Groundhogs (Marmota monax) can turn months of hard work in your garden into a mush of half-eaten vegetables. This article will guide you on how to eliminate groundhogs, but first, make sure to understand the wildlife protection laws in your area.

Method: Pouring Foaming Ammonia into the Burrow

Step 1. Choose a sunny day to get rid of the groundhog.

Step 1

Choose a sunny day to get rid of the groundhog. Sunlight encourages groundhogs to emerge from their burrows.

Step 2. Get about two and a half cups of foaming ammonia.

Step 2

Step 3. If you can't buy foaming ammonia, make it yourself.

Step 3

  • Take a glass container. Add about a quarter cup of water.
  • Add about 2 tablespoons of dish soap (or soap) to the water and mix well.
  • Add two cups of regular ammonia (available at pharmacies) to the soap solution. This creates a substance very similar to foaming ammonia.

Step 4. Pour the mixture into the groundhog's burrow hole.

Step 4

Pour the mixture into the hole where the groundhog lives. Ensure that most of the liquid flows deep into the hole.

  • It is recommended to wear protective gloves when handling this substance.

Step 5. Step away from the burrow.

Step 5

Step away from the burrow. Sometimes groundhogs start to come out if they were inside. If there are young ones, the process will take longer, as the mother groundhog will first find a new home and then take the young ones with her.

Step 6. Check periodically to ensure that the groundhogs have left their home.

Step 6

Step 7. If you still see some activity the next day, repeat the process.

Step 7

Step 8. Continue the procedure until you observe no further groundhog activity, doing so with intervals of several hours to a day, and only on sunny days, so that groundhogs can easily find a new home.

Step 8

Humane Trapping

Step 1. Purchase or rent a humane "live" trap.

Step 1

Purchase or rent a humane "live" trap. These can be bought at stores like Lowes or Home Depot, and they are inexpensive.

Step 2. Set the trap about 50 feet away from the groundhog's burrow entrance.

Step 2

Step 3. Place lettuce leaves, apples, bananas, or other fruits at the back of the trap.

Step 3

Step 4. Check the trap in the morning and early evening.

Step 4

Check the trap in the morning and early evening. When a groundhog is caught, wear gloves and place the cage in your vehicle on a piece of cardboard.

Step 5. Release the groundhog in a forest several miles from your home.

Step 5

Step 6. It may take a week or two to catch all the groundhogs, but your conscience will be clear knowing that no groundhog has been harmed.

Step 6