Garlic does wonders when it comes to keeping plant eater animals and pesky insects away from a home’s boundary.
As a result, when groundhogs which happen to be plant-eater animals too, are creating a nuisance in your garden, you may think about whether garlic can possibly be used to repel groundhogs or not.
So, let’s quickly jump into the findings to know the answers to this query.
Garlic To Repel Groundhogs
Garlic effectively repels groundhogs because garlic has a robust scent that irritates the sensitive noses of groundhogs, thus, they can’t withstand garlic and rush away from a place with garlic scent. Scattering crushed garlic cloves or a garlic-infused groundhog repellent will keep groundhogs away.
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Two reasons are there to justify why garlic being a mere herb/spice designated for cooking, so efficaciously repels groundhogs from an area. Those two most prominent reasons are described as follows for your better understanding.
Garlic Has A Strong Scent:
Garlic has a powerful scent, and many of us prefer that aroma of garlic in our dishes. However, as for woodchucks, they simply despise the robust smell of garlic as much as we like it.
And their detest for how pungent garlic smells is the primary reason why garlic effectively deters woodchucks.
Groundhogs are naturally intolerable to any kind of strong-smelling food, object, or place, so when garlic is used, the scent wafts through the air and makes that place smelly with the garlic smell.
And upon sensing the pungent-smelling garlic, groundhogs leave the spot immediately.
Garlic Scent Bothers Them:
Woodchucks naturally have sensitive noses that barely can withstand any spicy or strong odor as it irritates their noses.
So, when woodchucks sniff the strongly scented garlic nearby them, it severely disturbs their smelling senses. As a result, they immediately leave an area that smells like garlic.
Woodchucks definitely won’t continue to look for food while having an irritated nose, so it makes the other obvious reasons why garlic repels woodchucks.
Do Garlic Powder Work To Deter Groundhogs?
There is no solid evidence about whether garlic powder works effectively in deterring groundhogs or not because most people who opt for using garlic, use fresh garlic cloves only.
People are mostly seen to use garlic either in crushed condition or by making a garlic groundhog solution, most of them didn’t use garlic powder to repel groundhogs.
However, since garlic powder also contains the smell of garlic, you can give it a try by sprinkling some garlic powder to deter woodchucks from your home’s boundary.
But know that using garlic powder can be less effective as it doesn’t have that powerful scent as fresh garlic.
How Effective Is Garlic In Repelling Groundhogs?
Garlic is considered to be one of the most effective groundhog repellents among all because of its intense smell that makes groundhogs flee within minutes as they barely can stand the scent.
Besides, many commercial groundhog repellents also use garlic scent to make the product which more strongly validates the effectivity of garlic in terms of preventing groundhogs.
Moreover, garlic is an all-natural ingredient so it’s both woodchuck and environment-friendly.
How To Use Garlic To Repel Groundhogs?
Garlic is undeniably a helpful ingredient when it comes to deterring groundhogs from a place but it works in the most fruitful way only when you will apply garlic in the right way at the right palaces.
Therefore, 4 correct ways of using garlic have been described here to help you keeping groundhogs away from your home’s boundaries.
Scatter Crushed Garlic:
Scattering crushed garlic is one of the most effective ways of using garlic when you are attempting to keep groundhogs out from your property.
This is because when you will be tossing crushed garlic cloves, the smell will waft through the air in the most vigorous way. As a result, groundhogs will be able to smell the scent of garlic from quite far away and they will not dare to enter your property.
The process of scattering crushed garlic is simple too, all you need is a handful of garlic cloves and crush them using a cooking mortar or spice grinder.
Then, toss the crushed cloves to the groundhog-prone spots in your yard. This should work to repel groundhogs successfully.
Apply Garlic Paste:
If you want to opt for using garlic in a more fine method, go with applying garlic paste to the spots where woodchucks visit most frequently.
Garlic paste is as beneficial as crushed garlic, in fact, sometimes as a groundhog deterrent, it works better than crushed garlic because the scent of applied garlic paste lasts longer on the ground.
The procedure of using garlic paste is a simple one too. First, take garlic cloves as much as you want and make a paste by using a cooking mortar/spice mixer-grinder.
After that apply the garlic paste to the entrance point of burrows where groundhogs live in your garden. Or else, you can apply the garlic paste to the soil nearer to your plants that are more susceptible to damage caused by groundhogs.
Applying garlic paste to either of the spots would surely fend off groundhogs.
Spray A Groundhog Repellent Made Of Garlic:
Apart from tossing crushed garlic and applying a garlic paste in your yard, making a homemade groundhog repellent made of garlic is another very helpful way of using garlic to make groundhogs leave your property.
Besides, a garlic spray is convenient too as you can spray the garlic-made solution to the holes and spots where your hand might not reach, but the spray nozzle will reach and the powerful scent of garlic will eventually make the woodchucks leave your garden and plants alone.
All you got to do is to mix crushed garlic in water and spray the water near the shelter of groundhogs, onto your plants, or on the surrounding soil to prevent groundhogs.
Spray Garlic-Hot Pepper Solution:
The combination of garlic and hot pepper makes an even stronger groundhog repellent as they can’t withstand anything that smells spicy or strong.
Thereby, when you will be spraying the garlic-pepper solution, it’ll be severely unbearable to their sensitive noses and groundhogs will rush away from that spot.
To make the garlic-hot pepper solution, mix crushed garlic and pepper with water and shake them together.
Then, pour the solution into a spray bottle and start spraying it to the groundhog-prone spots such as near your plants, onto your plants, and at entry points of holes and burrows in your garden.
This dynamic solution will surely repel groundhogs as long as you will be using it regularly until groundhogs leave completely.
How Do You Make A Garlic Groundhog Spray?
A garlic groundhog spray is an excellent way to stop the presence of groundhogs on your property. Below steps to make the most effective garlic groundhog spray by mixing garlic and hot pepper together have been explained.
Garlic-Hot Pepper Groundhog Spray:
Things you need
- 10-12 Garlic cloves
- 10-12 Fresh hot pepper
- Hot pepper flakes
- 1 Teaspoon of olive oil
- Water
Finely Chop The Fresh Hot Pepper And Crush The Garlic Cloves:
First, take 10-12 or more garlic cloves or more as per your need and finely mince them using a cooking mortar or a spice grinder, you can finely chop them as well with a knife. Then, take 10-12 hot pepper of your preference and chop them finely too with a knife.
Heat The Hot Pepper Flakes:
In case you are using hot pepper flakes too, heat them in a dry pan for some time so that the flakes can release oil when you will mix them in the solution.
Simmer All Of The Ingredients Together:
Now, as per your need take water in a pot and mix the chopped hot peppers, crushed garlic, and hot pepper flakes together.
After that, put the pot onto a stove and simmer the mixture for around 15 minutes. Simmering the mixture will help release the oils from garlic cloves and hot peppers.
Strain And Cool Down The Mixture:
Take down the mixture after simmering and strain the crushed garlic cloves and hot peppers from the mixture and pour the mixture into a spray bottle or a sealed container. Let the garlic-hot pepper solution rest and cool down fully for a day.
Add Olive Oil:
Only after the garlic-hot pepper solution is fully cooled down, add 1 teaspoon of olive oil to the solution, shake it well, and there you are ready with your homemade garlic groundhog spray.
Do add olive oil because it will help to stick the solution to plant leaves and soil.
Final Thoughts
Groundhogs can indeed be repelled from an area by using garlic because their noses are too sensitive to the pungent-smelling garlic. So, upon feeling irritated, groundhogs will flee from an area filled with the garlic smell. Using a garlic groundhog spray or crushed garlic will deter groundhogs.