and cantaloupe. They just love cantaloupe.
Well just the other day we noticed that all the tops have been eaten off our sweet potatoes and our dog Buddy has been going crazy down by the barn wall. Yep, We have one living in the old hole under the barn from last year. Going to have to do the whole thing all over again.

hello to all'
I'm new to this thread. I'ved read some of the problems you are all having and I think I fit right in. First let me tell you that I was having a gopher problem,hope it is was only 1. See my thread in bird watching forum/ GOPHER ATTACK ON BABY ROBINS. My gopher not only likes dahlia roots, many flowers that I can't find he also likes poultry. Tried to trap him/he's to smart and bold and very mean, he knows when were home/uses my yard like he's paying the taxes.He knows the sound of the screen door opening and scurries back in one of his many holes. He made a hole/huge in my shed, ate the wires to radio setup-wish it was plugged in!Today he tasted led! Best trap in the world, work to hard in my tomato garden to let him at it. Cost hundreds of $ for repellents to protect it, repel works best also most expensive.
I have tomato's!
Also a little revenge for the dead baby robin from 2 wks ago. Not sure if it was rabid. we were warned of rabies in area, couldn't let dog out loose/he's trained to stay in yard/also I didn't want to go out and I love summer/all of my many gardens and all the beautiful birds in my yard/plant lots to feed them.
Now for the voles-we are over run w/ them here. Nasty little critters and mean. Destroyed so many plants this yr. /couldn't grow the sun flowers I usually grow/for the birds.I have a few small one's because planted 3 times and finally planted in pots and used all kinds of repellents/birds will have some fresh seed/they love it and I love to watch them.Just to control voles using mole max/poison peanuts/revenge smoke. This only helping to control the vole population. I saw one this morning/ they made tunnels under day lilies witch did not bloom/look's like they are dying.This is an on going fight/ they do not hibernate/carry lots of disease/insects,very bad tick problem this yr./on cement patio! My husband got Lyme! I don't think I'm going to win this fight.

As for deer and rabbit , 3 yrs.ago I started using liquid fence,I use it early like may, and it is keeping the deer away. I have to spray every 3 .wks. at first then less, 4-5 wks.The rabbits don't like it either. But they are fun to watch/ they run in and out of my gardens don't know were to go. I caught them eating petunias right in front of me,sprayed w/liquid fence and it was a show of WITCH WAY DO I GO ! ! The deer I want out and they seem to stay out cause I saw all my lily garden bloom/except what the voles got. Very bad critter yr.

In R.I. called U.R.I. extension and it is illegal to transport gopher's/ground hogs here. They tell us to drown them. So led is a better alternative if poss..Must be due to the rabies!

This message was edited Aug 23, 2011 1:44 PM

katt---

It would help if you separated your sentences. It is hard to read an on-going ramble of lines with NO
punctuations. Not knowing where one stops and the other starts. Are you a serious texter by any chance???

Sorry about all your problems....We have had a Thread here about "Ravenous Rabbits and other Pests"
It may be called something else--similar. it is now on Part #3. But--they are all connected by links
to the old one and the new one.
I know we had long and serious discussions about Voles. Also--Ground Hogs.

See if you can find it on the Mid Atlantic Forum. Read---and Learn.

Gita

I would get a dog that will kill the groundhog, that's seems to work for me. My Dog has taken care of many of them

Well that is an option but groundhogs and be pretty mean when cornered and I have seen some
of the damage that they can do to dogs. Might end up with an injured dog and a big Vet bill.