Groundhogs are large rodents with stocky bodies and short tails. They are primarily found on the east coast of North America, except in Florida. Groundhogs have a variety of habits, such as tunneling and foraging for food. It is not uncommon to find these animals burrowed on your property, especially in early spring. During their excavation process, they will dig deep tunnels that can cause significant damage to lawns, sidewalks, patios, and foundations. The following are five ways that groundhogs can damage your property:
1. Digging Trenches
The groundhog digs holes in your yard, garden, or dirt areas to look for food during the spring months. It can create problems when they dig under your foundation or wall, causing it to crack and crumble over time. It also causes concern when a groundhog burrows under a front porch, swimming pool, or other places where people spend large amounts of time. A groundhog burrowing under a porch can cause damage to the foundation and walls. Also, if homeowners have a swimming pool, they need to be aware of a potential hazard when the groundhog burrows under it. Burrowing in areas such as these can cause significant damage over time.
2. Chewing Important Aspects of Your Home
Groundhogs will often chew on things they find in their tunnels, such as tree branches and wood shingles. They may also gnaw on exposed wires, water pipes, and other too-big items to fit in their tunnels. A groundhog will typically try to put these items back where they came from, but they may not be able to do so. Groundhogs tend to throw these items around, causing damage. Also, if your house has wooden stairways or doorways with exposed boards, you need to be careful because a groundhog can chew on them, causing them to crack and split over time.
3. Damaging Your Yard
Groundhogs have a knack for moving rocks, small stones, sticks, and other objects. They will typically move things around their yard to make them look like there is more space than there is when in fact, their tunnels are nothing more than a few inches in diameter. When groundhogs move things around the yard, they are typically moving the objects to another area of the yard that has more greenery. Even though they aren’t trying to destroy your house or property, they may unintentionally damage it by moving things around.
4. Damaging Your Patio Tile
Groundhogs can chew on your patio tiles, causing them to crack and break. They may also gnaw at the bottom of your tile, which causes the grout between your tiles to crumble over time. It can make it challenging to keep clean and shine your patio tiles. Patio tiles are not cheap, and you may find it easier for you to replace the entire wall rather than replace damaged patio tiles in a specific area.
5. Attracting Rats
Rats are known to destroy property, so homeowners need to consider the danger rats pose. Groundhogs tend to attract rats and other small rodents who feed on them. They will also make their homes in the tunnels of groundhogs, so they may come into contact with these pests and carry diseases that can infect humans. Therefore, you should be very careful when having a groundhog living close to your home because it may attract rats and other vermin that can damage your property.
Groundhogs can damage your property if they burrow under it or gnaw on it. They are typically harmless, but homeowners need to be aware of the damage they can do over time. If you have a groundhog living in your yard, you should consider removing it as soon as possible to prevent them from doing any unnecessary damage.