What is the best bait for trapping a groundhog?

Fresh cantaloupe is good. So are fresh vegetables like broccoli. Peaches work too. Groundhogs, while widely known as the determiner of the start of spring, are also very destructive to homes and properties if left alone. They often dig into the expensive landscaping and under garden fences where they will feast until removed. For this reason, many people attempt to trap groundhogs in order to eradicate them from their property. In order to do so, you first need to establish the best place to trap the groundhog. Has it burrowed in your garden, or near your house framing? Many groundhogs burrow under gardens, and are hard to locate between their many “pop up points,” much like in the movie Caddyshack. Before getting the bait prepared, you must decide where to place the trap based on the groundhog’s frequent hotspots, and then you can go grocery shopping for bait. Groundhogs will not just wander into an unbaited cage, after all.



Oddly enough, groundhogs don't go for traditional garden fare like rabbits do. Various pest removal companies recommend cantaloupe as their first line of groundhog defense. You should cut it up into small pieces and make sure rub the juice all over around and inside the cage. Groundhogs are attracted to the scent, and can’t resist a nice juicy cantaloupe. Many other people have reported success with peanut butter and corn, which is probably not normal bait material. In addition, sunflower seeds and broccoli are a hit among the groundhog population. String beans, peas, and lettuce also work, but groundhogs appear to have a sweet tooth. Strawberries, peaches, and even vanilla and vanilla extract have been credited with attracting a groundhog into a trap. Many gardeners cut up carrots, as they stay fresh longer, or provide apples or fruit from their orchards. Some homeowners have even been known to throw watermelon in the cages, or rub the juices around the cage to attract the groundhog. Really, groundhogs enjoy fruit. If you can, however, the experts say to always go for the cantaloupe first.

Learn more: What kind of noises and sounds do raccoons make?

If you do not want to place perfectly good food in your groundhog cage, many experts also say to place a trap that automatically closes next to a large plant or garden where the groundhog frequents. Especially in a garden, there is enough produce to entice a groundhog, and eventually it will stumble into your trap. It should also be noted that groundhogs don't wander far from their burrows, so if you need to set up a trail of bait from their burrow to the cage, that is always feasible without using too much food at the risk of attracting other pests. Most of the trouble with catching any pest comes from getting it out of its burrow or hole and into the cage. After you’ve accomplished that, the hard part is over!


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