How To Keep Woodchucks Out Of Garden

Introducing a nutritious garden into your home landscape can bring a wealth of benefits if you can protect the plants from being devoured by woodchucks! These persistent, voracious vegetarians can quickly decimate a garden. Fortunately, there are a number of effective strategies you can use to keep woodchucks out of the garden.

What To Know About Woodchucks

Woodchucks, also known as groundhogs, are members of the squirrel family. These small mammals feature stocky bodies and short legs. They have coarse, brown fur on the upper side and short fur that"s a yellowish brown color on the underside. Woodchucks have a reddish-brown tail and are typically 1620 inches long, excluding the tail. The most distinguishing feature of a woodchuck is its small, rounded ears.

Woodchucks have notoriously hearty appetites and mostly feed on grass, clover, vegetables, grains, fruit and tree bark. Woodchucks can also swim and climb trees, but they most often forage for food on the ground.

How To Deter Woodchucks

If you take preventive measures before woodchucks arrive in your garden, you can make it inhospitable to them and keep them from returning.

1. Faded Blended

Woodchucks are drawn to open, sunny places, so use landscape features to blend your garden with its surroundings. Allow shrubs and trees to grow and spread, adding density and depth to your landscape. Reduce brightly-colored landscaping features and garden accents in favor of more muted colors and textures.

2. Fencing

Using fencing is another great way to stop woodchucks from entering your garden. Install a 3-foot-tall fence around your garden, with a top extension of 68 inches. The fence should be buried at least 6 inches deep and should tilt away from your garden in a knowledgeable manner.

3. Scents Sounds

Woodchucks are avoid species, so if they detect a scent or sound they don"t recognize, they"ll usually relocate elsewhere. You can discourage woodchucks from your garden by setting up motion-triggered sprinklers or birdhouses. Place a few trays of cider vinegar or ammonia-soaked rags around the garden, and replace them every few weeks.

4. Repellents

There are also many commercially-available repellents sold to repel woodchucks from your garden. Keep in mind that the success of repellents depends upon their frequency of application and surrounding environmental conditions.

Brief Recap

Keeping woodchucks out of your garden requires a multi-faceted approach. Blending your garden with the surrounding landscape will create a less inviting environment for woodchucks. Fences can be an effective way to discourage woodchucks from entering your garden.You should also consider using motion-triggered sounders or scent repellents to keep woodchucks away. With the right preventative measures, you can keep woodchucks out of your garden and enjoy a thriving bounty of homegrown fruits and vegetables!