STORM2K

Anyone got any ideas on keeping ground hogs from eating my plants this year? I have had to move most of my flowers and herbs into pots on my deck to keep the ground hog from eating them. At the end of last season, he discovered my deck. I had one on the deck in the flower pots yesterday (and NOTHING is growing in them yet). Don't tell me to trap it and move it, last time I did that it beat me home .

Wxmom....I have moles you have groundhogs!!! Think nature is trying to tell us something?

In my case, I have a Golden Retriever who thinks it's HER duty to dig up the tracks the moles are leaving. I have about a dozen holes all over my backyard, I will have to fill and reseed soon. Then I have to keep her away until June 1st. We're hosting a huge High School graduation party May 29, with about 50 people attending. My husband's family loves to be outside and with this being a late May party, I can't have them falling down into these numerous holes left behind from Hope, the dog. Once I reseed these areas, my family is going on notice - they will have to comply! I honestly think we're gonna have to put her on a leash for yard runs. This is going to be so much fun. But the second you turn your back, she's got a new hole dug, with such a proud look on her face too!

Want a dog? LOL Just kidding.....I did start a thread about my mole problem, Moles + Golden Retrievers = a huge mess!

Mary

I sometimes think nature is telling me to give up. I stopped planting tomatoes because I got tired of the squirrels eating all of them. My family was having a great time laughing at me as I ran outside screaming like a lunatic at the squirrels. The deck was working great for a couple of years, but like I said, last fall he discovered my parsley on the deck. I guess he liked it enough to remember. My deck is a full level above the ground, he climbs the stairs and through the gate. I guess I will put chicken wire over the gate so he cant get through it, but it is only a matter of time before he finds the side stairs which have no gate. (our house is on a hill and the deck wraps around the side, so on the side there are only 2 steps)

I told my husband that I wanted a dog. I think a dog would help keep them away. ( I do want a dog, we have been "discussing" it for some time now, the kids and I want one, he does not, somehow I think the cats would be on my husbands side too!)


It's hard to believe I can live in such a populated area and still have problems with groundhogs, squirrels, and bears. ( not to mention snapping turtles, geese, and muskrats because of the river in the backyard )

wxmom - well get this, I always heard having a dog would keep wild animals away. I cut our lawn and the very back area by the woods, where Hope's invisible dog fence doesn't allow her to go, was torn up by moles. Bumpety, bumpety as I chugged along with the mower. Up near our house where she can roam, our lawn was flat. Until my next door neighbor ran her moles right into my yard. They began tunneling into Hope's area and that's all it took. I swear she would stick her snout right down in a tunnel, scared of other things though (storms, huge garbage cans, fire hydrants) but she's very brave when it comes to these moles. If you had asked me 1 year ago if you should get a dog, I'd have said yes! Now I'm not so sure.....meanwhile my next door neighbor smiles b/c it really is funny. If we put Hope on her electric fence collar and you get busy drinking your coffee, reading the paper, you forget she's out there. And then the damage is done. She likes to dig in the mornings, guess the moles are still active then? I swear Hope can see the blades of grass moving as they crawl around. It drives her nuts I tell ya!

But if I had to decide between the two - perfect yard or dog, I'd take the dog, anyday!

Mary

ARGHH! Ground hogs....some call 'em wood chucks are every gardeners challenge! I hate 'em!! A fat mama burrowed under one of the sheds out back....then brought 4 chubby little fellas up under the deck a few summers ago....it took my son sitting out there with a rifle to get rid of them!

Other (more safe) methods are.........
(ready for this??) have your husband go out and pee
down the hole they live in....supposedly, the "human"
smell will drive them away. (Don't tell your
neighbors this secret! )

Carefully unwrap a few pieces of Juicy Fruit gum
without touching it with your fingers.....throw several
down the hole. Those fellas will eat the gum....then
NOT be able to ....well, you know!

Some people dump used kitty litter or (gasp) used
diapers down the hole.....those guys HATE smells
that are not their own!

There are smoke bombs sold that can be lit and
tossed down their holes also. The trouble with
most of these methods is that they will just
RELOCATE!

Unfortunately....killing them is about the only sure-fire method.

Hope this helps....I've been seeing them out around here the last few days....I'm getting my arsenal ready!......p

I'll take moles or woodchucks any day over the armadillos. The tunnels they make are unbelievable and they wreak havoc on the landscape. We bait a humane trap with peaches and relocate the buggers to a nearby park.

chadtm80 wrote:

Nice! I'll take 2 please!

My husband did get me a paintball gun......for the groundhogs and the geese. (I live on a river and the backyard is so full of poop we cant walk there!)

Well, I'm not sure what "gets rid" of groundhogs, but if you plant them some broccoli/cabbage for them near, but outside your garden fence, they tend to leave other stuff alone...

Of course they will come up on your deck. The baby groundhogs press their noses up against sliding glass doors trying to figure out how to get at the Christmas cactus on the other side...

I use AOL CDs on strings in my garden as "scarecrows" and last year squirrels, groundhogs, and other critters stayed out of there--as did birds--so strawberries, tomatoes, "my broccoli" etc. was fine... It seems critters don't like the spinning mirror-like disks...

Since AOL insists on filling my mailbox up with those CDs, I figured they must want me to have a good garden...

We had mole tracks last year, all over my back yard. Our dog went nuts as I stated. So I reseeded all of these areas and dead circles from her urine. When I got done, I had about 30 small areas that are seeded now. Covered in straw. I couldn't let our dog roam among these areas - that's like asking a kid not to pester you for candy in a candy store!

