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groundhog problem

#41
When I was a kid, we had dogs. They were German Shepherd mixes for the most part, but really just mutts. They would turn up and eventually be road kill. It was a rural thing, I guess. Anyway, they would keep the place cleared of just about every kind of varmint you could think of. There were two in particular who were very good at taking out all kinds of animals, including large groundhogs, rabbits, and even a deer once. Then the suburbs invaded and they, too, caught a truck with bad results. And I left Ohio, so I don't know the sequel.
 
#43
OP again. The #$@%^! groundhog is back.

Neither my wife nor I had seen it for almost three weeks -- dating back to right about when I started this thread -- after previously having seen him several times a day, every day, for several weeks. I figured it must have met some (un)fortunate fate, despite us having done nothing in the interim. But this morning my wife caught him working over our cucumber plant. I am just mystified: Why would a groundhog suddenly appear and take up residence for a few weeks, then disappear just as suddenly for several weeks, and then return? Do groundhogs go on vacation?

For a while there I was beginning to think that I had discovered some kind of magical property of TB: Post about a problem, and the problem disappears. If that's true, the spell evidently wears off after a couple of weeks. Maybe being a Supporting Member only gets you two weeks of magic, and you have to upgrade to the next level for a longer-term solution? If only it were true: Think of all the gear that wouldn't have to be replaced, all the bands that wouldn't have to break up, and all the drummers that wouldn't have to be fired!
 
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#46
I'll test Lobster's theory that posting about a critter problem will make it solve itself. We just moved into a home in March and the first time I mowed the lawn I thought I saw a rat. A few weeks later in the same spot I spotted some quail darting for cover and figured that is what I'd seen. Unfortunately in the past week I've been able to confirm that is a rat on two occasions, maybe different rats. They appear to like the crabapples that fall from one of the trees as most of them that I pick up have teeth marks in them.

I've put out some poison but after talking to the neighbor three doors down and finding out he has killed nine (9!) of them this year alone has me thinking that poison may not be enough. I'm worried they'll try to get in the house. Plus, if they're all along our street I'm not sure even calling an exterminator would fix the problem unless all my neighbors pony up for the service.

Our old yard had a problem with snakes. I was so happy to be rid of them when we moved, now I have a rat problem. Sweet irony.
 
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#47
Reo said:
I'll test Lobster's theory that posting about a critter problem will make it solve itself. We just moved into a home in March and the first time I mowed the lawn I thought I saw a rat. A few weeks later in the same spot I spotted some quail darting for cover and figured that is what I'd seen. Unfortunately in the past week I've been able to confirm that is a rat on two occasions, maybe different rats. They appear to like the crabapples that fall from one of the trees as most of them that I pick up have teeth marks in them.

I've put out some poison but after talking to the neighbor three doors down and finding out he has killed nine (9!) of them this year alone has me thinking that poison may not be enough. I'm worried they'll try to get in the house. Plus, if they're all along our street I'm not sure even calling an exterminator would fix the problem unless all my neighbors pony up for the service.

Our old yard had a problem with snakes. I was so happy to be rid of them when we moved, now I have a rat problem. Sweet irony.
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OP here. I "liked" your post, but not because I'm glad you have rats!

Anyway, based on the location listed in your profile, I Googled "rats in Utah." I was curious what kinds of rats were common there, thinking maybe it might be some species that you needn't worry about. One of the first hits I got from Google was this one from David County, which is where I'm guessing you live based on the location listed in your profile:

Rats and Mice

Evidently you are correct in assuming that this isn't just your problem, but likely a neighborhood problem, and everyone needs to join in the effort to solve it. It looks like the Health Department will provide some (minimal) level of help, by disseminating information and providing free bait traps. I would contact them if you haven't already and take whatever help they offer. Don't count on the Lobster method: It only worked for me for two weeks, and I'm a Supporting Member. ;)

P.S. Yeah, I get the irony. If you had a snake problem you wouldn't have a rat problem.
 
#48
Killed_by_Death said:
Do you get those from Wyoming or

81ThUa4ub8L._SY679_.jpg
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Ha!.....Salad dressing for a Ground Hog.....:D
 
#49
When we moved into our present house, there was a large pile of logs on what is best described as the front lawn......

It's still there.....

When I started to move the pile and stack the wood for firewood, I discovered that the pile, and the area under it, was home to several Ground Hogs.....

My wife saw a young one, fell in love, named it Gary......Game over....We're lumbered...

Since then, we've had many Gary's living in the wood pile....(ALL ground hogs , whether male or female, are called Gary according to my wife....

She says that it avoids confusion.....:whistle:.....

We've learned to co-exist with the little buggers.....

We don't plant anything expensive that we'd be sorry to see being eaten.....

We do plant many hot peppers....Even though Gary's are particularly fond of them....

Sigh......:smug:
 
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#51
Lobster11 said:
OP here. I "liked" your post, but not because I'm glad you have rats!

Anyway, based on the location listed in your profile, I Googled "rats in Utah." I was curious what kinds of rats were common there, thinking maybe it might be some species that you needn't worry about. One of the first hits I got from Google was this one from David County, which is where I'm guessing you live based on the location listed in your profile:

Rats and Mice

Evidently you are correct in assuming that this isn't just your problem, but likely a neighborhood problem, and everyone needs to join in the effort to solve it. It looks like the Health Department will provide some (minimal) level of help, by disseminating information and providing free bait traps. I would contact them if you haven't already and take whatever help they offer. Don't count on the Lobster method: It only worked for me for two weeks, and I'm a Supporting Member. ;)

P.S. Yeah, I get the irony. If you had a snake problem you wouldn't have a rat problem.
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Nailed it. I am actually in Davis County, just a few miles north of SLC. We have a lot of overgrown vegetation along the fence line, which is primarily where I've seen them and where I've put the bait station (they haven't eaten any of it thus far). I need to clean up that fence line but we focused more on getting the inside of the new place put together before dealing with the yard. My wife isn't freaking out about the rats even though she's seen one, so that's good. Though, she did say she preferred the snakes. I'll take the rats, at least they run away from you, those snakes didn't care.
 
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#52
It's horribly inhumane, but the best solution I've found for burrowing animals is a smoke bomb called the Giant Destroyer. Light the fuse, drop it in the hole, cover the entrance, and if you see smoke coming out of any other tunnel entrances, cover those too.
 

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