Groundhog Removal in Your Area
Do you have a groundhog problem? Schedule a service today to remove groundhogs from your space quickly and humanely!
Humane Groundhog Removal
Groundhog burrows can undermine foundations, patios, and sheds. Their appetite for garden plants adds up fast. Varment Guard’s wildlife specialists handle groundhog removal safely and effectively, using humane trapping methods and exclusion techniques to keep them from coming back.
Our certified technicians inspect the property, identify burrow entrances, and build a control plan suited to your yard.
Fill out the form to schedule a service and get a groundhog problem handled by the pros.
About Groundhogs: Size, Behavior, & Diet
Groundhogs (aka woodchucks) are known as one of the largest members of the squirrel family (Sciuridae). They usually weigh less than 14 pounds and are about 25 inches long (including the tail). Their fur is yellowish brown to black in color. They have short legs and bushy tails.
Common Name: Groundhog; woodchuck
Groundhog Scientific Name: Marmota monax
GROUNDHOG BIOLOGY
- Adult body length (without tail): 16 to 22 inches
- Adult body weight: 5 to 13 pounds
- Gestation period: 31 to 32 days
- Litters per year: 1
- Litter size: 2 to 7 young (average 4)
- Breeding season: March and early April
- Birthing season: April through May
- Age at which young are weaned: 6 weeks
- Activity period: Daytime; especially sunrise to mid-morning and late afternoon until dark
- Range: 40 to 160 acres
- Primary foods: Vegetables, legumes, grasses and fruits
What Do Groundhogs Eat?
Groundhogs eat plants such as grass, ferns, leaves from bushes, and fruit. If they awake out of hibernation before new plant growth, they will eat bark and small branches. They will also occasionally eat insects, eggs, young birds, beans, peas, carrot tops, alfalfa, and soybeans. An adult groundhog can consume over a pound of vegetation each day.
Groundhog Habitat & Breeding
Habitat
Groundhogs are found throughout the Midwest in a variety of habitats. They prefer meadows, pastures, crop fields, and yards that are close to woods. They are especially common in brushy or weedy areas along fence rows.
Burrows
Groundhogs hibernate throughout the winter in underground burrows. Winter burrows are usually in wooded areas and summer burrows are found near grassy agricultural fields where food is available. It isn’t unusual to find a groundhog digging under a shed or under a porch to create burrows.
Groundhogs commonly have more than one summer burrow, each having multiple entrances.
Breeding
Mating season for groundhogs is late February or March; then, four to five young are born in April or May. A groundhog will give birth to only one litter per year. The young will start to find their own territory when they are just a few months old.
What Kind of Damage Do Groundhogs Cause?
Destruction of Gardens
Groundhogs commonly invade cropland and vegetable gardens, eating or destroying vegetables and succulent landscape plants.
Damage to Vehicles
They’re also known to enter engine compartments of parked vehicles and gnaw on various rubber or plastic engine components and electrical wiring.
Damage to Fields and Yards
Groundhogs excavate large, unsightly burrows in fields, golf courses, cemeteries, lawns, and landscaping beds. This leaves mounds of soil at the dig site. They often excavate burrows along and beneath home and building foundations. They also burrow into levees and dikes, causing damaging washouts.
Issues with Foundation
Occasionally, groundhogs completely undermine foundations of homes or barns. At Varment Guard, we offer removal of groundhogs that burrow under decks, dig under sheds, have den holes in landscaping, and more.
How to Get Rid of Groundhogs: Get Help From Varment Guard
Varment Guard knows how to efficiently and humanely remove groundhogs from your property. To effectively take care of your groundhog problem, we offer:
1. Groundhog Exclusion
Buried wire is the best exclusion method for groundhogs that have or are trying to gain access under your porch, shed, sunroom, or elsewhere.
Groundhogs will dig beneath ordinary chain-link fences, but if extra wire is buried about 18 inches deep and curved outward at the bottom, it will normally restrict their movements.
2. Groundhog Trapping Services
Varment Guard technicians live-trap groundhogs using live-catch wire cage traps. Live traps are most effective if placed directly in their runways at the burrow or on foraging trails. Traps are baited with a variety of fruit and leafy vegetation scent. Varment Guard technicians live-trap groundhogs using 32″ x 12″ x 10″ or similar size wire cage traps.
Keep in mind that it may take several days before an animal will become accustomed to and enter the trap. When only a few animals are involved, live-catch traps are a practical approach.
3. Groundhog Entry Problems & Damage Repair
After we remove the groundhogs, we provide a pest guard deck barrier for groundhog prevention. We also offer groundhog damage repair for your home or business.
Ready to get started with efficient and humane wildlife control? Contact Varment Guard today to get and keep pesky wildlife away from your property!
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We can rid you of groundhogs (or woodchucks) safely and efficiently!
Frequently Asked Questions:
Where do groundhogs come from?
Groundhogs (Marmota monax) are native to North America and are found across the eastern and central United States. They move onto residential properties in search of food or shelter, digging burrow systems under decks, sheds, and porches. If you’re seeing them on your property, they likely came from a nearby woodland edge or field.
Are groundhogs aggressive?
Groundhogs aren’t typically aggressive, but they will bite or scratch if cornered and can carry rabies. The bigger danger is structural: burrows can undermine foundations, damage utility lines, and create tripping hazards. Don’t attempt to handle one yourself — contact a licensed wildlife removal professional.
Woodchuck vs. groundhog: what’s the difference?
There’s no difference. They’re the same animal (Marmota monax). “Woodchuck” comes from the Algonquian word wuchak; “groundhog” is more common in the eastern U.S. Either way, if one is burrowing under your property, the removal approach is the same.
Are groundhogs bad for your lawn?
Yes. A single groundhog can excavate 35+ pounds of dirt per burrow, creating basketball-sized holes near foundations, sidewalks, and driveways. Their tunnels (6–45 feet long) can undermine structural foundations and damage utility lines. Early removal is far less costly than repairing what a long-established colony leaves behind.
Do groundhogs make noise?
Yes. Groundhogs whistle loudly as an alarm call, which is why they’re also called “whistle pigs.” They also chatter their teeth and bark when threatened. Whistling from under a deck or porch, combined with large holes and disturbed soil near your foundation, is a reliable sign of an active burrow.
How do I get rid of a groundhog under my deck or shed?
Effective removal requires two steps: trapping the animal and sealing the entry point. Live trapping alone often fails in the long term — groundhogs are territorial, and new animals will move into an open burrow within weeks. The most reliable solution combines professional trapping with exclusion work (L-shaped underground hardware cloth around the structure’s perimeter). Varment Guard handles both in a single service visit.
How many groundhogs typically live in one burrow?
Groundhogs are mostly solitary. Most burrows house one adult. A female may share her burrow with 2–6 young in late spring, but juveniles disperse by midsummer to establish their own burrows. Multiple groundhogs on your property usually means multiple active burrows that each need to be addressed. Our groundhog trapping service accounts for all active burrow sites.
What does groundhog removal cost?
Professional groundhog removal typically runs $200–$500 for a single-animal trapping service; exclusion work is priced separately by linear footage. Varment Guard provides free on-site assessments with transparent pricing before any work begins. Contact us to schedule yours.
Can repellents keep groundhogs away?
Repellents like castor oil or predator urine can deter groundhogs just beginning to investigate a property, but rarely work once a burrow is established. Physical removal followed by professional exclusion is the only reliable long-term solution for a groundhog that’s already dug in.
