What do groundhogs eat? Groundhogs eat a variety of plants. But they may also eat pests such as grubs, other insects, and snails, which we consider to be pests. Other small animals, such as baby birds, have also been reported to be eaten by them.
Dieting of Groundhogs
What do groundhogs eat? The types of food that groundhogs prefer to eat will be discussed in this article. As a quick answer, here’s what you need to know…
What do groundhogs eat, and what do they eat? However, groundhogs prefer to eat plants, fruits, and other greens such as grasses, clover, alfalfa, dandelions, and weed as well as peas and broccoli.
They also eat corn and apples as well as red and black raspberries and cherries. It is not uncommon for them to eat insects and small animals.
We generally accept that groundhogs eat only plants because they’re considered herbivores. Groundhogs, on the other hand, may not be strict herbivores… following sections will give you a better understanding of a groundhog’s dietary habits.
Plants, Vegetables & Fruits
The majority of a groundhog’s diet consists of plants. What about saying that groundhogs eat mostly plants? There are many types of grass that groundhogs like to eat.
- Leaves of the maple tree
- Clovers
- Alfalfa
- Other plants with a similar appearance
Some of the crops that groundhogs enjoy eating are:-
- Lettuce
- Broccoli
- Beans
- Carrots
- Soybeans
- Corn
Groundhogs will even eat a variety of fruits, including:-
- Apples
- Black Raspberry
- Cherries
- Hackberries
- Mulberries
- Other berries that look similar
Farmers lose a lot of money when groundhogs eat their crops because of the damage they do. Pest control methods are used to get rid of groundhogs because of this.
An interesting fact about the groundhog is that even though it appears to be small when fully grown or mature, it can consume more than 1lb of plants (including crops) per day!
A groundhog’s daily caloric intake is higher than that of an average-sized groundhog. A large number of groundhogs can have a significant impact in a short period due to their plant-based diet.
Animals
Some dietary patterns of groundhogs prevent us from calling them complete herbivores, even though they are considered herbivores. Consequently, small animals, such as the following, are frequently eaten by groundhogs.
- Birds in their infancy
- Eggs of various kinds of birds
- Snails
- Grasshoppers
- Crickets
- Grubs
- Bugs
- Other small animals that are similar
Occasionally, groundhogs will eat baby birds that they happen to come across by accident. Groundhogs eat eggs, grasshoppers, and even large insects like June bugs. Despite this fact, plants and greens will continue to be an important part of Groundhog’s diet.
What Do Groundhogs Eat During the Different Seasons?
The diet of a groundhog varies with the seasons, depending on the availability of food in the area.
Spring and Summer
Groundhogs forage at dusk for greens and plants like hackberry, mulberry, and maple leaves in the summer and spring. Grasshoppers, grubs, and snails are also eaten during these seasons, but they make up a very small portion of their diet.
Autumn
Groundhogs begin to feed on tree bark, small branches/twigs, and any available small insects in early autumn when the greens begin to fall. This is the time of year when groundhogs will rely more on animal protein and fat as plants and greens begin to dry up. During the autumn months, groundhogs will also stock up on food to prepare for winter.
Winter
Groundhogs hibernate in the winter, only waking up to feed on the food stored in their burrows and dens. Groundhogs are herbivores in their feeding habits. During the summer, spring, and autumn, they eat for around two hours at a time, but they eat less during the winter to conserve energy.
Most of their food is consumed in the early morning and late evening during spring, summer, and fall. During the colder months, they eat less.
Summary:
Plants, vegetables, fruits, and other greens are what groundhogs eat most of the time. They eat a variety of greens and grasses such as alfalfa and clover as well as dandelions and weeds like lettuce and squash. They eat small insects and animals on occasion.
What Do Groundhogs Eat to Trap Them?
Your groundhog trap is now ready for use. Use a carefully selected and carefully placed groundhog bait to lure the animal in. Below, you’ll find information on the best groundhog baits and expert baiting tips.
The food that your groundhog steals from your garden is ideal for baiting your trap. Consider using ripe fruits or vegetables as bait if you’re not sure what attracts groundhogs: Herbaceous green plants and sweet fruits.
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Groundhogs and woodchucks were attracted to cantaloupe in Havahart field tests. Cut the cantaloupe into 2" cubes, and rub the juice and rind of the cantaloupe all over the trap’s inside and outside.
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Then, place a few pieces of fruit in the trap in the positions indicated above. Use cantaloupe to make a bait trail leading to your trap.
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Position your baited trap about 3 feet from the groundhog’s burrow if you know where it is.
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When baiting and handling the trap, wear gloves to avoid transferring your scent to the trap.
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In the same way that groundhogs avoid humans, they may also avoid your trap if it has your scent on it, as well. It’s all about the trapping.
Quick Facts about Groundhogs
| Name | Groundhogs |
|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Marmota Monax |
| Average Size | 20” long 6-7” tail |
| Average Lifespan | 3-6 years |
| Features | small round eyes and ears on top of flat heat; two long, growing incisors; brown fur; small round body with a small bushy tail; short, strong legs with curled claws for burrowing |
What Do Groundhogs Hate?
Groundhogs can be deterred by lavender and other plants with strong odors. Herbs such as mint, sage, basil, rosemary, thyme, chives, and oregano offend groundhogs.
When it comes to groundhogs (also known as woodchucks), they do much more than predict the seasons. A home garden can be seriously damaged if they wander into the yard. They can cause structural damage to sheds, driveways, or foundations.
Who knows what groundhogs eat? Its diet includes flowers, vegetables, twigs, and bark, as well as insects and even plant seedlings, so your home garden is fair game. Two telltale signs of a groundhog problem are deep tunnels and eaten crops.
