Speaking of woodchucks...

[Jstpssng]

...has anybody ever tried filling their entry with concrete? My mother has one under her shed which had 7 babies in it all summer. They seem to have left and I want to discourage anyone from moving in. Of course I also would need to fill the other entrance.
My father had a lifetime war on the little buggers but after he passed away I told my mother that they aren't hurting anything and when she's done with the land it will likely be subdivisions. That was 3 years ago and it's amazing how well they do when not controlled. The area around that hole is laden with deer ticks which I suspect is related to the woodchuck home.

 

[MossRoad]

...has anybody ever tried filling their entry with concrete? My mother has one under her shed which had 7 babies in it all summer. They seem to have left and I want to discourage anyone from moving in. Of course I also would need to fill the other entrance.
My father had a lifetime war on the little buggers but after he passed away I told my mother that they aren't hurting anything and when she's done with the land it will likely be subdivisions. That was 3 years ago and it's amazing how well they do when not controlled. The area around that hole is laden with deer ticks which I suspect is related to the woodchuck home.

I've just filled them in as soon as I see them start new burrows and used a hose to water it in as I go. They've never come back to the exact same spot.... they moved 2' over. My guess is if you concrete it in, they may just dig next to the concrete next year.

 

[dirttoys]

I've just filled them in as soon as I see them start new burrows and used a hose to water it in as I go. They've never come back to the exact same spot.... they moved 2' over. My guess is if you concrete it in, they may just dig next to the concrete next year.

This is dead on. I had a little old farm house we used until we built. They started under the deck next to the foundation. I pulled up a board and pour concrete in all the holes, basically expanding the foundation by 8 inches, put the board back. Fast forward 2 years, I had pulled the next 4 boards and laid chicken wire and a 3 inch slab............

Now they seem just as happy tunneling and living under the slab

The only thing better is when you finally get fed and resort to extreme measures, they stink for about 2 weeks after they pass.

Best,

ed

 

[Jstpssng]

I got the answer to THAT question, now I wonder how they know the tunnel is there when it's been buried.

 

[Midniteoyl]

I use bug bombs. Find their entries, throw 2-3 bombs in nozzles first, plug the holes and wait with loaded gun (having 2 people help). They either die in the hole or trying to dig out. Don't care either way.

If you want to keep them from digging under decks/sheds/slabs, you have to dig about 12" out and 12"-18" deep all the way around and fill it with rock or gravel. Don't let them get the upper hand. They will absolutely destroy everything.

 

[ponytug]

I don't think concrete is going to cut it. I would bury wire mesh or chain link out far enough that they don't feel safe, and then vertically at the perimeter so that they don't go under. Just don't hit power / water / sewer lines when you do it...

All the best,

Peter

 

[oosik]

I hear your desperation - Jstpssng. I think your Maine woodchucks are the same as our Ea WA state ground hogs. Maybe just a little different flavor. Concrete is not the answer. They will simply dig a new hole right around the plug you put in.

The only way we have ever been successful - gun, trap or poison. I, personally, don't like poison. Too much chance of secondary poisoning. Traps can take about the same effort as the daily feeding of your beef cattle.

Traps and guns take time. When we moved down from AK my twelve year old son took great pride, pleasure in eliminating every single ground hog on the property and within 100 yard outside the property line. You know exactly what that entailed. The largest population was in the valley that leads into the little lake.

He did such a complete job - that now some 40+ years later - they have never returned.

Remington single shot 22 with a 4X Redfield scope. He became quite the sniper.

 

[Jstpssng]

The problem with burying wire is that the shed is on the corner where two rows of spruce trees converge, which my grandfather planted sometime after he built the house in 1927. While it was once the family farm, it's now 30 acres of a 350 acre undeveloped area with houses all around, the town leaders have a bulls-eye on it for development, and it's in a no-shoot zone. I've long held that if somebody had any foresight they would try to pick up the entire undeveloped area and keep it as a green zone, but all anybody can think about is getting more tax money.

 

[hube2]

The only reason I have a problem with woodchucks is the devastation they can bring to my garden. Other critters will just eat a little here and there but ground hogs when they find something they like they will work their way down a row and eat everything to the ground. They really like to do this to broccoli, cabbage and bean plants. If it was not for this I would just leave them be. I actually have one living at the back of my property right now that is not an issue so I let it be. They will only forage so far from their holes as long as there's plenty of things for them to eat nearby.

I've tried using traps, but I've never actually caught one. 22 is the best thing to use. Also do a search for gopher gassers, they do a good job as long as you can find and plug up all the holes with dirt.

 

[mikester]

Concrete and water won't get you anywhere. You can try a metal flex line to your tractor's exhaust but their tunnels run everywhere with multiple exits and they use water traps.

What you need to do is be persistent enough that they want to move away. Don't give them a nice place to hide and feel safe. I finally got rid of mine after removing the wood pile and taking a backhoe to his home.