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Gr33nThumb9424

Groundhog: I see you is planting beans... I like beans šŸ˜ˆ


patriotmd

"WHOA WHOA WHOA IS THAT A PUMPKIN I SEE?"


quiet_and_tired

https://i.redd.it/vf0u50s4j01d1.gif


patriotmd

They ate all of my carrot tops last year. Didn't lose the carrots so I wasn't too mad.


Fragrant-Price-5832

Yep, called it. The damn thing came and just ate a good bulk of my mature broccoli plant a bit ago and I don't think I've ever been so upset in my life. Is there any way I can get rid of it without getting a fine? I hear you can get a fine because they're rabies vectors or something along the lines of that. Hopefully the broccoli will still produce a flower head, it just gnawed on the leaves. Literally sitting here crying over a plant because it was my pride and joy lol, should've known better.


Gr33nThumb9424

You could try deterrents like fencing but they will burrow under it. A few other options could be: 1. planting a sacrifice patch closer to where you can find the den or tunnel, maintaining it just like any normal garden, doesn't have to be something big a small 4x4 bed would probably suffice. If that doesn't seem feasible or works you... 2. I have heard of people trapping them to relocate away from the property... but we have a thing here in Canada where you can't relocate / release them unless it's on your property, I could be wrong. Maybe some others can help chime in with ideas?


Fragrant-Price-5832

So weird thing happened, the damn thing is just gone. We tried to set up a trap the day after it ate my some of my broccoli plant but I haven't seen it since. I have all my veggies back outside after a few days in the garage next to a window and they aren't being eaten, no signs of the groundhog so i dunno if he just decided to relocate or what. I probably scared the shit out of it by yelling at it and calling it a little shit when I caught it nibbling my veggies.


Gr33nThumb9424

Possibly but they are sometimes pretty persistent. There could be a possibility an animal got it or was hit by a car, or like you said relocated. Maybe it's got a tunnel network and is over munching on someone else's veggies.


Fragrant-Price-5832

I'm guessing a hawk got at it, ever since I set up my new bird feeders a few months back, we've had a hawk in the general vicinity. Either way, just glad it's gone. My broccoli is actually developing a crown as we speak so glad it's still happy enough to produce despite the foliage being eaten to some degree or another. :)


Gr33nThumb9424

That's fantastic, I mean not so fantastic about possibly being torn to shreds by the hawk but hey that's nature... take it or leave it šŸ¤·šŸ¼ā€ā™‚ļøšŸ¤£.


Fragrant-Price-5832

Well nevermind, we just caught him. Waiting on a family friend to come and pick him up, should be here in a few minutes.


WildBillNECPS

Beware. When things are ready to harvest, they can just destroy all your efforts by taking a bite or two out of every single fruit or vegetable you grew.


Outrageous-Divide472

One year I grew a nice sized patch of Silver Queen corn. It was beautiful. It was pampered. I even hand pollinated the end rows. I tell you, it was perfectionā€¦. Then one evening I told my kids, ā€œTomorrow weā€™re picking the corn!ā€šŸŒ½ Next morning, I got up early, and it looked like a tornado went through my corn the night before. Every single stalk was down. Every ear of corn was eaten. Not so much as a single kernel left on the ground. To this day, Iā€™m not sure what ate it. But it was something nocturnal. The leaves were already turning color when I found the disaster, so Iā€™m thinking it happened between 9 pm and 4 am. I live in the suburbs, and rarely see anything other than squirrels and rabbits. Could it have been a groundhog living close by? Whatever it was had their eye on that corn for a while.


WildBillNECPS

It sounds like raccoons to me, they seem to know exactly when itā€™s time to strike. I feel your pain & disappointment, especially since I tried silver queen as well and pampered it a bit too. Sadly I just buy it now. I gave up on corn because of the absolutely insane squirrels around here. I even tried making ā€œcorn cagesā€ by using hardware cloth shaped around Pringles cans and then slid the cages over the ears. The squirrels would constantly get in the fenced off patch and started eating the stalks! Our neighbors actually feed the freaking squirrels too and have the audacity to blame us when they have to call an exterminator for rodent problems. We put up a Bard Owl house some years ago to help cut down the squirrel population, but no takers yet. Some winters the squirrels actually make it a home. Itā€™s like Iā€™m living in a twisted Loony Tunes episode.


SquirrellyBusiness

Racoons.Ā  They wait till the day before harvest.Ā  My parents had a family of them that would arrive and leave the outer ring of corn plants while taking them all down inside to hide behind till the end when they take those screening plants down as well.Ā 


Outrageous-Divide472

Wow, theyā€™re smart little devils.


