Whether you call them woodchucks. groundhogs or whistle pigs the brown furry rodents are one of the most common nuisance animals in yards and gardens.  Regardless of their antics, they can cause severe damage to lawns and landscapes and when … Continue reading →

Woodchuck, Groundhog or Whistle Pig

Whether you call them woodchucks. groundhogs or whistle pigs the brown furry rodents are one of the most common nuisance animals in yards and gardens.  Regardless of their antics, they can cause severe damage to lawns and landscapes and when it is time to get rid of woodchucks a 100% all natural woodchuck repellent like Shake-Away is an effective tool.  You may also find the following facts about woodchucks informative and interesting:

Woodchucks Will Eat Just About Anything Green

One of the reasons woodchucks are such trouble is that other than being vegetarian they will eat just about any plant they find.  That means that they can ruin your grass, your ornamental plantings, your food crops, and field crops like clover and alfalfa.

In addition to eating nearly any plant, woodchucks eat a lot.  An adult consumes between 1-1/2 lbs. of vegetation a day.  Woodchucks, especially a family of them, are capable of devouring a large part of your garden within days.

Woodchucks are Bimodal and Dinural

That means that their activity pattern generally includes two main active periods, one in the morning and one in the late afternoon.  Additionally, woodchucks may be active over night if there is a bright moon.

Often times woodchucks can be seen grazing along hedgerows near dusk and before the warmest part of the day.  Their daily activities consist mostly of eating and tunnel construction and maintenance.  Because woodchucks are true hibernators consuming enough nutrition to sustain them through the winter months is important and results in much of their time being used for grazing.  Additionally, woodchucks do store food in their dens to consume during the non-growing season.

Woodchucks Have a Piercing Scream

Woodchucks may not chuck wood, however, when startled they have a high-pitched vocalization that sounds like a whistle.  It is for that sound that they have earned the moniker of “whistle pig”.

The loud scream is used both to warn other members of their family of potential danger and as one of the woodchuck’s only defensive behaviors.  It is thought that the scream is used in an attempt to disorient and startle an approaching predator.

Because woodchucks tend not to stray too far from their nearest tunnel, and because they build a network of tunnels and openings all over the territory they make their home, woodchucks most often turn and run to their nearest hole when alerted to danger.  If no tunnel opening is near by, a woodchuck can climb a tree to escape danger.

The woodchuck, especially when young, can be a cute critter to watch eat the tall grass along your lawn’s edge, however, they soon become a pest.  Creating foot sized holes in your yard and destroying plants are not acceptable behaviors for most home owners.  When the time comes to get rid of woodchucks using a 100% all natural, no harm repellent like Shake-Away is an effective method.