So I bought wooden stakes and yellow caution tape. I gave her an oval area off the back door of our garage, about 12 foot by 12. Her usual area is 10 times that. I know, mean mommy here.....long story short, it's working. She is not digging and I don't see any new evidence of moles. If she wasn't a skitzy dog, she'd realize she could easily jump this rigged up 2 foot high fence! Can I trust the moles went elsewhere? I mean, there are honestly no new tracks. Last year I'd see a new path or track almost daily, they were going crazy.

I now have the reseed bug I told my family. When you begin this reseeding thing, you see areas all over the place that need new grass seed! I just concentrated on an area we need to smoothly planted grass, for an outdoor grad party in 2 weeks.

After that, our dog can go nuts. Well, not really.

I vowed to keep this reseeding thing up. We've rather neglected this lawn. And we worked so hard putting the whole thing in ourselves, from seed! I need to find that home owner I used to be - so meticulous and energetic - where'd she go? LOL

Mary

Try this stuff:

http://www.critter-repellent.com/index.php

Directions for Use with Groundhogs
Shake-Away - Small Critter Powder

Groundhogs can cause significant damage to yards, landscape, gardens and flowerbeds. Their holes/burrows make a nice looking yard a mess. They also love to eat "greens" grown in gardens and flowerbeds

Scroll Down to See Instructions on How to Use Shake-Away to Rid your Groundhog Problem

Small Critter Powder


Important Note: Critters are invading your property for one or two reasons: Food and/or Shelter. If you can remove the "source" of their reason for trespassing AND provide a motivation for them to leave, you will likely be successful. Eliminate the food source by securing it or moving it, if possible. Cover or close their desired place of shelter if you can. Then use Shake-Away to communicate that the risk of the area is greater than the potential reward. The concept of using a fear based repellent is to change animals visiting and/or feeding habits by sending the message that this is no longer an easy target and that the area is home to a prowling predator and therefore is unsafe.

Coverage: Shake-Away powder covers more area than even larger-sized competitor products. Each 20 ounce bottle of Shake-Away Fox Urine Powder will cover approximately 600 linear feet when applied as directed. This equals up to 6000 square feet of protection per bottle. You will receive up to five feet of protection on each side of the powder when applied directly to the ground.

How to Apply: Sprinkle Shake-Away lightly, directly on the ground around the perimeter of the area you are trying to protect. Keep in mind as you are treating an area to rid them, you are persuading them to find new shelter, and or a new food source. Be sure to follow directions closely and give up to 2-3 weeks for results to be obtained

General Use: Apply Shake-Away powder twice a week for the first two weeks, then twice a month for maintenance. Sprinkle Shake-Away powder lightly around the perimeter of your bushes, trees, garden and flowerbeds.

Gardens-Flowerbeds: Sprinkle Shake-Away powder approximately one foot away from plants and around the perimeter of your vegetable garden. Shake-Away powder can also be sprinkled lightly over bulbs, bushes, flowers and trees for maximum coverage.

Burrowing Animals: Sprinkle Shake-Away powder directly into every hole you find in your yard, flowerbeds, along foundations, etc.

Inside and Under Buildings – Place 2 to 3 ounces (golf ball size) of Shake-Away powder on a paper plate or the like. Place one plate for at least every 10x10 area (100 sq. ft.) where small critters are getting in. Replace every four to six weeks or as needed. Be sure to “plug” the areas that the critters are entering after they leave?.

"Hard to Get To" Areas Inside and Under Buildings (Garages and Sheds): Shake-Away works great inside old sections of nylon stockings. We call these "Stocking Balls". Each 20 oz container of Shake-Away makes about 10 "stocking balls" that can be "tossed" into place. To utilize this tip:

Cut up old nylon stockings into about 6-8” sections.
Tie off one end and place a "golf ball sized" portion of powder inside the stocking.
Tie off the other end.
Toss these “stocking balls” into (under) the areas you are treating.
Place (toss) one “stocking ball” for at least every 10 x10 area (100 sp. ft.).
Replace every four to six weeks or as needed. (click to see pictures here)
Be sure to “plug" all areas that the critters are entering or exiting after they leave!

• Shake-Away’s patented formula will not harm or burn your plants, bushes or trees.
• Shake-Away is not affected or diluted by light or moderate rain, but may need to be reapplied after heavy rain.
• Shake-Away Fox Urine Powder is 100% natural, non-toxic and safe for use around children, pets, plants and the environment.

Doesn't fox urine stink though? I seem to recall that it is somewhat skunky. Do you know if this stuff smells?

perhaps you can go to the web site and write them to ask. we dont have much of a problem where we are since the husband and the son are armed with BB rifles and bow & arrow to rid our haven of nasty little critters like that.

Chad...

I think that might be the best way to get rid of them.

Actually, since my last posting, have found a possible solution...

We now seem to have a family of coyotes in our woods behind our yard--suddenly no "critters" around at all...

The coyotes are fearless! Scary animals... They are apparently protected by the state... so the solution pictured a few posts earlier won't work...

So how do you repel coyotes?

So how do you repel coyotes?

Bear Urine

I wouldn't place much stock in the bear urine solution for your coyotes, as we regularly have bear here and we also have coyotes. Though our coyotes are more of a passing through thing, not living by my yard. (and yes, we still have ground hogs). Now that I think of it, my daughter has seen a fox in the yard also. I guess there is really no way to keep any of them away.