Anyone have a veggie garden?

[trish]

I'm gonna need some tips on getting rid of a groundhog that don't include shooting or trapping. It already ate my peas and they weren't but 3 inches tall. :( Fencing won't help either as they have climbed my fellow gardener's fences and helped themselves to all the broccoli.

[extramundane]

http://blog.pennlive.com/corkyblake/2008/02/Caddyshack_Karl_Spackler.jpg

It's not shooting or trapping...

[Methanolandbrats]

Farmers Market :gomer:

[emjaya]

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/c/cd/Jrt02.jpg/399px-Jrt02.jpg

[Don Quixote]

There are these little electric fences you can buy. There is bare wire that is run between plastic posts, and they are charged from a transformer. My dad had one of these to keep racoons out, and it worked well. I think he sunk about $100 into it and his garden was pretty big, about 100' x 20'. The only problem he had was when it rained the thing would ground itself and would shut down until it dried out.

[dando]

Groundhogs are difficult to control. My dad battled them for years w/o much success. Wolf or coyote urine works for deer, and hot pepper spray for rabbits, but I'm not sure if they will work on groundhogs.

-Kevin

[Wheel-Nut]

Just place some lights out so he sees his shadow . . . . . ;)

Great looking dog emjaya.

[oddlycalm]

....and at the office. Find some local earth dog enthusiasts to stop by for a workout.

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/f/fe/Workingterrier1.jpg

[Gnam]

There used to be gas bombs available, but they weren't great for use around pets and children. How do you feel about snakes?

[trish]

I don't care for wild snakes very much. The ones in the zoo are fine. I belong to a community garden and pets are banned. A gas bomb will only work if I know where they are hiding. I have a tiny clue, but it's still not doable.

I'm going to put some milorganite :yuck: around the perimeter of my garden to see if the stink keeps them out. I doubt it will work.

[oddlycalm]

I belong to a community garden and pets are banned.
Not a pet, a "friend" to bring in their Jack Russel for an hour. There are earthdog and Jack Russell hunting clubs all around the country. Shouldn't take long to ask around and find somebody local that can sort out your ground hog for you. Most enjoy a call to action and an opportunity show off their cur. :D
Jack Russel hunting (http://www.jackrussell.net/hunting.htm)

If every other alternative is ruled out try several lengths of blackberry cane next to each other around the perimeter. Works for coons, cats (bird feeders) and other mammals because the thorns create an ouch zone for their feet. Five wide on a two inch spacing is enough. Might work for groundhogs or them might just tunnel in. As the blackberry canes dry out they become even more effective. Wear leather gloves. Himalayan blackberry is a nasty invasive species so it's nice to find something positive to do with it.

oc

[emjaya]

Just place some lights out so he sees his shadow . . . . . ;)

Great looking dog emjaya.

That's a pic from Wiki. I don't have any photo's of the Jack Russell we had.

[Napoleon]

I had one for years and finally gave up because of the deer who would jump the fence around it. I just have herbs and some veggies in planters on my deck.

I would be interested in hearing how you get rid of your groundhog though. I have a groundhog/woodchuck and her 5 kids living under my tool shed.

[tllips]

I had one for years and finally gave up because of the deer who would jump the fence around it. I just have herbs and some veggies in planters on my deck.

I would be interested in hearing how you get rid of your groundhog though. I have a groundhog/woodchuck and her 5 kids living under my tool shed.

I had one living under my driveway about 6 or 7 yrs ago. A temporary solution if you know where the lair is; Put a rag in a bottle of ammonia and throw the entire bottle of ammonia into the den with the lid off. They will stay away until the Ammonia completely evaporates from the bottle and rag.

I ultimately trapped him in a live cage trap and then released him far from home and across more than one river. That bugger cost me $1800 in driveway repair! AND the insurance would not cover the repair because Groundhogs are not considered vermin like raccoons and squirrels. So, this damage was an "act of nature." :flame:

[trish]

It's started to eat my young broccoli and collard plants. Yesterday I noticed some fresh peas (replanted) coming up. I wonder if they are still there today... :(

http://www.projo.com/news/content/SUMSERIES_WOODCHUCKS_07-02-07_D165URI.35eaaff.html

[Don Quixote]

Desparate times call for desparate measures.

http://www.gamowhisper.com/images/top_banner.jpg

[trish]

I just got back from running erands and then checking my garden. It has eaten off of a collard plant. My peas are still in place for now.

I bought a flowering plant and sat it in front of one of my set of peas. It looks like a marigold but it's not. Hopefully the smell is overpowering to the woodchuck and it doesn't smell the peas.

I put a balloon in front of the other two areas that have peas and I tied balloons around the perimeter of my garden. Hopefully their colors and movement will keep it away. Even better if it pops one and gets startled.

