Groundhog on the Loose

He may be able to predict the fate of winter, but he's doing a number on our Weather Garden. Yep, the groundhog is back. So far he's eaten our okra plants , and little else. Better him than me, not a big fan of okra. Sometimes groundhogs have a summer burrow (aka, under the weather deck) that is distinct from the burrow used for hibernation, mating and rearing of young. You might call it the strategic attack burrow.

This burrow is a place where the groundhog can wait until the last Live shot of the day, then run like hell over to the garden where he nibbles on every last plant. Sorry for the rage.

Once you've determined that you have a pest problem with groundhogs in your garden, you'll need to consider possible groundhog control solutions, which include the following:

- Frightening groundhogs away from the garden with motion devices.
(Put that motion activated singing bass to work)
- Discouraging groundhogs with repellent smells or tastes.
(go for a jog when temperatures are in the 90s, then remove your shirt and hang it on a tomato stake)
- Fencing groundhogs out of the garden.
- Bringing out the heavy artillery: tossing gas cartridges into the groundhogs' burrows, etc.
- Live-trapping groundhogs as they exit their burrows and relocating them to an area far-removed from your garden (illegal in some states).

If you have some suggestions, click the comment button below. Or, drop me an email at bwatts@wdbj7.com

--Brent