Groundhogs, also known as woodchucks, are common garden visitors that can cause significant damage to cultivated plants. Yes, groundhogs eat watermelon. They are attracted to it due to its sweetness and high water content, making it a refreshing snack.
Watermelon and Groundhogs
Groundhogs readily consume watermelons, including cantaloupe and honeydew melons, when accessible. The high sugar content in these fruits makes them particularly appealing. They also provide essential hydration, which groundhogs often obtain from plants rather than directly drinking water.
While groundhogs enjoy watermelon, it is not a fundamental part of their natural diet. They are opportunistic feeders, consuming what is readily available. When consuming watermelon, groundhogs typically take small bites of the juicy, red flesh, often avoiding the rind and seeds.
A Groundhog’s Natural Diet
Groundhogs are primarily herbivorous mammals, meaning their diet consists mainly of plant materials. Their typical foraging includes a diverse range of greens, vegetables, and fruits. Common dietary components found in their natural habitats include wild grasses, clover, alfalfa, and dandelions.
Beyond these common plants, groundhogs also consume various garden vegetables such as beans, peas, carrots, broccoli, lettuce, and corn. Fruits like apples, pears, berries (strawberries, raspberries, blackberries), and stone fruits (cherries, peaches, plums) are also part of their diet when available. Occasionally, groundhogs may supplement their plant-based diet with small insects like grubs, grasshoppers, or snails, though these are not a significant food source.
Keeping Groundhogs Out of Your Garden
For gardeners seeking to protect their produce, several humane methods can deter groundhogs. One of the most effective strategies involves exclusion through fencing. An appropriate fence for groundhogs should be at least 3 to 4 feet high and made of heavy poultry wire or 2-inch woven-mesh wire. To prevent burrowing underneath, the bottom 12 inches of the fence should be buried, with the lowest 6 inches bent outward in an L-shape away from the garden. Bending the top 15 inches of the fence outward at a 45-degree angle can also deter climbing.
Repellents can also be employed, utilizing scents that groundhogs find unpleasant due to their sensitive noses. Natural options include planting herbs like garlic, lavender, basil, chives, lemon balm, mint, sage, thyme, rosemary, and oregano around garden perimeters. Sprinkling cayenne pepper, castor oil, or even used kitty litter near burrows and garden areas can also act as deterrents. Additionally, regularly harvesting ripe produce and clearing away fallen fruit or brush piles helps remove attractive food sources and hiding spots, making the garden less appealing to groundhogs.