If the coast is clear, she will soon emerge from the burrow with her brood. The first outing is a great adventure for groundhog kits, because until that time their entire life was spent in total darkness in their burrow underground. While in the burrow, the kits nurse from their mother, but once they have emerged from the den the mother forces them to start eating grasses and other available vegetable matter. They usually refuse so it can take considerable time to get the babies weaned.
Groundhog mothers are excellent teachers, making certain the kits learn the danger of enemies. She whistles to indicate danger and the brood disappears into the burrow. July is a hyperactive period of greatest weight gain; metabolism slows and food is converted to body fat in preparation for hibernation.
In September, ten days to two weeks before going underground for hibernation, the groundhog stops eating and slowly enters hibernation. By mid October, they will be asleep in their burrows and will hibernate through January or early February, when the next cycle begins.
Groundhogs truly hibernate. They would freeze if their burrows were not below the frost line. Normal temperature of a groundhog is degrees, but will gradually drop as low as 37 degrees.
In this coma-like state, the groundhog is more dead than alive and will not wake if touched. My first experience with the underground architect came one day when a neighbor started complaining about some animal digging in her yard.
We watched and observed, but never saw the culprit although a large mountain of earth appeared next to the opening. After a mad dash across the street I did not see a beaver but a roly-poly groundhog sitting on its haunches and munching on a peach held in its front paws. Groundhogs, especially kits, are often mistaken for beavers, so I always am very dubious when I get beaver calls in areas without a source of water. It took some doing to persuade my neighbor to let the unwelcome intruder stay, but after a while the groundhog was an admired part of the community until he disappeared in early fall, just before the hibernation period.
Quite a few calls are received from homeowners who want to get rid of groundhogs that have burrowed under houses, porches, or outbuildings. Sometimes a beach ball left to move across the lawn or a pinwheel or scarecrow sitting next to the burrow may intimidate the groundhog and make it leave an area. Other calls received are from people with horses, worried the horses may step in a groundhog burrow and break a leg. After talking with several people who raise horses, I was told that horses are too smart to step into a groundhog hole.
Mostly people complain that groundhogs are harvesting their fruits and vegetables. Since groundhogs are good climbers, fences are effective only if the area to be protected is small. The fence should be buried about one foot underground to prevent tunneling under it and feet above ground and protected by a single strand of electrified wire placed immediately in front of it at a height of inches. Occasionally a groundhog will climb a tree to sun itself or to escape a predator, and it is quite funny to observe the groundhog climbing a tree and stretching out on a large branch to enjoy the safety and sun.
However, most groundhogs are observed along highways, in grassy areas, meadows, and median strips, eating and always on alert. As more and more habitat is destroyed, these sightings become more unusual. Groundhogs are most well-known for their digging other than their ability to predict the weather, of course. Groundhogs dig by scooping dirt with their specialized, shovel-like claws.
Groundhog burrows are large and elaborate, measuring up to 66 feet long and containing multiple chambers, exits, and levels. This is where groundhogs spend the majority of their lives! Unlike other marmots, groundhogs are solitary creatures, meaning they live alone in their burrows and only seek each other out to mate. Groundhogs tend to burrow near plentiful food sources, such as farms and gardens. They love to dig their way beneath fences and barriers so they can chow down on your flowers and vegetables.
If you maintain a garden far from the perimeter of your home, groundhogs may exploit it for easy food. The most effective way to remove a groundhog is with a live groundhog trap. Groundhogs are cautious creatures, so keep in mind the following tips:. For more tips and step-by-step instructions, read How to Trap a Groundhog ». A spicy pepper-based repellent will aggravate a groundhog's heightened sense of smell and taste.
It's important to note that repellents are rarely effective in keeping a mother groundhog away from her young. You may want to determine whether there is a nest on your property before you try to drive a groundhog out. Use highly effective electronic repellents to frighten groundhogs with bursts of water to condition them to stay out of any area.
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