Pest Management Professional, June 2014

W oodchucks are short stocky ground squirrels that weigh an average of 5 to 10 lbs Their dark brown tail contrasts with the light brown fur on their body Their front feet have long claws that allow them to excavate burrows as long as 66 ft They have two kinds of den entrances The main entrance has a porch which consists of excavated soil pushed out in front of it and hidden escape holes which lack the soil porch of the main hole Entrances range from one for newly constructed dens and as many as five for older dens 5 methods to control woodchucks Stephen M Vantassel CWCP They prefer to live in fields bordered by woods Humancaused changes in habitat have allowed woodchucks to extend their range westward into the Great Plains They emerge from hibernation in February or March Mating occurs in March or April and females give birth to two to four young 32 days later Young disperse to find their own homes in July Woodchucks harm property by undermining levees foundations and pools because of burrowing ravaging gardens because of their need to put on hibernation fat and damaging tree bark which reduces fruit tree production because of their marking behavior Control strategies Exclusion Fences provide the best way to protect gardens sheds and decks Select half inch hardware cloth that has been galvanized after the weld Garden fences should be at least 4 ft tall and include a 90 bend consisting of a 12 in wide apron buried 2 in below the soil surface and extending outward from the vertical fence The apron prevents woodchucks from burrowing under the fence Because woodchucks also climb one might need to extend the fence higher or add a 45 angle overhang Use similar principles for protecting decks and sheds Remind customers this screening will prevent skunks from taking up residence Repellents Research by Purdue Universitys Dr Rob Swihart found that spraying trees with bobcat Lynx rufus urine reduced woodchuck gnawing damage to those trees by 98 percent The treatment was effective for as long as 93 days Other researchers have found that spraying a single strand rope fence with bobcat urine could reduce woodchuck damage by 90 percent Cage trapping Woodchucks can be trapped in double door minimum size 8x8x30 in or singledoor traps minimum size 10x12x32 in Use double door traps when you have access to den entrances Barricade them in a manner so that as the woodchuck emerges from the den the only light it sees is through the trap Ideally double door traps should be set at night If that isnt possible place a baited trap nearby in case the woodchuck was outside the den when you set the doubledoor trap Single door traps should be baited with apples romaine lettuce cantaloupe and professional lures and baits Place traps along trails or areas where woodchucks frequent the property Keep bait fresh and be patient because woodchucks often avoid new objects for a few days Be sure technicians can handle skunks that might be caught Fumigants Charcoal sulfur cartridges are registered for use on woodchuck dens away from structures These cartridges are effective when these three best practices are followed 1 Locate all the den entrances starting with the main entrance the one with the porch Walk in concentric circles emanating away from the first hole out to a distance of no more than 100 ft Watch where you step because you can easily twist an ankle falling into an escape hole As a general rule escape holes are within 50 ft of the first hole but search the extra distance to be sure 2Tape a fumigant cartridge to the end of a 2 to 3 ft long stick for every hole The stick allows you to place the cartridge deep into the burrow so you wont bury it when you backfill the hole Continued on page 18 www mypmp net Pest Management Professional June 2014 17