[Methanolandbrats]

I just got back from running erands and then checking my garden. It has eaten off of a collard plant. My peas are still in place for now.

I bought a flowering plant and sat it in front of one of my set of peas. It looks like a marigold but it's not. Hopefully the smell is overpowering to the woodchuck and it doesn't smell the peas.

I put a balloon in front of the other two areas that have peas and I tied balloons around the perimeter of my garden. Hopefully their colors and movement will keep it away. Even better if it pops one and gets startled. The balloons just provide a festive atmosphere for their lunch, why don't you put out a little half-barrel for them too. :D

[G.]

The balloons just provide a festive atmosphere for their lunch, why don't you put out a little half-barrel for them too. :D

She's got them filled with acetylene and is using tracer pellets in the Gamo rifle.

That sounds festive!

:gomer:

[Napoleon]

A temporary solution if you know where the lair is; Put a rag in a bottle of ammonia and throw the entire bottle of ammonia into the den with the lid off. They will stay away until the Ammonia completely evaporates from the bottle and rag.

I ultimately trapped him in a live cage trap and then released him far from home and across more than one river.

I know exactly where they are at. I have a mid size tool shed (something like 6x 18 or 8 x 20) and they have burrowed under it. It sits on skids on a gravel pad. For years I kept piling logs and bricks and stuff like that on the gravel around the edge of the shed to so the woodchucks could not borrow and at one point I thought they left and about a year ago she was back. They now appear to have 3 access points, so if I do the ammonia thing they will escape, the question is can I get enough of it under the shed to drive them out then can I permanently block all their access to under the shed.

I have thought about using a trap but since there is mom and 5 kids it may not be practical.

[Methanolandbrats]

When I was a kid working on my grandpa's farm, we'd use this to rid the field of woodchucks and other varmints http://blogs.seattleweekly.com/buzzerbeater/dynamite.jpg Just put one in the burrow and it always eliminates the problem. Don't know what the cops, condo associations, etc...would think of it, I suppose it depends on where you live....

[Napoleon]

MB, that is a great way to fish also.

When I was a kid my brother and I rubberbanded an M80 to a rock and tossed it in a small pond near our house. We were really surprised when 30 seconds later every fish came belly up to the surface.

[tllips]

I know exactly where they are at. I have a mid size tool shed (something like 6x 18 or 8 x 20) and they have burrowed under it. It sits on skids on a gravel pad. For years I kept piling logs and bricks and stuff like that on the gravel around the edge of the shed to so the woodchucks could not borrow and at one point I thought they left and about a year ago she was back. They now appear to have 3 access points, so if I do the ammonia thing they will escape, the question is can I get enough of it under the shed to drive them out then can I permanently block all their access to under the shed.

I have thought about using a trap but since there is mom and 5 kids it may not be practical.

Once they're out, you could cut a slot around the shed maybe 6-12" deep and put chicken-wire in. I'm not sure they would put the effort in to dig deeper than that to get under the chicken-wire. Of course, they will not migrate far, so make sure there aren't any other convenient "dens" nearby.

[Methanolandbrats]

MB, that is a great way to fish also.

When I was a kid my brother and I rubberbanded an M80 to a rock and tossed it in a small pond near our house. We were really surprised when 30 seconds later every fish came belly up to the surface. Did a little of that too. Don't use too much or it loosens up the rivets in small aluminum boats.

[Napoleon]

. . ., so make sure there aren't any other convenient "dens" nearby.

Like my deck.

[trish]

I know exactly where they are at. I have a mid size tool shed (something like 6x 18 or 8 x 20) and they have burrowed under it. It sits on skids on a gravel pad. For years I kept piling logs and bricks and stuff like that on the gravel around the edge of the shed to so the woodchucks could not borrow and at one point I thought they left and about a year ago she was back. They now appear to have 3 access points, so if I do the ammonia thing they will escape, the question is can I get enough of it under the shed to drive them out then can I permanently block all their access to under the shed.

I have thought about using a trap but since there is mom and 5 kids it may not be practical.

Since you're a guy you can mark your territory, so to speak.

Getting rid of them is not going to happen so I'm trying to focus on excluding them from my garden, without using a fence of course. :gomer:

Out of frustration more than anything, I decided to use my floating row covers to cover the plants that are left in my garden. I put them on yesterday evening. Day one and the covers are undistrubed. We'll see how this goes.

[trish]

Day two is a success (except for the uncovered and larger watermelon plant that sucker nibbled on). Today starts day three. I covered the watermelons yesterday at lunch and this morning I covered two cucumbers. Hopefully the cucumber leaves can handle it.