• quote
  "Having an issue with animal(s) in my garden. A ground hog took up residence in a burrow just outside my garden. So last week I believe I took care of the burrow. There are no signs at the borrow entrances. I found two and I blocked them off, no new signs that he burrowed our elsewhere. One exit was in my garden and was certain he was eating my bounty. The garden

is surrounded by an 18 inch electric fence. Five days later, went away for the weekend, came back and my acorn squash is being decimated, whatever it is is eating all the leaves. So do you think it's still the ground hog or is it deer? Thoughts?"I doubt an 18" electric fence will stop anything more than an unsuspecting dog.

Not sure what you mean by "took care of" but I will say that my experience is they will remove or tunnel around any obstructions. They certainly won't suffocate.

Also they usu. have families meaning there is more than one. They sell smoke bombs to use in their tunnels best used after sundown as they will be in there. I know Home Depot sells them but not at every store, so ask, or check with a garden center.

I usu put a board or something over the hole to see if it was moved. Filling in the holes does help to keep other rodents from moving in and helps you to realize when they have returned. Maybe not until next spring but you can be sure some long lost cousin will find this residence next spring.

I grow broccoli so I can tell when another has arrived.

I get another every other year it seems and have found the holes in new and diff locations. I am sure the tunnels are connected tho. They do dig awfully fast.

HTH

• quote
  "Having an issue with animal(s) in my garden. A ground hog took up residence in a burrow just outside my garden. So last week I believe I took care of the burrow. There are no signs at the borrow entrances. I found two and I blocked them off, no new signs that he burrowed our elsewhere. One exit was in my garden and was certain he was eating my bounty. The garden

is surrounded by an 18 inch electric fence. Five days later, went away for the weekend, came back and my acorn squash is being decimated, whatever it is is eating all the leaves. So do you think it's still the ground hog or is it deer? Thoughts?"I doubt an 18" electric fence will stop anything more than an unsuspecting dog.

Not sure what you mean by "took care of" but I will say that my experience is they will remove or tunnel around any obstructions. They certainly won't suffocate.

Also they usu. have families meaning there is more than one. They sell smoke bombs to use in their tunnels best used after sundown as they will be in there. I know Home Depot sells them but not at every store, so ask, or check with a garden center.

I usu put a board or something over the hole to see if it was moved. Filling in the holes does help to keep other rodents from moving in and helps you to realize when they have returned. Maybe not until next spring but you can be sure some long lost cousin will find this residence next spring.

I grow broccoli so I can tell when another has arrived.

I get another every other year it seems and have found the holes in new and diff locations. I am sure the tunnels are connected tho. They do dig awfully fast.

HTH

• quote
  "Having an issue with animal(s) in my garden. A ground hog took up residence in a burrow just outside my garden. So last week I believe I took care of the burrow. There are no signs at the borrow entrances. I found two and I blocked them off, no new signs that he burrowed our elsewhere. One exit was in my garden and was certain he was eating my bounty. The garden

is surrounded by an 18 inch electric fence. Five days later, went away for the weekend, came back and my acorn squash is being decimated, whatever it is is eating all the leaves. So do you think it's still the ground hog or is it deer? Thoughts?"I doubt an 18" electric fence will stop anything more than an unsuspecting dog.

Not sure what you mean by "took care of" but I will say that my experience is they will remove or tunnel around any obstructions. They certainly won't suffocate.

Also they usu. have families meaning there is more than one. They sell smoke bombs to use in their tunnels best used after sundown as they will be in there. I know Home Depot sells them but not at every store, so ask, or check with a garden center.

I usu put a board or something over the hole to see if it was moved. Filling in the holes does help to keep other rodents from moving in and helps you to realize when they have returned. Maybe not until next spring but you can be sure some long lost cousin will find this residence next spring.

I grow broccoli so I can tell when another has arrived.

I get another every other year it seems and have found the holes in new and diff locations. I am sure the tunnels are connected tho. They do dig awfully fast.

HTH

• quote
  "Having an issue with animal(s) in my garden. A ground hog took up residence in a burrow just outside my garden. So last week I believe I took care of the burrow. There are no signs at the borrow entrances. I found two and I blocked them off, no new signs that he burrowed our elsewhere. One exit was in my garden and was certain he was eating my bounty. The garden

is surrounded by an 18 inch electric fence. Five days later, went away for the weekend, came back and my acorn squash is being decimated, whatever it is is eating all the leaves. So do you think it's still the ground hog or is it deer? Thoughts?"I doubt an 18" electric fence will stop anything more than an unsuspecting dog.

Not sure what you mean by "took care of" but I will say that my experience is they will remove or tunnel around any obstructions. They certainly won't suffocate.

Also they usu. have families meaning there is more than one. They sell smoke bombs to use in their tunnels best used after sundown as they will be in there. I know Home Depot sells them but not at every store, so ask, or check with a garden center.

I usu put a board or something over the hole to see if it was moved. Filling in the holes does help to keep other rodents from moving in and helps you to realize when they have returned. Maybe not until next spring but you can be sure some long lost cousin will find this residence next spring.

I grow broccoli so I can tell when another has arrived.

I get another every other year it seems and have found the holes in new and diff locations. I am sure the tunnels are connected tho. They do dig awfully fast.

HTH

My first thought is whatever it is would need to have a cast iron mouth, squash leaves are so prickly! I would still suspect the groundhog, because even though it may have moved residence, it still knows where your garden is, and it has established that it's a good place to eat. They are incredibly persistent creatures. Since you have an electric fence already, maybe adding a fairly low strand will help? There are lots of other discussions about dealing with these guys... Good luck!

:)

Very smart pet groundhog at Davidsfarm

I used a smoke bomb in the burrow, and blocked the entrances. I can tell he isn't using the burrow and had hoped the smOke bomb took care of things, but obviously it hasn't cause I am losing the battle.

oic said the internet poster about the phrase "took care of".

You didn't mention TOD= Time of Day? so I'm left to assume it is possible they rest of the fam damily was NOT home?

See the BIGgest secret to solving these kinds of problems is "eyes" or seeing the culprit so you know what course of action you need to take.

I know I originally thought a deer was eating my broccoli until I saw with my own eyes the cute little pet in the video. They do have quite an appetite bc they have to eat enuff for the winter months too.

All of the rest is like throwing darts in the dark but harder.

Look for other signs or clues like footprints a deer might leave walking into the garden or scat any animal might leave after a BIG meal?

I have had many many issues this year with both groundhogs (4 adults with a total of 8 babies) and more deer than I can count or chase off. I really feel your pain.

First, I have to agree, there is not much your 18" fence is keeping out even if it is electrified. The groundhog is going under and the deer is probably not even having to jump much to get over it. My fence was up to my hip and very tight to the ground and the deer never touched it when hopping it and the groundhogs dig pretty far under it.

My guess is that it is the deer eating your squash. The groundhogs tend to only eat nice fresh tender new seedlings (at least in my garden). I had something start eating my summer squash leaves, but it stopped when I added my seconded tier to my fence a few weeks ago - extra tall (6ft) metal posts at the corners and middle strung with heavy twine every 4 inches. It has stopped the deer from jumping in and was a very cheap solution.

The groundhogs were a more difficult fix, but I had way more than you do. If you only have one, I would highly recommend getting a catch and release trap. We got one at Tractor Supply for $39. Took all of 10 min. to catch the first one once set- for very clever animals they are pretty stupid. We simply drove it to a nice location on the edge of a state park and let them go. We didn't move all of them, only the ones right near my garden, so I also had to beef up my fence. So like I said, if you only have one, you are very lucky!

Good luck.