A New Englander's Guide To The Woodchuck
Woodchucks go by a few names. You might call them groundhogs. You might call them whistle pigs. Whatever you call them, it is important to understand that these cute, little furry animals that can make you gawk in wonder and excitement when they appear in your backyard, actually can cause lots of trouble. If you've ever had a woodchuck problem, we bet you're nodding your head, thinking, "Boy, do they ever!" Here are a few things you might not know about woodchucks.
1. Woodchucks damage plants.
The number of plants that can be at risk when a woodchuck comes into your yard is quite impressive. They can damage vegetables in your garden, berry bushes and grape vines, turfgrass, and plants in your landscaping. And good luck planting sunflowers if these pests get in your yard! They love stems and bulbs. Their steady and strict diet of plants and vegetables makes them frustrating animals when they get into any yard.
2. Woodchucks dig holes.
There are many ways a woodchuck will create a hole in your yard. You may see softball-sized holes dug under the side of a shed, garage or barn. You may see a fan-shaped volcano mound around a hole in your lawn. You may find holes in your landscaping, at the base of trees or plants. When woodchucks create holes, they can damage root systems and kill plants. But the greatest threat those holes present is they can cause injury if someone accidentally steps in one while walking or running.
3. Burrows created by woodchucks can damage building foundations.
As a woodchuck tunnels in your yard, it can accidentally get under slabs and create the conditions necessary for slabs to crack and collapse. While it isn't common, it does happen more frequently than any of us would like.
4. Woodchucks chew wires.
While digging burrows and eating vegetation, woodchucks sometimes come across wires. When they chew through wires, they can cause an electrical outage or cause your sprinkler system to stop working. Either of these can be a serious pain to fix if the damage is done underground.
5. Woodchucks don't come into your yard alone.
These furry animals get exposed to fleas, ticks and other parasites. When a woodchuck comes into your yard, parasites can fall off and get onto your pets, your kids or you. While woodchucks are a low threat for diseases themselves, they are an incidental threat due to their ability to transport parasites.
6. A woodchuck can scratch or bite if it is cornered.
While a woodchuck doesn't want to attack you, it is a wild animal that is equipped to defend itself if it feels threatened. Sadly, the solution isn't as simple as making an effort to avoid cornering a woodchuck. It is surprisingly easy to accidentally trap or corner one of these animals without realizing it, such as when you climb under your deck to repair a problem. Always shine a flashlight into any exterior void before sliding in. It can prevent an unwanted encounter with woodchucks and other potentially harmful pests.
7. Woodchucks can find harborage in crawl spaces.
If you have a crawl space under your home, it is a good idea to make sure it is properly sealed. While woodchucks aren't considered home-invading pests, they can get into crawl spaces in search of protected places to live. For groundhogs, it is similar to getting under a shed. It doesn't know that there is a giant house above that crawl space.
Do You Have a Woodchuck Problem?
Since we're on the topic of things you may not know about, here's something else you may not know: Big Blue Bug Solutions helps property owners in Rhode Island, Massachusetts, Connecticut and Maine take care of wildlife problems. That's right! We don't just do bugs. Our wildlife management team is one of the best in the industry. Our department head, Rich Autieri has helped to create and design specific tools and methods for capturing and removing wildlife in accordance with local, state and federal regulations. He works to train our wildlife control professionals in these and other effective products and strategies.
If you're dealing with a woodchuck or some other wildlife issue in New England, let the wildlife control specialists at Big Blue Bug Solutions help you get control of it. We'll get you the solution you're looking for.
chECK oUT THE bUZZ!
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