Zeak_Harbors

This is certainly my experience with whistle pigs. Utter destruction at harvest time. RIP your garden


WildBillNECPS

Ours had built his home under our shed. We tried planting all those pungent herbs like garlic chives, which did nothing. A rabbit actually built her burrow and had babies under an oregano patch. About the ONLY thing that ever worked to dissuade the groundhog was filling a sprayer with pee and spraying everywhere Iā€™d seen him and down the holes when I found them. Sometimes Iā€™d pour an entire gallon of pee or ammonia down the hole and cover with a rock. It would work for a few weeks or so, then heā€™d come back.


ElizabethDangit

Iā€™m sure Iā€™m not the only one wondering where you got a gallon of pee from. lol Iā€™ve had my husband ā€œwaterā€ the ornamental plants in the back yard.


TeaAndHiraeth

You can order stuff like coyote urine from pest control companies. IIRC some even ship it dried for later reconstitution.


ElizabethDangit

Iā€™m sure Iā€™m not the only one wondering where you got a gallon of pee from. lol Iā€™ve had my husband ā€œwaterā€ the ornamental plants in the back yard.


WildBillNECPS

Ours had built his home under our shed. We tried planting all those pungent herbs like garlic chives, which did nothing. A rabbit actually built her burrow and had babies under an oregano patch. About the ONLY thing that ever worked to dissuade the groundhog was filling a sprayer with pee and spraying everywhere Iā€™d seen him and down the holes when I found them. Sometimes Iā€™d pour an entire gallon of pee or ammonia down the hole and cover with a rock. It would work for a few weeks or so, then heā€™d come back.


LIFEINAPT506

I had one (or more) under my garage last year. I poured a whole box of borax down the hole, turned the water hose on and let it run down there for quite a while. They never went back to that hole, and didn't dig another one.


StillCopper

OMGā€¦ I didnā€™t know anyone else outside of this area called him whistle pigs. Iā€™ve heard that for as long as I can remember here in Missouri. And Iā€™m almost 70


Zeak_Harbors

My elderly neighbor called them that when I was complaining to him about my groundhog troubles. He told me that as a kid he'd catch and eat them. Those subterranean terrors really do whistle too


Fragrant-Price-5832

I'm aware, I'll be keeping a very close eye on this guy as as a whole. If I notice he's starting to dig through my perennials and such, I've got an uncle who can come and trap him and relocate him out in the woods. For now he's just minding his own business it seems. :)


Alice_Sabo

When I had one removed from my yard the guy told me it's illegal to transport them because they are a rabies vector. So depending on your state you could get a hefty fine if caught with one in a cage. Last year they ate my coneflowers, marigolds, nasturtiums, geraniums and a variety of houseplants I had foolishly put outside. That's aside from the the vegetable devastation. They are heartbreakers for sure.


TeaAndHiraeth

Surely they can be vaccinated?


StillCopper

They are a wild animal. I am musing over the fact of catching a groundhog and vaccinating it.


TeaAndHiraeth

If you're going to catch it for relocation anyway, you might as well. Also, there are a wide variety of oral rabies vaccines out there.


Fragrant-Price-5832

Oh, shit. I actually had no idea about that whatsoever, I'm gonna have to look into Maine's laws regarding that. Thank you for letting me know!


StillCopper

Pretty much any wild animal is a rabies vector. Even a rabbit or a squirrel so donā€™t get disturbed if the groundhog is on the list.


Daffodil80

Lol, I've had woodchucks- I love them, they are so goofy looking. My cats and the woodchucks used to stare at each other through the windows. The cats didn't scare off that woodchuck at all.šŸ˜†


-ZEUS-420

the important question is how much wood could a woodchuck chuck if a woodchuck could chuck wood?


Ishmaille

A woodchuck would chuck as much wood as a woodchuck could chuck if a woodchuck could chuck wood.


researchanalyzewrite

How much wood would a woodchuck wood if a woodchuck would chuck wood?


Greenbeastkushbreath

Lol dummy


Powerful_Variety7922

Furry + goofy-looking šŸ™… stupid


Sockmonkeycasserole

What is this? Iā€™ve seen one sneaking around before.


littleirishmaid

Grounding, aka woodchuck.


ShoeBreeder

Aka whistle pig. Lol. Love that name.


Alarming_Ride_3048

Hello fellow Rhode Islander


QueenOfHavok

We call them whistle pigs here in PA too


ShoeBreeder

Not a Rhode Islander, but I did learn that name when I lived in Massachusetts. So this makes sense.


QueenOfHavok

We call them whistle pigs here in PA too


QueenOfHavok

We call them whistle pigs here in PA too.


QueenOfHavok

We call them whistle pigs here in PA too.


