Groundhogs, also known as woodchucks, are large rodents notorious for their destructive habits in residential areas and farms. They are powerful diggers that create extensive underground burrow systems, posing a risk to equipment and structures. Their burrowing activity and voracious appetites make them a significant challenge for gardeners. Understanding which plants these herbivores target is a primary concern.
Groundhog Dietary Preferences
Groundhogs are nearly exclusive herbivores with an opportunistic feeding style, consuming a wide array of available vegetation. They do enjoy lettuce, especially the tender, succulent leaves of varieties like romaine. This preference extends to other leafy greens, as they seek out young, easily digestible plants. They can consume over a pound of vegetation daily, necessitating frequent feeding sessions.
The groundhog diet also features common forages such as clover, alfalfa, and dandelions, which they target after emerging from hibernation. In the garden, they frequently raid crops like peas, beans, corn, and squash, often choosing the most tender parts. Since groundhogs obtain most of their hydration from plants and morning dew, they are particularly drawn to water-rich vegetables. They occasionally consume insects, such as grasshoppers and June bugs, or tree bark and twigs in the fall to build up fat reserves for winter.
Deterring Groundhogs from Gardens
Exclusion through physical barriers is the most effective method for preventing groundhogs from accessing cultivated plants. Since these animals are skilled at both climbing and digging, a simple vertical fence is insufficient. A proper groundhog fence should be constructed using heavy-gauge wire mesh or hardware cloth, extending at least three feet above the ground surface.
The fence must address burrowing by being buried at least 12 inches deep. The bottom mesh should be bent outward, away from the garden, forming a 90-degree L-footer. This horizontal barrier prevents the groundhog from digging beneath the vertical section and entering the protected area. To deter climbing, the top 15 inches of the fence can be left unsecured and bent outward at a 45-degree angle, causing the fence to fold over when the animal attempts to climb. Eliminating dense vegetation and preferred food sources near the garden perimeter can also reduce attraction, as groundhogs rarely travel more than 150 feet from their burrows to forage.