|
| We started seeing a few tomatoes on the ground with bites out of them. I thought it was the squirrels because little else was being disturbed. Then I put some broccoli transplants in and some of the leaves were quickly missing, looking like they were snapped off. We had a sunflower growing out front and the seeds were ripening and I noticed something had started eating them. I wondered if it was birds, but I wasn't seeing it happen. Then I saw that it looked like a plant next to it was a little disturbed and a chunk was missing from a sunflower head, branches on the ground. I still thought maybe a squirrel. Today we were looking out the window and started to see a Brussels Sprouts plant start shaking and something moving around in the bed. My DH thought it was a bird. I tried to get the binoculars but still couldn't see anything and then the bed seemed empty. I kept looking around the yard, and suddenly saw a woodchuck dashing into the back bushes. Had to be an adolescent, it was not very large. So, this is the time when the youngsters in a family start looking for their own territory, right? We have been picking the tomatoes with a blush now, to avoid losing them. There's really no more broccoli plants for them to be attracted to. I haven't seen them eat the older Kale plants, didn't touch the string beans or cucumbers, that I can see. I am just sowing spinach and have some small lettuce seedlings just coming up. Any suggestions? I would like to eat the lettuce and spinach but other than that, not a lot growing in the garden. We had a lot of cover crop growing which we are My biggest concern is that he will designate our garden as his territory for next year. If I pull all the vegetables out of the garden now, will that encourage him to look elsewhere? I already cut down the sunflower and have the rest of the seed heads in the house drying. |
Follow-Up Postings:
|
| Your biggest concern, that he will designate your garden for next year, isn't a realistic concern. A lot can happen between now and next year including his demise. And since the garden won't be producing during the winter he will have moved on to greener pastures. Or you can just trap and relocate him now if truly worried. |
|
- Posted by prairiemoon2 zone 6a/MA (My Page) on Mon, Sep 15, 14 at 7:09
| Thanks grandma, I did look them up and they do hibernate in late October. So if he has a den nearby, he could fatten himself up on my garden and go into hibernation. They wake up in March, just as I'm starting my spring garden. So that seems like more potential for nothing bad to happen to him between then and now. |
|
| There are a lot of Woodchucks in my neighborhood. They tend to eat grass and weeds, and in the fall they have been eating flower heads. They do not prefer fruits. My 6 foot fence has kept them out of my garden this year, but my neighbors with a 3 foot fence did not spare so well. They pee on my house, dig under my porch, and are a major nuisance. The 6 foot fence also did just fine to keep out the deer we have heavy pressure from, they could jump it if they wanted but with all the other things they have to eat they aren't motivated enough. They come and go and I wouldn't worry too much about it for next year, if you are concerned about animals eating your vegetables put up a fence with an underground skirt. You could just as likely get a swarm of rabbits or whatever else next year, and that will keep a lot of animals out. |
|
| Pretty much your options are the same whatever the pest- tolerance, deterrence, exclusion, or death. I find woodchucks to be very aggressive eaters who will decimate the things they like and quickly. Makes sense, they are trying to put on a good layer of fat before they hibernate for 4-5 months. I can't tolerate them for that reason, and they are hard to deter. If your garden is a reasonable size, a fence might be a nice option. Be warned they can climb, so you need a floppy-topped fence. You can humane trap them and (less humanely some say) relocate them. The usual option taken around here is to shoot them. But that is only doable if you live in this sort of area. They can live a long time, I've been watching the same one in the bottom field for 4 years now. She's got a characteristic red belly that is like a beacon when she sits up to check for danger, so we call her Big Red. I often contemplate the fact that she is likely the source of the annual woodchuck invasion but always decide to leave her alone. After all, she is staying put down there. The dog does the job of deterring (or deathing) the ones that try to make a home near the house and garden. Good luck. |
|
- Posted by prairiemoon2 zone 6a/MA (My Page) on Mon, Sep 15, 14 at 11:48
| Thanks for all your input. We have a fence around the property, unusual in that two sides are 6ft stockade and two are 4ft post and rail and picket. Not wanting to replace the fence at this point. We've been vegetable gardening here for 30 years and had a woodchuck problem only one season so far. A Rabbit or two, we see occasionally, but we have clover in the yard and so far that is all they've eaten. Had one or two chipmunks for a few years, didn't see any this year. Never see a raccoon. Have seen a possum a few times and used to notice a skunk in the neighborhood once in awhile, but not for awhile. No deer. I feel very fortunate. The one season we had a woodchuck, it was intolerable. They ate everything in sight. I may borrow my son's dog for awhile to see if that won't deliver a message. Thanks! |
|
| Yes, and next spring there may be groundhog pups with which to deal. This year, they've been my garden nemesis, and not racoons or deer. They turned on bed of green beans into bonzai, just now producing for the first time since planting and I lost the last of my spring cabbage from a one night foray of a g'hog into the cabbage patch. Here is the second run or early fall cabbage, note the fence around it? Ha. He got in, but couldn't get out and was trapped with the evidence. Twelve heads devoured and numerous younger plants nipped on the stalk and left lay. He didn't eat the carrot foliage, but it was beaten into the ground by his pacing around the fence, trying to get out. |
|
| flattened carrots |
|
| You have my deepest sympathies. |
|
- Posted by Persimmons 6b Southern Mass (My Page) on Tue, Sep 16, 14 at 12:58
| I had the exact same issue with a woodchuck who would get trapped inside the garden bed. The first year I ever successfully grew zucchinis, the woodchuck had managed to get inside the fence and devour the entire garden patch. He took a few bites of tomatoes, ate all of the beans, etc etc. My cat didn't like being attacked when mr. woodchuck'd roam the garden, and was bitten by the woodchuck on the head! Luckily the cat is sly and once recovered, ended up killing the woodchuck by trapping him inside the garden. It was a gross clean-up, but it solved our woodchuck problem!! I wish you all the luck, they're frustrating to eliminate. |
|
- Posted by prairiemoon2 zone 6a/MA (My Page) on Tue, Sep 16, 14 at 13:32
| Calliope, Wow, that’s a great photo of how much damage they can do. So crazy isn’t it, that the fence couldn’t keep him out but locked him in! Persimmons, very annoying when they take a bite of a tomato then leave the rest of it on the ground. What’s with that? [g] |
|
| I heard they are pretty testy) After I lost whole second crop of carrots due to the woodchuck eat all the foliage I am thinking about eating... a woodchuck) Just need to come up with a way to convince my hubby) He has special thing to furry guys and can't agree with me on the next dinner menu) |
|
| They are rodents. Where I am you can't shoot them (Houses are too close) and it's illegal to trap and release them elsewhere. And costs $200 - $250 to have them removed by a company. So I will trap and drown next year. They decimated my Dino Kale this year. |
Please Note: Only registered members are able to post messages to this forum. If you are a member, please log in. If you aren't yet a member, join now!
Return to the Vegetable Gardening Forum
Information about Posting
- You must be logged in to post a message. Once you are logged in, a posting window will appear at the bottom of the messages. If you are not a member, please register for an account.
- Please review our Rules of Play before posting.
- Posting is a two-step process. Once you have composed your message, you will be taken to the preview page. You will then have a chance to review your post, make changes and upload photos.
- After posting your message, you may need to refresh the forum page in order to see it.
- Before posting copyrighted material, please read about Copyright and Fair Use.
- We have a strict no-advertising policy!
- If you would like to practice posting or uploading photos, please visit our Test forum.
- If you need assistance, please Contact Us and we will be happy to help.
Learn more about in-text links on this page here
