Professional Groundhog Removal & Control

Protecting Your Property and Landscaping from Destructive Burrowing

Have you noticed large mounds of dirt appearing near your foundation, under your deck, or next to your shed? Are your garden vegetables disappearing just as they are ready to harvest? Groundhogs (also known as woodchucks) are relentless diggers and voracious eaters. Left unchecked, their extensive underground tunnel systems can severely undermine the structural integrity of your property, leading to cracked foundations, sinking driveways, and dangerous sinkholes in your yard.

We specialize in the strategic, humane trapping and complete exclusion of nuisance groundhogs, protecting your property from further costly damage.

At Evict 'Em, we specialize in the humane trapping, removal, and exclusion of nuisance groundhogs throughout Jackson, WI, Washington County, and the surrounding 30-mile radius.

The Evict 'Em Approach to Groundhog Removal

We don't just set a trap and hope for the best. We provide a comprehensive, start-to-finish solution to ensure your groundhog problem is solved permanently.

1. Advanced Property Inspection

Before we set a single trap, we conduct a thorough assessment of your property. We locate all primary and secondary burrow entrances—which can often be hidden in heavy brush or directly beneath structures. We also evaluate the extent of the damage to determine if the structural integrity of your patios, retaining walls, or outbuildings has been compromised.

2. Humane Trapping & Removal

Because groundhogs are strictly diurnal (active during the day), our trapping strategy is tailored to their specific feeding and movement patterns. We use heavy-duty, humane live traps positioned precisely along their travel paths and immediately outside active burrow entrances. We utilize specialized baits and camouflaging techniques to capture even the most cautious and trap-resistant groundhogs safely.

3. Property Damage Mitigation & Exclusion

Removing the current groundhog is only a temporary fix if the burrow system is left open, as other wildlife (like skunks, opossums, or new groundhogs) will quickly move in. To guarantee long-term protection, we provide robust exclusion services:

• Burrow Filling: Once we confirm the tunnel system is completely empty, we can safely fill and pack the entrances to prevent structural settling and deter future inhabitants.

• Exclusion Barriers: We can install or offer advice on the installation of exclusion barriers to keep the burrowing animals out of your vulnerable areas like decks, porches, and sheds.

Why Rely on Professional Groundhog Control?

• Prevent Structural Collapse: We address the problem before deep burrows cause permanent damage to your foundation or concrete slabs.

• Protect Your Landscaping: We stop groundhogs from treating your expensive gardens and ornamental plants like an all-you-can-eat buffet.

• Avoid Trap-Shy Animals: Our experienced techniques ensure the animal is caught quickly and humanely on the first attempt.

• Permanent Solutions: Our underground exclusion barriers guarantee that once they are gone, they stay gone.

Associated Diseases & Health Risks

While groundhogs are less notorious for spreading disease than some other nuisance wildlife, they still pose a notable health risk to humans, pets, and the structural integrity of your property.

• Rabies: Like any mammal, groundhogs are capable of contracting and transmitting the rabies virus. While less common than in raccoons or skunks, any groundhog exhibiting unprovoked aggression, lack of fear of humans, or severe lethargy should be considered a potential rabies vector.

• Tularemia: Also known as "rabbit fever," this is a bacterial infection that groundhogs can carry. It can be transmitted to humans and pets through direct contact with an infected animal, contaminated water, or via tick and deer fly bites.

• Parasite-Borne Illnesses: Groundhogs are frequent hosts for a variety of external parasites, most notably ticks and fleas. As groundhogs forage in your yard, these parasites can drop off into the grass, bringing the risk of secondary infections like Lyme disease and Powassan virus closer to your family and pets.

• Structural Hazards: While not a disease, the most significant risk groundhogs pose is to property. Their extensive excavation habits can undermine the soil beneath foundations, driveways, retaining walls, and patios, leading to expensive structural collapse and creating trip hazards in the yard.

Groundhog Biology & Behavior

Signs of a Groundhog Problem

Because groundhogs spend the majority of their time underground or hidden in dense vegetation, you might notice the damage they cause before you ever see the animal itself. If you suspect a groundhog has moved onto your property, look for these telltale signs:

• Distinctive Burrow Entrances: This is the most obvious sign of a groundhog. Look for large holes, typically 10 to 12 inches in diameter, accompanied by a large, crescent-shaped mound of excavated dirt right outside the entrance (often called a "porch").

• Strategic Hole Locations: Groundhogs prefer to dig where their burrows are protected from above. You will usually find these holes right up against your home's foundation, underneath wooden decks and sheds, or at the base of large trees and fences.

• Devastated Gardens & Landscaping: Groundhogs are voracious eaters. If you have sudden, severe damage to your vegetable garden, cleanly snipped plant stems, or entire rows of crops disappearing overnight (or during the day), a groundhog is a likely culprit.

• Structural Sinking & Cracking: As they excavate vast amounts of soil beneath your property, the ground above loses its support. Sinking retaining walls, cracked concrete patios, uneven driveways, or a hollow sound when walking over a slab can all point to an extensive tunnel system below.

• Chew Marks on Wood: Like all rodents, groundhogs have front incisors that never stop growing. To keep them filed down, they will occasionally gnaw on lower wooden structures, such as deck posts, siding, or low-hanging tree branches.

• Daytime Sightings: Unlike raccoons, skunks, or opossums, groundhogs are diurnal. If you have a groundhog problem, it is highly likely you will spot the animal foraging in your yard or sunning itself near its burrow during the early morning or late afternoon.

Ready to Evict 'Em?

Don't let groundhogs cause further damage to your most valuable investment. Trust the experts to handle it safely and professionally.

Why Choose Us?

• Local Expertise: Proudly serving Jackson and the greater Washington County area. We know the local wildlife and how to handle them.

• Technology-Driven: We use thermal imaging and endoscopes to find the animals that others miss.

• Humane Methods: We respect the wildlife we handle and prioritize safe, ethical trapping.

• Long-Term Solutions: We don't just treat the symptom; we fix the structural vulnerabilities to keep your home secure.

• Prompt Response: Text us and you will get a response quickly.

• 24/7 Service: Emergency service available

• Reasonable Rates: We will beat anybody's price.

The groundhog (Marmota monax), frequently referred to as a woodchuck, is a stout, large-bodied rodent belonging to the marmot family.

• Burrowing: Groundhogs are exceptionally powerful diggers. They construct complex, multi-chambered underground burrow systems that can span dozens of feet in length and feature multiple hidden entry and exit holes.

• Diet: They are voracious herbivores. Their diet consists primarily of grasses, clovers, ferns, leaves, and various fruits. They are notorious for devastating backyard gardens and agricultural crops in a short amount of time.

• Habits: Unlike raccoons, groundhogs are diurnal, meaning they are most active during the daylight hours, particularly in the early morning and late afternoon. They are also true hibernators, retreating to their deep winter burrows from late fall until early spring.

• Territory: They are generally solitary and highly territorial animals, fiercely defending their burrows from other groundhogs and potential predators.