Is a woodchuck destroying your garden or burrowing near your home? When these nuisance animals start munching on your tomatoes or tunneling under your shed, it’s enough to drive any homeowner crazy. Here’s how to spot woodchuck activity and practical ways to protect your Albany-area property from their damage.

Why Woodchucks Are a Nuisance to Capital Region Homeowners

Woodchucks, also known as groundhogs, may seem harmless but can cause extensive damage:

• Garden Destruction: These animals are notorious for eating garden vegetables and flowers, leaving only stems and tattered leaves in their wake.
• Structural Issues: Woodchucks are expert burrowers. If they tunnel under structures like sheds, barns, or decks, they can weaken foundations and cause warping or collapse.

These behaviors make woodchucks a significant nuisance to homeowners throughout the Albany area.

What Attracts Woodchucks to Your Albany Property?

Woodchucks are drawn to yards that provide food, water, and shelter. Here’s what may be inviting them:

• Overgrown Lawns: Tall grass and weeds offer both food and shelter.
• Gardens: They’re especially fond of fruits, vegetables, and flowers.
• Water Sources: Puddles and small water sources are an added attraction.

Reducing these attractants is essential for keeping woodchucks off your property.

Tips for Preventing Woodchucks from Entering Your Yard

If you’re dealing with woodchucks in Albany, there are a few effective prevention strategies:

Protect Your Garden

• Install a Fence: Use a wire fence around your garden, burying it at least one foot deep to prevent woodchucks from burrowing underneath.
• Plant Decoy Crops: Consider planting clover or alfalfa away from your main garden to divert woodchucks’ attention.

Secure Structures

• Add Skirting: Install skirting around sheds, barns, or decks, extending it one foot underground to block woodchucks from tunneling.
• Clear Debris: Remove brush piles, woodpiles, and other debris that could serve as shelter.

These steps can help make your property less attractive to woodchucks and other nuisance wildlife.

When to Call a Professional for Woodchuck Removal

Woodchucks can be difficult to remove on your own. They’re persistent diggers, and their tunnels can compromise your property’s safety. When woodchucks become a problem, contacting a professional wildlife removal service is the best way to ensure safe and humane removal.

At Thomas Pest Services, our Albany-based wildlife control team specializes in woodchuck removal and prevention. We’ll assess your property, remove woodchucks safely, and provide solutions to keep them from returning.

Call us at 518-861-4921 or contact us for a free inspection and estimate! Don’t let woodchucks damage your property—let our experts handle it.