How to get a groundhog out from under a shed or porch

Before you can set out to control a San Bernardino groundhog that is taken up residence under your shed or under your porch you first of all need to find out what you can legally do in your jurisdiction and then, based on that information, you need to decide how you're going to handle the situation. You should also take advice from your local animal control about everything to do with the animals habits and what they recommend you do in your San Bernardino area to control it.

There are two basic options, the first is nonlethal, the second is lethal. The first usually starts with what is almost gentle harassment to encourage the animal to leave and this will actually work in the case of San Bernardino groundhogs about seven times out of ten simply because groundhogs do not like being around humans so if you are there twice a day harassing it gets the idea pretty quickly and moves on. However if gentle harassment doesn't work then the harassment escalates to full on annoyance, this type of harassment includes spreading both chemical and natural deterrents all around the place, digging up the burrows get at, laying wire mesh around it burrow so it can neither dig nor walk comfortably.

If serious harassment fails to convince the animals to move then the final resort is trapping and relocation but to trap a groundhog is rather difficult, they will not go near anything which smells of humans so you have to make sure the trap is thoroughly washed with non-perfumed soap. The best bait for a trap is either cantaloupe or something you know the California animal is already eating around the area. In most areas your local animal control will take possession of an animal you have trapped, as long as trapping it was legal, but do not think they will relocate it, in most cases San Bernardino animal control will euthanize the animal.

And this is a final option for getting a California groundhog out from under a porch or from under a shed, I have heard people advocate sitting outside, waiting for the animal to appear, and then shooting it, do not do this, it is a felony, if you have to kill a San Bernardino groundhog make sure it is legal or get the authorities to do it for you then you are safe and the groundhog is gone.

To learn more about our services, visit the San Bernardino wildlife removal home page.