Punxsutawney Phil – why is he so beloved?
If you have a backyard garden, you’ve no doubt had issues with woodchucks. Woodchucks are also known as groundhogs or whistle pigs (due to the loud shrill whistle they make when alarmed). While they are adorable little creatures who look so cute when they sit up and look around to get a better view point (perhaps of your garden), most gardeners see them as Elmer Fudd saw Bugs Bunny – "KILL THE WABBIT, KILL THE WABBIT!!". Unlike the famed Punxsutawney Phil who comes out once a year to see his shadow, your woodchuck probably makes an appearance a lot more often, and is not interested in his shadow but your delicious vegetable plants. So what can you do? Let’s start with some information about these furry, fat, ferocious eaters.
Woodchucks, (Marmota monax– part of the squirrel family), have short legs and chisel-like incisor teeth. Adults range from 16 inches to a bit over 30 inches in length, weigh five to 12 pounds and are generally solitary animals. They are diurnal (meaning that they forage in early morning and late afternoon, but are active during the day). Woodchucks depend on dew and plant moisture for their water intake and consume one to one and one half pounds of vegetation daily to prepare for hibernation.
Mating season begins when woodchucks emerge from hibernation in late February or early March. The gestation period is about 32 days, so in April or early May, litters are born, with an average of three to four young. By mid-June or early July, the young are off to establish their own territories – usually moving into abandoned dens. Woodchucks dig dens with many openings across their territory; this provides shelter for other animals that take up residence in abandoned dens, such as rabbits, skunks, fox, opossum and raccoon.
Woodchucks may have a life span of four to five years, however, due to predation and disease they usually only survive three years in the wild. The primary predators of the woodchuck are large birds of prey, foxes, coyotes, dogs and humans.
Prior to the arrival of European settlers, woodchucks stayed in the woods where there were wolves, cougars and lynx to keep their population in check. Once settlers came, cleared the land and removed the predators – the woodchucks moved in and multiplied. So basically…..we are to blame for our woodchuck problem.
Woodchucks are great climbers and swimmers. They are vegetarians with a preference for herbaceous plants such as clover, dandelion, grasses, perennial flowers (especially those with daisy-like blossoms); vegetables, and fruit. Woodchucks will climb trees to get at ripening fruit and sometimes chew on bark.
While woodchucks eat a wide variety of plants, they tend to avoid those that are strongly scented (many herbs, onions), or plants with fuzzy leaves, such as lamb’s ears and dusty miller. They will also avoid highly toxic plants such as foxglove and monkshood; these could be appropriate in gardens not visited by children or curious domestic animals.
To discourage these animals from moving into your yard, remove brush piles, debris, and other items that provide shelter. Use hardware cloth to screen outdoor crawl spaces and other areas under decks, porches and houses to keep them from burrowing underneath.
To ward off woodchucks from your garden, build a sturdy fence of hardware cloth at least four feet high. To prevent the animal from digging under the fence, the hardware cloth should be extended at least 12 inches from the base of the fence (like an L) and be buried a few inches deep. The top of the fence should curve outward, and the fencing should be loosely attached at the top to discourage the animals from climbing over. Make sure there are no gaps near gates that the animals could squeeze through.
Woodchucks habituate quickly to things placed in their territories. They will soon get used to noises or visual deterrents such as balloons or pinwheels.
Animal removal is usually a short term management option since burrows are frequently re-colonized after the resident woodchuck is no longer there to chase away intruders, and there are many young animals searching for homes each season. Nuisance woodchucks may be live-trapped in a large trap baited with vegetables such as cabbage, lettuce, apple slices or string beans and set near a burrow entrance. It is illegal to transport wild animals in New York State without a nuisance wildlife permit: you must hire a Nuisance Wildlife Officer to remove the animals from your property.
Pepe le Pew – heaven scent?
We’ve all smelt it…that horrible odor when a skunk has been startled by an animal or killed by a car that hangs in the air (hopefully not on your dog – if he was the attacker). While the scent of the skunk is not pleasant, these are generally mild mannered creatures, and don’t spend their lives looking to “spray” someone or something. The musky-sulfur scent is a defense mechanism for this sometimes misunderstood mammal.
Skunks (Mephitis mephitis) are part of the weasel family. Skunks are not true hibernators, but find a den where they will be inactive for the cold months. They breed in February through March; their young arrive in May through June after an eight to ten week gestation. Skunks produce litters of four to seven young.
Skunks are nocturnal, also foraging during the hours of dawn and dusk. However, new skunk mothers do forage during the day when they need to collect extra food to support growing young, and their dens may be more prone to predators at night, so she will stay with very immature young at night to protect them. When her young are about five to six weeks old, she will lead them out of the den to teach them how to hunt. When the young are weaned, after about eight weeks, the family goes back to foraging in the dark.
Skunks are nature’s pest control. They eat grubs, grasshoppers, cutworms, potato beetles, bees and spiders. But they also eat nestling birds, mice, cottontail rabbits, and the young of woodchucks and other mammals in burrows! Skunks may damage lawns when they dig for grubs and other insects. If it looks like a rototiller has gone through your lawn, you are probably looking at skunk damage. If you reset the grass plants and water them in well, the lawn may recover, but be prepared to reseed some spots.
Don’t assume that a skunk is rabid because it walks up to you. Skunks are very near-sighted, and spend most of their time with their nose to the ground searching for food. If you’re sitting quietly outside, they may not see you until they get very close. At that point they may raise their tail and stomp their front feet as a warning for you to go away. If you do not leave, the skunk will most likely do a stomp and charge motion to scare you away. They have also been known to do handstands as a scare defense. If it feels that it is in mortal danger it will turn its body in a U and spray its “predator” which causes nausea, and can burn the eyes and nasal cavities of its victim. Skunks have amazing aim, so heed its warning and leave when you first encounter it. Skunks have been protected under the Environmental Conservation act since late 1800’s.
In conclusion, while dealing with these animals, particularly the woodchuck, can be frustrating and annoying, they still serve a purpose in our delicate ecosystem. Doing our best to understand their habits, create barriers where needed, and practicing tolerance, is our best defense.
For more information, please check out the below sites.
http://wildlifecontrol.info/pubs/Documents/Woodchucks/Woodchuck_factsheet.pdf
http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/site/accounts/information/Mephitis_mephitis.html
http://www.nysipm.cornell.edu/
http://www.dec.ny.gov/animals/9353.html
You can always check with your local Cornell Coop for assistance with this and any other gardening questions you may have.
Happy Wildlife Gardening!
Laurie Lago Rispoli, Rockland County Master Gardener
