Groundhog Removal and Control

Call Nuisance Wildlife at 717-732-8099 for a FREE Phone Consultation for immediate humane removal of groundhogs. We have the experience to safely remove groundhogs and keep them from coming in contact with you and your family.

Groundhogs, also known as woodchucks and whistle-pigs, are rodents belonging to a group of large ground squirrels known as marmots. They roam the country from Alaska to Alabama, leaving a trail of destruction in their wake.

Vegetarian by nature, they are happy to feed on your flowers and vegetable gardens or remains of fruits and vegetables in your refuse. It will also eat grubs, insects, snails and other small animals, causing damage to lawns. Being an excellent burrower, it prefers loose soil and will gladly live under your deck, shed, or shrubbery, venturing out onto your property to graze on the vegetation.

groundhog-removalAbout Groundhogs

Groundhogs are prey in the food chain, hunted by coyotes, fox, weasels, bobcats, hawks, eagles, owls and other predators. They breed in March and April and have litters of 2 to 6 pups, which leave the burrow at 5-6 weeks of age and set up their own housekeeping generally dispersing in July and August.

Groundhogs will burrow under porches, decks, sheds and crawlspaces, and in the ground. Their dens can be identified by the large mounds of earth by the burrow hole, which can be the size of a baseball or larger. They hibernate from November through March or April, often in a separate winter burrow dug under the frost line in a woody or brushy area.

Their short but powerful limbs and curved, thick claws are well adapted to digging. Despite their heavy, clumsy appearance the are excellent swimmers and tree climbers. They are alert, often standing erect on their hind feet watching for danger. When threatened or if their burrow is invaded, groundhogs will defend themselves with their strong front claws and two large incisors, making family pets, especially curious dogs, victims of groundhog bites or clawing. Additionally, those large incisors need to be kept sharp often by chewing hard material, such as your deck and support posts.

Groundhog Diseases

Groundhogs can carry rabies and parasites that can infect people and pets.

Professional Removal and Control of Groundhogs

Groundhogs should always be removed from the premises by trapping and disposal. Because all warm-blooded animals are potential carriers of rabies, the law demands that groundhogs be euthanized. Please call Harrisburg, PA based Nuisance Wildlife to safely remove groundhogs to protect you, your pets and property.

You should groundhog-proof your property to keep them away by:

  • Sealing all areas under decks, porches and sheds, and other areas where they could potentially burrow and makes their home
  • Do not put food into exposed compost piles

Service Areas

We offer nuisance wildlife removal and animal control within a 25 mile radius of Harrisburg PA. Your best choice when searching for “groundhog removal service near me” or “groundhog removal near me”.

Dauphin County

We offer groundhog removal and control in Dauphin County within a 25 mile radius of the Harrisburg area. Includes Lower Paxton Township, Middle Paxton Township, Susquehanna Township, Derry Township, Swatara Township, Lower Swatara Township, East Hanover Township, West Hanover Township, South Hanover Township, Londonderry Township, Mechanicsburg, Duncannon, Enola, Dillsburg, Carlisle, Camp Hill, New Cumberland, Lemoyne, Wormleysburg, Hershey, Marysville, Hummelstown, Steelton, Middletown, Highspire, and Halifax.

Cumberland County

We offer groundhog removal and control in Cumberland County. Includes East Pennsboro Township, Hampden Township, Lower Allen Township, Upper Allen Township, Middlesex Township, Silver Spring Township.

Perry County

We offer groundhog removal and control in Perry County. Includes Rye Township, Penn Township.

York County

We offer groundhog removal and control in York County. Includes Carrol Township, Newberry Township, Fairview Township, Monaghan Township.