Whether you have groundhogs (a.k.a. woodchucks) chowing down in your veggie garden or burrowing in inconvenient places around your home’s foundation, you’re probably wondering what your options are for evicting them. If you’re thinking live trapping is your best bet, you may search for “What food do you use to trap groundhogs?” Sounds reasonable, but unfortunately, trapping is only a temporary solution, so best to save yourself some time and go … [Read more...]
Hibernation – Who Does It and How It Works
Did you ever wish you could have a sneak peek into the dark and mysterious places where hibernating animals retreat for the winter? You do see animals making preparations for winter—eating more, growing more luxurious fur, and gathering natural materials to line their dens—but there’s a lot more to know about animals’ many ways of surviving winter’s woes. It’s not simply a matter of getting fatter and furrier and hunkering down somewhere to … [Read more...]
Top Things to Know About Groundhog Removal
“You ain’t nothin’ but a ground hog!” If one of these prodigious foragers and burrow diggers has done some sort of misdeed in your yard, that’s what you may be thinking as you contemplate how to achieve your sudden all-consuming goal: groundhog removal. Groundhogs are not likely to quibble with you over your harsh “nothin’ but” comment, because they’re pretty humble, laid back animals. But some people do prefer to call them woodchucks. Woodchuck, … [Read more...]
Need a Woodchuck Trap?
Looking for a woodchuck trap? It shouldn’t be hard to find someone to take your money. But what you’re probably looking for is a way to resolve whatever problem you’re having with woodchucks. A trap will fail you utterly if that’s your goal. The burrow you clear out today is an open invitation for another woodchuck tomorrow. What you need is not a trap, but a sensible plan to solve your problem, and you’re on the right page for that. Why you … [Read more...]
Waking Up to Do the Wild Thang
Mornings can be downright rough for some of us, which makes that “snooze” button one of humankind’s greatest inventions. Imagine how it feels for wildlife species that spend winter in the deep slumber of hibernation—or even torpor, a milder version of hibernation—when they get that annual wake-up call from Nature that simply can’t be ignored. They are commanded to wake up, go forth, and do the wild thang on behalf of helping perpetuate their … [Read more...]
Looking to Get Rid of Woodchucks?
You may or may not agree that woodchucks are pretty darn cute as portrayed in storybooks, or in field guides, or even when seen in the fields and greenways alongside roadways… maybe even in a back corner of your yard. But you may not hold the same opinion when they are in your garden… at least, not if they come there with a hearty appetite and not if they dig burrows next to your home. The woodchuck, whose daily activities may be the source of … [Read more...]
Groundhog Day – Punxsutawney Phil Et Al
Every year on February 2nd, Groundhog Day, we collectively throw our hands up and acknowledge that the weather people, try as they might, haven’t got a clue about what the weather is going to be. Taking the only logical alternative path, we turn to Punxsutawney Phil, a plump and slightly grumpy-looking groundhog (likely from being woken up too early). This animal’s sole—and seemingly sufficient—claim to fame is arising from his winter slumbers a … [Read more...]
Havahart Traps and Other Live-catch Wildlife Traps
This article focuses on how to ensure live-catch traps work their best, both for resolving your situation and preventing, or at least minimizing, harm or stress for wildlife. Before attempting to trap any wild animal in or near your home, though, you need to check with your local humane society or state wildlife agency about pertinent laws for your area. Even more important—before resorting to obtaining a live-catch trap, such as one of the … [Read more...]