Best Groundhog Poison

17 min read| Updated for October, 2019

DID YOU KNOW?

Due to the large size of groundhog burrows, when they collapse they can cause huge amounts of damage to the foundation of your home.
If you notice one near your home, the best way to keep your home protected is to call a professional for removal.

The Best Groundhog Poison

If you’re dealing with burrows and a yard torn up by these animals, you’re probably wondering how to get rid of groundhogs (also known as woodchucks). There are a few options; you can live trap a groundhog, which can be tricky to do and requires you to relocate the animal quickly.

You could call pest control, but that can get expensive. If they’re causing costly damage and you just want them gone, poisons are another option, and usually an inexpensive one. We’ve researched and selected what we find are the best groundhog poisons on the market right now.

How We Found the Best Groundhog Poison

 

6 Reviewers

29 Products Considered

3 Products Reviewed

3 Top Picks

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BEST

Overall

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Kaput Pocket Gopher Bait

Pros

  • Easy to place in groundhog tunnels
  • Do not need a lot for larger yards
  • Does not cause a secondary reaction for dogs and cats

Cons

  • Reapplication may be required
  • Requires bait applicator
  • Some groundhogs may not eat

OUR VERDICT

Kaput Gopher Bait uses the most effective ingredient in the battle against groundhogs and makes application simple and easy.

Our Review

Like many other products, Kaput Pocket Gopher Bait uses diphacinone as the active ingredient. Diphacinone makes this product ideal for all burrowing rodent species and works to attract the pests so they want to eat the poison. Place the pellets inside the tunnels and around your property and let nature take its course.

It can take several weeks to drive groundhogs out of your yard and stop them from building new tunnels. Re-application may be necessary in certain situations.

Rat poison works for groundhogs and it is legal depending on state law. Wear gloves when applying bait.

BEST

Runner Up

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Bonide Moletox Mole and Gopher Killer

Pros

  • Budget-friendly
  • Well-rated for effectiveness
  • Delicious bait
  • Useful on warfarin-resistant animals
  • Plenty of bait per container

Cons

  • Must use caution regarding children and pets
  • Appealing bait for dogs if left out

OUR VERDICT

An especially delicious lure make this one of our top picks for groundhog poisons. This bait uses a natural ingredient in a groundhog’s diet to draw them in.

Our Review

Moletox Mole and Gopher Killer poison is crafted with the powerful active ingredient zinc phosphide (2.0 percent). One teaspoon can treat each active woodchuck burrow. The container is smaller than some, but there is still plenty of poison in one package. We love the low cost of this groundhog and gopher killer and found it successful if poison was placed in each fresh tunnel or groundhog burrow.

This rodenticide uses cracked corn as the lure, which makes for an exceptionally tempting bait to groundhogs. Woodchucks most often live on a diet of grasses and vegetables at ground level. So, the vegetable-based lure is irresistible to a hungry groundhog. Eliminating groundhog food sources as much as possible and cutting your grass shorter while setting out this poison can be extra useful.

One container offers a full pound—plenty of supply to take care of groundhogs. Be sure to wear gloves while issuing the poison and when disposing of dead rodents. As mentioned, the lure is actual food (cracked corn) so use extreme caution regarding pets and kids.

BEST

Peanuts

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No products found.

Identifying Groundhogs and Their Burrows

Groundhogs (or woodchucks) tunnel roughly two to four feet underground. Their burrows can range up to 15 to 25 feet long. A groundhog’s underground home will usually include two to five entrances that measure around six to eight inches. You will see a fresh mound of earth around them in most active groundhog openings.

If you’re unsure whether it’s a groundhog or a mole, groundhogs can be identified by larger heads and bodies and will often burrow near trees or foundations of buildings. A groundhog will tend to measure about 15 to 20 inches in length and have grayish-brown fur with both a stout body and legs. Groundhogs tend to emerge and eat in the early morning and in the evening hours. Moles tend to have narrower faces.

What is in a Groundhog’s Diet?

A groundhog will consume almost any edible fruit, vegetable, legume, or grass it can reach. This can cause expensive damage to farm crops and residential gardens and in a short time. These large rodents primarily eat greens, lettuces, berries, and vegetables such as carrots or corn, they will also consume worms, grubs, and even snails.

How to Kill a Groundhog

Making food as scarce as possible will help lure a groundhog to poison bait. This isn’t always doable in places such as farms. However, if you have a garden and can harvest a lot of the food within reach of a groundhog, and cut your grass short before setting bait, it will leave them fewer options for food. This will make lure bait poison more appealing.

Setting Bait Poison

Once you’ve identified a woodchuck burrow, use disposable gloves to place your bait. Be sure you follow all of the instructions for your selected product carefully. Generally, you can insert the poison deep into the opening of the burrow (use caution, a flashlight is a good idea).

Another option is to follow the direction of the tunnel a couple of feet and poke a small hole in the roof of the burrow, pour or place the bait inside, and then close the roof hole with a rock or sod.

Using Caution

It’s vital to use extreme caution when using groundhog poison. Keep it out of reach from any children, neighbor kids or dogs, and pets of your own. Most rodenticides can make people and pets either very ill or cause death if consumed. So, wear gloves, and dispose of dead rodents quickly, as the poison will still be in the body.

Follow your local health laws for getting rid of dead animals. If you have cats or dogs, it’s vital to dispose of the dead animals immediately, as the poison will still be in their body. Having your own animal get near to investigate is not something you want to happen.

Summary

Groundhogs can cause expensive damage to not only crops and gardens, but also to decks and the foundation under your porch or homes without basements. They’re not just a nuisance in the yard, this can cause problems with underground wires and plastic pipes.

It’s imperative to take care of a groundhog problem quickly. You can always try out live traps or call a professional. However, if your resources are tight or you aren’t home often enough to humanely deal with a live trap, poisons are an affordable option. Furthermore, they can prevent thousands of dollars in damage.