Woodchuck Identification & Prevention

Woodchucks, also known as groundhogs and whistle pigs, are a type of large ground squirrel. They are rodents at the end of the day. They look a little like small beavers without the famous paddle tail. For this reason, woodchucks are sometimes also known as land beavers.

People refer to these common ground rodents as whistle pigs because they will whistle to alert other members of their communities to danger. Woodchucks are mostly vegetarian, eating a wide variety of vegetables, including things you don't want them to eat. They also will occasionally eat some garden pests, like grubs and insects.

As a rule, woodchucks are not dangerous to people in and of themselves. They do not spread diseases anywhere near the same rate as rats and mice, mostly because they live outside and don't come into much contact with people.

One way in which woodchucks may expose you to disease is by bringing ticks onto your property. Fleas and ticks infest woodchucks just as they infest most other wild mammals. If you have a large population of woodchucks, they can bring ticks onto your property and expose you to a tick-borne illness.

Woodchucks are also dangerous to your property. Like all rodents, woodchucks have to grind down their constantly growing teeth. This activity could lead them to chew on just about anything they can get their paws on around your property and cause serious damage.

Woodchucks are attracted to yards and gardens that make it easy for them to live their best life. If you have soil that's easy to borrow into, ground-level water sources, or lots of edible landscaping or veggies in your garden, woodchucks will come running, especially if you don't have pets in your yard to stop them.

You'll find woodchucks almost exclusively outside. These yard rodents chuck more dirt than wood as they dig themselves extensive burrows with multiple entries, separate chambers, and pathways underground. Not only will you find actual woodchucks in your yard, but you'll also find holes and entryways to their burrows.

Unfortunately, outdoor rodent control is not usually easy. Keeping rodents out of your yard can sometimes be even harder than keeping them out of your house because it's much more difficult to set up exclusions around your yard.

One way to control the rodent population in your yard is by calling the rodent experts here at RodentX. We've got the tools and techniques necessary to keep your property free of rodents both indoors and outdoors. Our Rochester rodent experts can help you get rid of your woodchuck infestation, no matter the size.

Rodent control is always a lot easier if you get started on it before you wind up with an infestation; this is true of woodchucks as well. While it is more difficult to keep outdoor rodents away from your property, there are a few things you can do to make your yard less attractive to woodchucks:

• Harvest fruits and veggies as soon as they're ripe. 
• Get rid of every ground-level water source that you can.
• Use scare tactics like fake owls and hawks.
• Consider getting a cat or dog, as rodents do not like to share a home with their natural predators.

Of course, if you wind up with an infestation anyway, don't hesitate to call the home pest control professionals here at RodentX! We can chuck the woodchucks out of your yard so you can garden and relax in peace.