Who doesn’t like gardening, right? It keeps us occupied in free hours and also gives a refreshing feeling. However, groundhogs will eat the plants in your garden. So, you might be wondering how to get rid of groundhogs.
You might also want to know if vinegar deters groundhogs. Let’s find the answers to all your queries regarding groundhogs one by one.
Does vinegar deter groundhogs?
Vinegar can deter groundhogs when you mix it with some other chemicals. By pouring the mixture of ammonia, vinegar, washing detergent, soap, and hot pepper around the fence and into the holes, you can deter groundhogs. You will have to apply the mixture for a few days to get the best outcome.
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Vinegar alone can’t deter groundhogs from entering your garden or backyard. This is because vinegar can’t create a pungent smell which will keep the groundhogs away from the premises.
However, the mixture of vinegar with a few other chemicals and ingredients can create that pungent smell to deter the groundhogs.
Groundhogs can severely damage farms, gardens, and homes. They can consume up to a pound of plants each day, so they can quickly ruin crops and gardens.
Their massive burrowing and tunneling can leave big holes in fields, and lawns which can harm farm equipment and the farm itself.
Groundhogs spend most of their lives in deep burrows that they develop, live in, and rear their young in.
These burrow systems can reach depths of five feet and they can even go up to 60 feet. They also have been known to cut subterranean electrical lines, causing power outages.
Needless to say, getting rid of the groundhogs is very important. However, you shouldn’t harm the animal while deterring it away from your house or farm. The best way to do it is by creating a smell that groundhogs absolutely detest.
Vinegar has a strong smell, which the groundhogs can’t withstand. In fact, when you add ingredients like ammonia and detergent with vinegar, the smell will be more pungent, perfect for deterring groundhogs.
To prevent the groundhogs from entering your property, you should spray the mixture all around the fence and also into the holes in which the groundhogs burrow.
How does vinegar repel groundhogs?
From the smell to taste, vinegar can repel groundhogs in various ways. It is a very effective and eco-friendly method of deterring groundhogs. Vinegar won’t also damage the tree, crops, and plants in your farm or garden.
Let’s take a look at how vinegar repels groundhogs.
Pungent smell:
Although groundhogs are burrowing animals and mostly live underground, they can’t withstand very strong smells.
Since vinegar is acidic with a pH level of two to three, it has a very strong smell. Groundhogs can detect this smell from a great distance and won’t come close to it.
In addition, the mixture of vinegar with a few other chemicals will even make the smell more strong and unbearable for the groundhogs. The mixture with vinegar should contain ammonia, hot pepper, soap, and washing detergent.
To prevent the groundhogs from entering your garden, you should spray the vinegar mixture all across the fencing. You should also apply the mixture under the fence so that they don’t dig a hole to enter the premises.
Bad taste:
Groundhogs dig holes to live in, take shelter, and even for reproduction. They burrow using their hands and mouths. So, when they dig holes they will get the taste of the soil and they don’t like the sour taste.
Vinegar has a strong and sour taste to it. When you apply vinegar to your farm or garden, the soil will become bitter. As a result, groundhogs will stop burrowing and stay away from that place.
How do you make a groundhog repellent?
Making a groundhog repellent is not as complicated as it may seem. You can quite effortlessly make a groundhog repellent and use it to prevent them from entering your yard or farm.
However, you will have to make the groundhog repellent by following the steps properly to get the expected outcome. Have a look at how you can make a groundhog repellent:
Get the necessary chemicals:
To make a groundhog repellent you will need ammonia, vinegar, soap, hot pepper, and detergent. You should purchase the best quality chemicals if you want to make the finest repellent.
Wear protective gears:
Ammonia is a base and its pH level is 11.6. If you handle ammonia without any protective gear, it can irritate your eyes and burn your hands.
As a result, before making the repellent with ammonia and vinegar, you should wear goggles and gloves. You should also wear a lab apron for additional safety.
Make sudsy ammonia:
You can easily make sudsy ammonia without going through the trouble of buying it. You can do it by mixing 1 part of ammonia with 3 parts of water, and also a tiny portion of washing detergent.
Make the repellent:
Now that you have prepared the sudsy ammonia and taken proper precautions, you should make the repellent.
Add a cup of vinegar, a tablespoon of hot pepper, and a tiny part of soap into the sudsy ammonia and mix it well. The mixture will have a very pungent smell, which will repel the groundhogs.
How to get rid of groundhogs using vinegar?
Getting rid of groundhogs using vinegar is quite simple and effective. You can do it with a little effort and time. In fact, using vinegar, you can get rid of the groundhogs without causing any harm to the plants, groundhogs, or the environment.
Let’s have a look at how to get rid of groundhogs using vinegar step by step.
Prepare the repellant with vinegar:
First and foremost, you will have to make a groundhog repellent using vinegar. To make the repellent, you will have to mix vinegar with other components such as ammonia, detergent, pepper, and soap.
The main objective of making this mixture is to create a smell that the groundhogs will absolutely dislike.
While making the repellent with vinegar make sure to use sudsy ammonia. In addition, take proper precautions while making the mixture so that you don’t burn your hands.
Spray vinegar on the fence:
Groundhogs don’t usually build their nest below the ground where humans live. So, they will come inside your farm or house through the fencing to eat your plants and vegetables.
By spraying vinegar mixture all over the fence, the groundhogs will stay away from the property as they dislike the smell of the mixture.
You should spray the vinegar mixture on the fence regularly for a couple of days as it can get washed out by mist or rain.
What repels groundhogs or woodchucks?
Numerous things repel groundhogs or woodchucks. The natural elements that repel groundhogs are the best option because they won’t harm the groundhogs.
With the natural repellers, groundhogs will remain healthy even while you get rid of them. Let’s take a look at what repels groundhogs or woodchucks in detail.
Garlic:
Garlic has a pungent smell, which the sensitive noses of groundhogs can’t handle. So, by spreading garlic paste across the farm and at the holes which the groundhogs burrowed, you can prevent them from entering the premises again.
Human hair:
Groundhogs or woodchucks dislike human hair. They also can’t handle dogs’ fur. So, by placing human hair gathered from your local saloon on the fence and on the holes, you can get rid of groundhogs.
Castor oil:
Castor oil quite effectively repels groundhogs. You can deter them by pouring castor oil around the burrow holes.
However, make sure to pour the castor oil around the holes only when the groundhogs are not underground, otherwise, they won’t come out of the holes.
Cat litter:
Used cat litter smells like a predator. So, groundhogs won’t enter the area if cat litter is placed in it. While putting kitty litter in the holes, make sure to leave an exit hole open for them so that they can escape from your farm rather than remain burrowed.
Vinegar:
Vinegar creates an offensive smell that keeps the groundhogs away. You should put vinegar into the burrow holes to deter the groundhogs and prevent them from entering your garden.
Final Thoughts
Vinegar can most definitely deter groundhogs. It is the smell of the vinegar that the groundhogs absolutely dislike. However, it works better, if you mix vinegar with a few other components like detergent, pepper, and ammonia because the smell will be more pungent.