We had a family of groundhogs that decided to take over our back yard, uninvited!! We tried everything to get rid of them. Our first mistake, we thought they were adorable, they did not see us as a threat to them, we coexisted. But...then...they started getting in to my garden, big mistake on their part. I put up a fence, and it was floppy, they climbed over it. I sprayed an "animal blood spray" around my garden, it never phased them. I sprayed an epsom salt and water spray on the leaves of my plants. That helped a little but I had to stay consistent with it. I tried "gopher gas," which I hated doing because it is hard for me to kill an animal and it seems like such an unkind way to go. But......it did not work either. Secretly, I was actually happy they did not die in that awful way. But still, it was war.....I was getting tired of my garden being devoured by these creatures. They were enjoying the fruits of my labor and we weren't. FINALLY!! THE SOLUTION!! We, without realizing it, found the solution to our woodchuck problems, a tenacious terrier. We picked him up from the animal shelter, knowing he had behavioral issues, but I figured he was just bored in life and needed a reason for living. Our woodchuck problem was his deliverance in life. I put him on a 25' lead, I hold on to the end and let him bark his head off down the woodchuck holes. Four woodchucks gone!! There are about four woodchuck holes that he checks out everyday, if he doesn't bark I know they are not in there. Recently, they tried coming back to establish a hibernating den. Big mistake on there part, my terrier was on them. My dog is happy, he has a job, I am happy we are enjoying the fruits of my labor. :-)
We had a family of groundhogs that decided to take over our back yard, uninvited!! We tried everything to get rid of them. Our first mistake, we thought they were adorable, they did not see us as a threat to them, we coexisted. But...then...they started getting in to my garden, big mistake on their part. I put up a fence, and it was floppy, they climbed over it. I sprayed an "animal blood spray" around my garden, it never phased them. I sprayed an epsom salt and water spray on the leaves of my plants. That helped a little but I had to stay consistent with it. I tried "gopher gas," which I hated doing because it is hard for me to kill an animal and it seems like such an unkind way to go. But......it did not work either. Secretly, I was actually happy they did not die in that awful way. But still, it was war.....I was getting tired of my garden being devoured by these creatures. They were enjoying the fruits of my labor and we weren't. FINALLY!! THE SOLUTION!! We, without realizing it, found the solution to our woodchuck problems, a tenacious terrier. We picked him up from the animal shelter, knowing he had behavioral issues, but I figured he was just bored in life and needed a reason for living. Our woodchuck problem was his deliverance in life. I put him on a 25' lead, I hold on to the end and let him bark his head off down the woodchuck holes. Four woodchucks gone!! There are about four woodchuck holes that he checks out everyday, if he doesn't bark I know they are not in there. Recently, they tried coming back to establish a hibernating den. Big mistake on there part, my terrier was on them. My dog is happy, he has a job, I am happy we are enjoying the fruits of my labor. :-)