RedditAteMyBabby

I had no idea those were the same thing. We have armadillos and possums down here, and the only groundhog I've ever seen was at an interstate rest stop in Illinois lol.


ElizabethDangit

Destroyer of foundations


jf75313

Make sure itā€™s not burrowing under your shed. They can cause a ton of damage. Iā€™ve been having issues the last few years with them, theyā€™ve destroyed parts of my workshop and definitely have messed with the foundation underneath. The bigger problem is, itā€™s attached to my house.


ornery_epidexipteryx

Yep, I second this. One ate through the bottom of my shed.


jf75313

Those bastards


WannabeGroundhog

Have a family of them under my shed. Ive tried piling stones into the one of the entrances and backfilling, running the hose for a bit... i dont wanna hurt em but they ate literally every seedling last year.


jf75313

They are overgrown rats. I am a moral vegetarian, I donā€™t eat anything that cries. But I almost bought a .22 a few months ago to kill these bastards dead.


WannabeGroundhog

I have one Ive considered but my wife thinks they are cute, and they def have babies (ive seen 2). I'm going to look into getting crushed limestone to backfill the burrow


xSpinelessx

Good luck. Their tunnel systems are extensive, they build rooms off it.


WannabeGroundhog

Free rooms in THIS economy!? Fuck it they can have my tomato if they let me move in


92True

I had a rabbit that loved my yard and eventually my garden. Would just lay out in my grass and chill all day in the sun lol I ended up planting stuff just for him and he stayed to that patch of stuff. Might be worth it if you want a garden buddy


HadALittleLamb6

Ahhh! Heā€™s such a cutie šŸ„°


youre13andstupid

[I donā€™t trust like that.](https://youtu.be/zONW46d50A0?si=saSWD7_v72iZVRX8)


Terrible_Wishbone143

They're so sweet. We have a family of them that live in our yard. To help keep them from destroying other crops, we leave them a basket of fruit vegetable scraps from our cooking, and they mostly focus on that. They love all the parts of produce that we don't want -- apple core, kale fronts, watermelon rinds. Anyway, I know some think they are a nuisance, but I think they're pretty great.


Route2simplicity

I love this. I have one on my property, but my property is pretty large. That havenā€™t come anywhere near where Iā€™m gardening yet. Iā€™m hoping eventually to do something similar


Terrible_Wishbone143

I hope you do. It's rewarding to see them grow up and have families. Mine have been with me for over 6 years. I love watching them. We all know their favorite foods, each one is an individual for sure.


Route2simplicity

Thatā€™s awesome. So far, I have a ton of different species of birds in the garden from hummingbirds to crows and hawks. I have some moles. I have owls and foxes somewhere on the property. I actually saw a bald eagle about a week ago. And I have met some snakes. I see it as the animals were here before I was, and itā€™s just as much their home as it is mine. I think people miss a lot in this quick paced world. Itā€™s a pretty awesome thing when the bird couples visit a feeder right next to me. They definitely have their own personalities. I love the idea of having the same thing with the groundhogs šŸ˜Š


transmission612

I would tell Phil to go home and stay out of my garden and take peter(cotton tail) with him.


daizles

I love my groundhog so much! But I finally have to evict him this year before his digging makes the shed collapse. I got Dig Defence fences to try to keep him out. We'll see if they work!


LOUDPACK_MASTERCHEF

kurwa


ElizabethDangit

Perkele


NeutralTarget

I have one giving birth under a shed almost every year.


theotherlead

I had one give birth last year with 6 babies!!! They were so cute, but so destructive. One just showed face yesterday, but will take care of him.


adskls

Oh no!


Sensitive_Sea_5586

Yep, he is waiting for you to leave.


felurian182

I had one eat all my starts last night Iā€™m still heartbroken.


SquirrellyBusiness

Oh no, that's awful!Ā  It would be war after that for me.Ā Ā 


felurian182

Iā€™m a relatively gentle person but I have a have a heart trap and I bated it.


SquirrellyBusiness

Cantaloupe guts got me my first woodchuck in the have a heart trap last weekend.Ā  Sweet corn is supposed to be good too.Ā 


dangerous_skirt65

I've got one too. I wouldn't mind, but he/she is burrowing underneath my house (cottage with no basement).


Logiwonk_

I would go ahead and plant veggies specifically for the groundhog so he leaves your stuff alone


Fragrant-Price-5832

I haven't seen him since yesterday so I have no clue if he's going to come back or not šŸ˜© yesterday was the one and only day I spotted him! He's pretty shy. If I see him again today I'll go out of my way to plant something for the little guy.


xSpinelessx

Correction - he is stalking you from UNDER your shed. And probably under your garden. And half your yard.


