Managing Groundhog Damage in the Landscape

Maggie Rivera OSU Extension Cuyahoga County Agriculture and Natural Resources Educator adapted from a presentation by Marne Titchenell Wildlife Specialist Love for Groundhogs?

Groundhog Day 2020

Punxsutawney Phil did not see his shadow

Forecasting an early spring but we will see

AKA Woodchuck, Gopher, & Whistle Pig! Steps for Managing Wildlife Damage

1) Correctly assess the damage

2) Identify the species responsible

3) Assess cost of damage vs. cost of management

4) Employ management options ▪ Continuous monitoring ▪ Persistence and patience ▪ Combination of management options Options for Managing Wildlife Damage

Trapping Short-term

Hunting Short-term

Exclusion Long-term

Repellents Short-term

Scare Tactics Short-term

Habitat Modification Long-term Groundhog Ecology

• Habitat ▪ Year-round resident ▪ Hibernate in the winter ▪ Active primarily during day, prefer open fields, forest edges ▪ Member of the squirrel family

• Reproduction (April – early June) ▪ 2-6 young per litter, 1 per year ▪ 30 day gestation ▪ Lifespan 3-4 years Groundhog Ecology

• Feeding Habits ▪ Adult groundhog eat 2lbs of vegetation daily; gain about 2 pounds each week in warm months ▪ Grasses, clover, alfalfa, soybeans, lettuce, apples ▪ ALL YOUR VEGETBALES! Prefer tender young greens, eat cherries, berries, beans, corn squash broccoli, peas and lettuce ▪ Flowers too! Groundhog Ecology

• The Den ▪ Elaborate burrows with large entrances, large “throw mounds” ▪ Hibernate in the winter, 4-6 months in cold ▪ Burrows are 8 to 66 feet long, multiple exits, chambers and levels; for hibernating, another “summer home” section with easy exit. Groundhog Den System How to ID Groundhog Damage How to ID Groundhog Damage

• Chisel-like incisor teeth. • Jaggedly strips leaves from greens (rabbit leave clean cuts).

• Takes bits out of fruits, sometimes just one. Management Options for Groundhog Damage

• Habitat modification ▪ Removing cover • Exclusion ▪ Fencing ▪ Individual raised bed protection

• Trapping • Lethal Control ▪ Hunting ▪ Gas Cartridges

• Repellents • Scare Tactics Habitat Modification

• Remove shelter ▪ Brush piles, tall dense grasses, stone piles, woodpiles

• Sometimes, this is not possible….

…especially if you are a landscaper or gardener! Groundhog Resistant Plants

• Little research done in urban/residential settings

• Penn State Factsheet “groundhog resistant plants” ▪ Beets, fennel, onion, potatoes are only veggies listed

• No plant is safe under all conditions! Fencing

• Most effective, but to do it right may be impractical ▪ Heavy duty chicken wire; 3-4’ height ▪ Buried underground 12’ with bottom flared out ▪ Bend the top of the fence 45 degrees outward.

• Electric? Fencing

• Next best thing ▪ 12’ laid on the surface, covered with mulch ▪ Heavy duty chicken wire; 3-4’ height ▪ Bend the top of the fence 45 degrees outward. Fencing

• Protecting individual raised beds ▪ Heavy duty chicken or hardware cloth at the bottom, while building raised bed. ▪ Create a secure cage on top Fencing

• Same principles apply to protecting a decks and porches.

• Install steel mesh exclusion barrier under decks Trapping

• Legally, you can trap the following species: • Rabbits, squirrels, raccoon, woodchuck, skunk, opossum, beaver, coyote, fox

▪ But what do you do once it’s trapped?

– This can influence a landowner’s decision to trap in the first place

– Are you willing to euthanize the trapped animal? Trapping R&R’s

• Squirrels and rabbits ▪ Fox, gray, red squirrels ▪ Chipmunks, 13-lined ground squirrels ▪ Groundhog ▪ Eastern cottontail ▪ Can be relocated with permission • Raccoon, skunk, opossum, beaver, coyote, fox ▪ MUST be released on site or euthanized • Raccoon, skunk, opossums ▪ Illegal to relocate ▪ Why?? ▪ RABIES • Coyote, beaver, fox ▪ Would just be someone else’s problem Trapping R&R’s

FOR MORE INFO Contact Ohio Division of Wildlife Trapping Regulations http://www.ohiodnr.com/wildlife/dow/regulations/trapping.aspx Back to Trapping Groundhog

• Trapping and relocation is legal ▪ Must have permission to relocate

But…this kind of control is a short-term solution. When to Trap?

• March 1st – Sept. 30th

• Locate dens during spring (early spring - young born April – May) ▪ Easier to find – less vegetation and freshly dug out Types of Traps

• Live Trap ▪ Can be baited ▪ Concealed

• Body-gripping (Kill) Trap ▪ Must be covered to prevent other animals from entering Where to place the Trap?

• Entrance of the burrow

• Paths of movement (under a fence) While on the Subject of Trapping… Groundhog Trapping Support In Cleveland

• City of Cleveland Animal Control ▪ 216-664-3069, call before 9am for a pickup that day, otherwise you will have to release, be ready with what kind of animal trapped. ▪ Have your trap labeled with your Name and Address for return OR borrow a trap for $20 returnable deposit. ▪ YOU ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE WELFARE OF THE ANIMAL WHILE IN TRAP. – Have a clean undamaged trap, if breaks replace. – Trap must be placed in the shade – Place a piece of burlap, board, or plastic under the trap so the animal does not pull in grass and mud. ▪ City employee (or contracted) may refuse the pickup if the trapped animal does not meet this! ▪ Must be removed within 24hrs of being trapped, no matter the situation Groundhog Trapping Support In Cleveland

• City of Cleveland (contracted) Trapping Service ▪ Call 216.664.3069 and leave your name, address, zip code, phone number, and type of nuisance animal. ▪ Nothing inside, has to be outdoors! ▪ The Wildlife Trapping Service is available from April 15th to October 31st each year.

• Commercial Animal Control Companies

• Licensed trappers

All are likely to provide and set traps; shop around to get best price and service. Lethal Controls

• Gas Cartridges – not a great option in urban areas. Remember the den construction!

• Hunting – check state hunting laws and local firearm regulation before discharging a firearm. Scare Tactics

• Short term solution ▪ Groundhog will most likely become habituated to it, or not even care!

• A few to try ▪ Smart sprinkler ▪ Dogs – Underground/invisible fencing and let dogs roam and chase groundhog away Repellents

No repellents are registered for use on groundhogs in Ohio. Little to no research on what may be effective.

When applied correctly… ▪ Repellent is applied before or immediately after damage begins ▪ Reapplied after rain

Animals will push through a disagreeable experience. Types/Brands of Repellents

Odor Repellents Taste Repellents • Egg Solids • Hot Pepper (capsaicin) • Predator Urine • Blood products • Garlic oil • Fungicide (thiram) • Ammonium and fatty • Bitter taste acids

Home remedies may be cheaper: Bar soap (mixed results) Human hair (not consistently effective) Eggs and water (shown to be effective) Web Resources

• Wildlife Damages Manual ▪ www.icwdm.org

• Wildlife management info ▪ www.wildlifemanagement.info/

• OSU Extension Publications ▪ www.woodlandstewards.com

• Extension Wildlife Damages Website ▪ www.extension.org/wildlife+damage+management My Contact Info

Maggie Rivera

[email protected] 330-599-7710 Thanks and Question Time!