If you want to get rid of a groundhog, you can use pesticides designed for other rodents. Some common household items that can be used to repel woodchucks include ammonia and red pepper flakes, talcum powder, and garlic. As a groundhog poison, antifreeze is ineffective. Instead, homeowners may want to try one of the other repellents.
What Do Groundhogs Eat in the Garden?
Young, tender greens like lettuce and cabbage, as well as cantaloupes, green beans, cucumbers, zucchini, and corn, are among their favorite foods. Instead of leaving them in the garden for a few days, pick them as soon as they’re ripe.
If you want to prevent groundhogs from hiding in your yard, remove potential hiding places by pulling weeds, trimming the grass, collecting sticks, and clearing brush piles.
Set up a wire fence that is at least 3 feet tall and 12 inches deep around your garden or yard. In addition, groundhogs will be unable to scale it, forcing them to stop tunneling and find a new location for their burrows. Creating a bracket shape with the top and bottom of your fence at 90-degree angles to the outside of your yard or garden will give you the best results.
Incorrectly caught and released groundhogs can cause stress to the animal. Animal control professionals can help you if you’ve come to this point of no return and are unsure of how to capture the animal yourself.
Do Groundhogs Eat Tomatoes?
For the most part, woodchuck (or groundhog) is a vegetarian, eating grasses and other plants like weeds or clover, as well as ornamental plants and garden crops such as lettuce or tomatoes. Even if you have an orchard, your fruit is at risk. Climbing fruit trees is a favorite activity of woodchucks. Furthermore, woodchucks are gnawers who can damage trees, shrubs, decks, sidings, and outdoor furniture as they sharpen their incisors to a razor edge.
If it’s in your vegetable garden, it’s a woodchuck, right? Unlike raccoons, woodchucks adore fresh vegetables and can decimate a garden quickly. In the wild, a single adult can weigh as much as 12 lbs. and consume 1-2 lbs. In addition to gnawing and burrowing, woodchucks can wreak havoc on a home’s foundation.
Do Groundhogs Eat Snakes?
It is believed that the reason for this is that young groundhogs are more susceptible to snake attacks because they are more likely to be found in snake dens. dairy animals are herbivores and feed on grasses, plants, berries, and crops when available.
Wolves, coyotes, foxes, bobbers, bears, large eagles, and dogs are all common groundhog predators. As a result of the ease with which snakes can enter Burr, the young groundhogs are often in danger of being eaten by them. Eat leafy plants to stay hydrated instead of drinking water.
A wide variety of plants including those from human gardens is what marmots eat. Aside from the larvae and other insects, they can also eat the snails that we consider to be a pest in our environment. They reportedly ate chicks and other small animals as well.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. What is the favorite food of a groundhog?
Among his favorite foods are alfalfa and clover as well as peas and beans. He also enjoys lettuce, broccoli, plantains, and soybeans It is not uncommon for groundhogs to eat your seedlings before they have a chance to even begin to grow. Before concluding that you have groundhogs, make sure to check for burrows that rabbits and deer use to eat certain plants.
2. Are groundhogs in your yard a problem?
When burrowing, groundhogs can cause serious structural damage if they are not properly controlled. Plantings, woodpiles, and debris around your home shelter groundhogs, increasing the likelihood that they will live on your property or burrow under the grass or foundation of your home.
3. Can you tell if groundhogs are friendly?
There is usually one male and two females in each group, along with the current litter of infants and the previous breeding season’s offspring (usually a female). Male-female interactions are generally cordial.
4. How aggressive are groundhogs?
This species of groundhog can be found throughout the central and eastern United States. These critters are known to dig burrows in grassy areas and to eat gardens. You have a hard time getting rid of them because they’re aggressive and can carry rabies.
5. Groundhogs will be killed by bubble gum, right?
Roll up pieces of juicy fruit gum and place them in the holes leading to their burrow if you have any on hand. However, the gum is poisonous to groundhogs because it irritates their digestive system.
6. What is it about your yard that attracts groundhogs?
Groundhogs are likely drawn to your yard because of the vegetation that grows there. A common ingredient in store-bought repellents, such as fox or coyote urine in liquid or granule form, is predator urine.
7. Will you be attacked by groundhogs?
Even though groundhogs rarely rush humans, groundhog-human encounters are common.
8. Are groundhogs beneficial in any way?
Any and everything you have planted will be devoured by a groundhog. Leaf, flowers, and grasses are favorites of theirs, and they are vegetarians. Certain garden crops, such as carrots, beans, and peas, are favorites. So much so that they will climb trees to get apples and pears to eat.
9. Is it possible for a groundhog to rush your dog?
In general, groundhogs don’t rush dogs unless they feel threatened. They are herbivores who prefer not to initiate conflict with other animals, so they will retreat if they have the chance. To avoid a confrontation with a canine, they will flee into their burrows as quickly as possible to avoid being bitten.
10. Is it possible to make friends with a groundhog?
Domesticating, selling, or bartering a groundhog is illegal in most states. To keep a pet groundhog, you’ll need a special permit and license. A groundhog vet may be difficult to find, as most do not treat groundhogs regularly.
Conclusion
Groundhogs have distinct eating habits that change according to the season and the weather conditions. Spring and fall, groundhogs eat around midday. During the summer, they forage through gardens in the mornings and late afternoons. Winter is a tough time for groundhogs, though. They don’t, and they won’t. Because they hibernate from October to February, they accumulate fat reserves throughout the year. This is when they hibernate in underground burrows and remain hidden from view during this period. Groundhogs have already lost half of their body weight during hibernation and are ready to start eating again as February approaches.