Groundhogs are large rodents common across much of North America that spend a significant portion of their lives underground. These animals are powerful excavators, and their subterranean lifestyle often brings them into direct conflict with residential landscaping and structures. Their presence can lead to costly property damage and safety concerns for homeowners. The specific problems they cause stem directly from their need to create extensive underground homes and their voracious appetites for vegetation.
The Threat of Extensive Burrow Systems
Groundhogs are known for their complex burrow architecture, which can span up to 50 feet in length and descend six feet deep into the soil. Each burrow system typically features one main entrance, easily identified by a large, semicircular mound of excavated dirt, and one to four auxiliary exit holes that lack this dirt pile.
These numerous openings and the vast network of tunnels beneath the surface create significant tripping hazards in lawns and fields. An unsuspecting person or pet stepping into a concealed burrow can suffer serious injury, making their presence a liability in active yard spaces.
The excavated soil piles near the main entrances also smother and kill the surrounding turf, leaving unsightly patches of bare earth in the yard. These holes and mounds severely disrupt the aesthetics of a manicured lawn and can even damage or destroy expensive lawn care equipment that inadvertently passes over a collapsed section of a tunnel.
Destruction of Gardens and Landscape Plants
Groundhogs are primarily herbivores, and they possess a strong preference for tender, succulent vegetation, making cultivated gardens a prime target. They will readily consume a wide variety of plants, including grasses, clover, and dandelions, but their diet extends to nearly all common garden vegetables. Favorites include:
- Peas
- Beans
- Lettuce
- Broccoli
- Carrots
- Squash
Their feeding habits are highly destructive because they consume large quantities rapidly, often devastating a vegetable patch overnight. Unlike smaller pests that might nibble on a few leaves, a groundhog’s size and appetite mean they can wipe out entire rows of crops in a single feeding session. They also target ornamental plantings, such as hostas, coneflowers, marigolds, and phlox, stripping the foliage and flowers.
In addition to eating plants, their continuously growing incisor teeth necessitate constant gnawing, which can lead to damage on low-hanging tree branches and young saplings. This behavior is a biological need to wear down their teeth, and the resulting damage to woody landscape elements remains a significant concern.
Undermining Structures and Hardscaping
The most severe damage groundhogs inflict comes from their habit of digging burrows directly underneath man-made structures for predator protection and stability. When a groundhog tunnels beneath a shed, deck, or porch, it removes the supporting soil, which can compromise the structural integrity of the feature. This removal of earth leads to a loss of support, causing settlement, sinking, or tilting of the structure over time.
Tunneling near foundations, patios, driveways, and walkways is particularly serious because it can cause concrete slabs to settle unevenly, resulting in significant cracking. The displacement of soil from a large burrow network allows water to flow more easily under the foundation, which can exacerbate erosion and lead to increased moisture in basements or crawl spaces. This water intrusion can ultimately weaken footings and lead to costly, long-term foundation repairs.
Groundhog excavations also pose a threat to underground utility lines that lie close to the surface. Their tunneling can damage irrigation systems, water pipes, and electrical conduits or cables, which can result in service disruptions and require immediate professional repair.