What preparations does a groundhog make for winter?
In late summer they begin to put on weight in preparation for the move to their winter dens, often located in wooded areas. They hibernate from October through March. While hibernating, a woodchuck’s body temperature drops from 99°F to 40°F, and its heartbeat drops from 100 beats per minute to 4 beats per minute!
How does a woodchuck survive winter?
To survive the winter, they are at their maximum weight shortly before entering hibernation. When the groundhog enters hibernation, there is a drop in body temperature to as low as 35 degrees Fahrenheit, heart rate falls to 4–10 beats per minute and breathing rate falls to one breath every six minutes.
What do groundhogs eat during the winter?
A groundhog’s diet can include fruit, plants, tree bark and grasses. They are known for damaging crops and gardens and many consider them pests. Groundhogs don’t eat during hibernation. They use fat that they built up over the summer and winter month.
What food kills groundhogs?
JT Eaton 166004 709-PN Bait Block Rodenticide Anticoagulant Bait, Peanut Butter Flavor, for Mice and… This poison is simple and easy to use and works well to kill groundhogs that destroy your garden and yard.
Will human urine deter groundhogs?
Groundhogs do not like the smell of human urine. A gross, but highly effective repellent is to collect urine in milk jugs and pour a bit at the entrance to the burrow every few days.
What time of day do groundhogs come out?
Groundhog Behavior Activity: Groundhogs are diurnal (active during the day) from spring to fall. Most activity occurs during the early morning and early evening hours, at which groundhogs emerge from their burrows to gather food.
How do you know if a groundhog is active?
If you spot a mound of dirt or whole under your porch or at your shed first be certain it is an active den. The way to do this is by placing sticks at the entrance and check on it daily for at least 3 days. If the sticks have been walked upon or moved then your den is active.
What month do groundhogs hibernate?
Throughout the winter, they are inactive, their heart rates slow and their body temperatures drop to approximately 39-40 degrees Fahrenheit. So, exactly when do groundhogs hibernate? This is a several-month process extending from late October to early February, depending on their geographic location.
How many babies does a groundhog have?
Groundhog mating season is in the early spring and, after only a month-long pregnancy, mother groundhogs typically give birth to a litter of two to six blind, hairless babies. Young groundhogs are called kits, pups, or sometimes chucklings.