Woodchuck (groundhog)
Marmota monax
- Identification
- Large, stocky burrowing rodent; digs extensive burrows with entrances near sheds, decks, and foundations.
- Lifecycle & behavior
- Digs burrows for shelter and hibernation; raises young in spring. True hibernator over winter.
- When it's active in Central NY
- Active spring through fall in CNY yards and farmland; burrowing under structures and eating gardens are the complaints.
- Risk & damage
- Burrows undermine sheds, decks, and foundations and damage gardens; entrance holes are a trip hazard.
- Why DIY falls short
- Burrows are extensive and animals return; simply filling a hole rarely resolves it.
- How we treat it
- Removal and exclusion of the burrow area, with barrier and grading guidance to prevent re-digging.
Woodchuck or skunk burrow?
Woodchuck burrows are large — typically ten to twelve inches across — with a conspicuous mound of excavated soil at the main entrance, and there are usually one or more concealed secondary entrances without mounds. Skunk holes are smaller with less spoil. Woodchucks are also active in daylight, while skunks are nocturnal.
The animal itself is unmistakable: heavy-bodied, grizzled brown, often seen sitting upright near the burrow or feeding in a garden.
Woodchucks in Central New York
Woodchucks are common throughout the region's agricultural and semi-rural areas, and they burrow beneath sheds, decks, porches, and barn foundations as readily as in open field. The structural concern is real: an extensive burrow system under a slab, shed, or foundation edge can undermine it over time, and burrow entrances near equipment paths are a genuine hazard on farm properties.
Garden damage is the more common complaint. They are strict herbivores and can strip a vegetable garden efficiently.
Exclusion works well for this species when done properly — burying fencing or barrier material below the burrow depth rather than simply blocking the visible entrance, which they will otherwise dig around or reopen.
Dealing with woodchuck (groundhog)?
Our wildlife removal handles it — guaranteed, family-owned, and local.
Woodchuck (groundhog) — common questions
Is a woodchuck burrow under my shed actually a problem?
It can be. Woodchuck burrow systems are extensive, and under a shed, slab, deck, or foundation edge they can undermine the structure over time. On farm properties, entrances along equipment routes are also a real hazard. It is worth addressing rather than ignoring.
How do you keep them from just digging back in?
Barrier material has to extend below burrow depth rather than simply covering the opening — an L-shaped buried apron is the usual approach. Blocking the visible entrance alone reliably fails, because they dig around it or open one of the concealed secondary entrances.