Groundhog Removal in Virginia: A Complete Guide for Homeowners

Groundhogs are common in both rural and suburban areas of Virginia. They tend to prefer wide open fields and meadows, as well as wooded edges of a yard, but they’re capable of making a home anywhere conditions are right. All they really need is a safe burrow with a food supply.

Here are some of the biggest problems groundhogs cause:

1. Foundation Damage

Groundhogs are experts at digging and they love tunneling. That means they create large burrow systems underground with multiple entrances. 

While this is fine out in the wild, it’s not fine when they get too close. If a groundhog decides to burrow under your deck, shed, garage, or your home’s foundation, then serious structural problems occur. Your structures become dangerously unstable and can collapse.

To avoid that expensive and dangerous fix, it’s best to remove groundhogs as soon as possible.

2. Garden, Crop, and Landscaping Destruction

Groundhogs have a hefty appetite. They will become fast enemies if you’re trying to keep any type of garden in your yard. A single groundhog can strip your produce garden in a matter of days, meaning your leafy greens, tomatoes, berries, and other fruits and veggies don’t stand a chance.

Don’t let all your hard work disappear. Address a groundhog issue immediately… or you’ll end up feeding their family all your homegrown produce instead of feeding it to yours.

Groundhogs also like to chew up plants, shrubs, and grass, so none of your landscaping is safe.

3. Injury Risk

Groundhog burrows can be several feet deep, creating a tripping hazard for adults, children, pets, and livestock. Injuries related to groundhog burrows could be as simple as a fall, but they could be as severe as a broken ankle.

The best way to avoid these injuries is to get groundhogs out of your yard to prevent more tunneling and fill what tunnels exist.

4. Increased Risk of Other Pests

Groundhog tunnels create a welcoming shelter for more than just groundhogs. Other pests will move in if they get the chance. Abandoned groundhog burrows are appealing to skunks, foxes, opossums, and even snakes.

Virginia is home to the Eastern Copperhead, a dangerous, venomous snake that would be more than happy to move into an abandoned groundhog burrow. Ignoring groundhog activity means you could be opening yourself up to more serious, long-term pests.