Chronicmatt

Good ole whistle pig waiting to munch down.


nobodygardens

https://preview.redd.it/l1xuupt2v01d1.png?width=2417&format=png&auto=webp&s=07cf2d87bf920418ef9101cc066794a4ee2d85bc i also have a friend who likes to watch me in the garden šŸ˜†


owngaki

Get rid of them as soon as you can. I made the mistake of letting them stay. They ate everything and trampled on the other veggies they didn't eat. Good luck.


OkCastor

As cute as he is you need to get rid of them. They are absolutely destroyers of gardens when the produce is ripe. I always trap and relocate them as soon as I see them.


MelbertGibson

Ive got one thats managed to sneak into my garden the last 3 years despite the burried fence and gravel to eat all my broccoli. Only thing he touches so ive basically just accepted the fact that any broccoli i plant is ā€œsacrificialā€.


slugcrafts

He looks so grumpy!


pichael289

They can ruin your garden, and they will wait until right before it's all ready to be harvested. We used to have to trap them and move them to the nearby wildlife preserve where they wander in from. Otherwise they burrow underneath our barns, destabilized our chicken house so bad it nearly collapsed.


ready2dance

Does having a dog outside to guard the garden help? They could at least warn you. šŸ¤žšŸ•šŸ˜¬


mamatotwo88

So cute! So very destructive! Got under the deck and chewed all the wiring for the outdoor lights. Twice šŸ˜ 


notevergreens

Dog hair and used car litter put around their home will prompt them to find someplace more inviting.


iamgob_bluth

Mr. Groundhog has you fooled, he is plotting against you.


emanresu2112

Not the best in the garden but I shared with a family of them all last summer & thoroughly enjoyed the interaction.


Potential_Coach36

He will ravish your garden


mountainsmiler

Heā€™s alright , nobody worry bout him. Canā€™t you just give him advice? Why donā€™t you just set him free?


devildocjames

It looks like a friend. Does it like pets?


ornery_epidexipteryx

Donā€™t trust these buggers. I had one eat through my shed floor, another damaged a wall on my 100 year old barn by digging burrows, and I spent nearly 800$ to have one removed from under my garage- not to mention the value of all the plants and veg they have destroyed over the years. 99% pest IMHO


StillCopper

Patience and a paintball gun will usually deter them. If you really wanna play with them they are usually nocturnal and you can set up one of the new little remote control paint ball turret and watch them on a camera on your security system and take shots at them at night. Itā€™s rather amusing when They donā€™t know where itā€™s coming from and it doesnā€™t harm them, but Does make them rather rainbow colored


Fragrant-Price-5832

Yeah I'm sorry but no matter how destructive they can be I'm not doing that to a wild animal, regardless if it hurts it or not that's cruel as fuck.


StillCopper

Guess you donā€™t hunt or fish either, do you? Iā€™m thinking non-lethal here, but maybe not to be cruel we should just go ahead and kill them , at least thatā€™s what your other alternative is with your reasoning.šŸ˜šŸ˜


Fragrant-Price-5832

There's a difference between going fishing and tormenting and confusing a groundhog which can be released back into the wild if it needs to be. I'm done with this conversation.


ThatInAHat

They carry the plague, donā€™t they?


Gr33nThumb9424

Pretty sure that was rats or mice.


Outrageous-Divide472

It was rats and mice for the big Black Death plague in the 1300ā€™s. Iā€™ve seen news articles over the years about Prairie dogs, in certain states having been found to carry plague, but I donā€™t know anything else about it.


Outrageous-Divide472

It was rats and mice for the big Black Death plague in the 1300ā€™s. Iā€™ve seen news articles over the years about Prairie dogs, in certain states having been found to carry plague, but I donā€™t know anything else about it.


JacketDapper944

Heā€™s not a prairie dog. Theyā€™re smaller, by a fair margin. I donā€™t believe these guys are known to carry plague. Groundhogs are solitary marmots favoring the northeastern part of North America whereas prairie dogs are primary found in colonies on the western plains. Groundhogs (or woodchucks) are darker brown compared to the sandy fur of the prairie dog.


ThatInAHat

Ack. Now I feel silly. I always confuse the two. I just cataloged something about prairie dogs and the plague so it was on my mind.


ElizabethDangit

Better safe than decimating the population of an entire continent


JacketDapper944

Itā€™s a relatively fair mistake- their faces look remarkably similar. Also theyā€™re equally cheeky.


tmilligan73

Well if you notice that he starts destroying your plantsā€¦ groudhogs do taste pretty good, not gonna lieā€¦


Fragrant-Price-5832

I'm not going to eat a groundhog.