I'm tired of sharing my tomatoes

[lawren2 Malibu Beach Barbie & A Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close lawren2]

I have a large groundhog that appears to live under my deck. and now it has had babies. Two of them. Cute as buttons but I have decided that I am going to relocate them. I am going to borrow my friend's Have a Heart trap this weekend.

It wouldn't be a bad thing if they would eat a couple of tomatoes. What really ticks me off is them taking a bite out of ALL the tomatoes.

Has anyone done this? What is the best bait to offer them? How far do I have to transport them so they don't make their way back?

[Beaglemom3 Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Beaglemom3]

Lawren,
You might not be able to get all the babies and I don't think that you're capable of "groundhogicide".
Anyway, this is what worked for me. I netted my tomatoes and bought some fake snakes and placed them near where they ate most.
Worked for me.
Beags

[Beaglemom3 Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Beaglemom3]

http://www.critter-repellent.com/gro...ource=GoogleAW


Okay Lawren, this may work. It's powdered fox urine and should keep away your groundhogs.
There's a funny book named, "The $64 Tomato" or something like that. It's about a guy, his tomatoes and the evasive groundhog. Looks like you could write the sequel by now.




How One Man Nearly
Lost His Sanity, Spent a Fortune,
and Endured an Existential Crisis
in the Quest for the
Perfect Garden
(The subtitle of "The $64 Tomato")


Hope it works.
B.

[Nadonahoe Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Nadonahoe]

MacDonalds Hash-browns as bait

Hi Lawren,

We've had a ground-hog problem in our back yard for years and have transported countless trapped 'hogs' in our Have-a-Heart trap at least 10-15 miles away - darned if everytime we think we have them all, there isn't another one taunting us across the brook that traverses our back property! We have lived 'Ground-Hog Day' for many years and finally gave up - no plantings in the back of our home.

MacDonalds hash browns - the greasier the better - were irresistable to the ground-hogs especially in the Fall when they were bulking up for the winter.

I'm now using a product for Deer called Deer Out (http://www.deerout.com/) and it has kept the deer away from my garden. The company makes a companion product for ground-hogs and rabbits, I'm not sure if it just protects your garden or if it will actually cause the little beasts to relocate.

Best Wishes in your battle, let me know what works for you..... Noelle

[lawren2 Malibu Beach Barbie & A Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close lawren2]

OK there are 4 pups, kits, baby chucks or whatever they are called and they are climbing my evergreen next to the deck. Whistling and chirping and having a great old time...

I'm picking up the trap tonight and will attempt relocation this weekend. If I can't catch all of them I will try the deterent but would prefer not to share my deck with the Chuck Family.

[Beaglemom3 Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Beaglemom3]

OK there are 4 pups, kits, baby chucks or whatever they are called and they are climbing my evergreen next to the deck. Whistling and chirping and having a great old time...

.

They like you ! They really like you !
(With credit to Sally Field)

[RESORT2ME Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close RESORT2ME]

I have a large groundhog ...It wouldn't be a bad thing if they would eat a couple of tomatoes. What really ticks me off is them taking a bite out of ALL the tomatoes.

...What is the best bait to offer them? ...

TOMATOES

Just had to do it!!!

[taffy19 Gold Contributor Find all posts View Profile Close taffy19]

TOMATOES

Just had to do it!!!

That's funny, Robert!

Sorry, Lawren. It's not funny for you.

[riverdees05 Platinum Contributor Find all posts View Profile Close riverdees05]

I took my grandson a couple of years ago to visit my uncle in Dayton, Ohio. He is retired Air Force. He took us to the Air Force Museum at Wright Patterson - a must see if you are in the area. He also gave us a tour of the part of the base that he could and we must have counted over a hundred groundhogs. Never seen so many. He said the Air Force just let them alone. In my younger days, they made great targets. My Grandfather hated them, they could destroy a pond levee in no time. Have fun catching and relocating them, I do that with squirrels..

[Guest Close Quarterbore]

We have video here somewhere of groundhogs eating tomatoes out of our neighbors garden. They are really smart and they will walk around and find the ones that are almost ripe and they can eat a lot of them in one sitting!

When we showed the neighbors the video they admitted that they figured the kids in the neighborhood were eating them... Tomatoes should make great bait as will lettuce!

[RESORT2ME Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close RESORT2ME]

...In my younger days, they made great targets. My Grandfather hated them, they could destroy a pond levee in no time. Have fun catching and relocating them, I do that with squirrels..

You may catch one in your trap, hopefully you get the mama first. If mama sees a young one in the trap, most likely she will never enter.
Once she is relocated you can drop the young in her new area.

It will be interesting to hear if you get them all. Keep us posted.

Our son's father-in-law helped farmers by riding around the countryside shooting groundhogs. They seem so innocent, but are destuctive.

Please be prudent of where you drop them off. You won't be doing folks in that area any favor.