The Best Way To Install A Garden Fence That Will Keep Groundhogs Out

Groundhogs (or woodchucks if you prefer) might be kind of cute to look at, but they are definitely not something you want in your yard. They will happily eat a wide range of plants and vegetables, and they'll dig holes in your lawn. Their burrowing can damage trees and undermine pergolas and sheds. They can even be a danger to foundations.

You could resort to poison, but that puts other creatures at risk and most people would rather not. The smell of some common herbs can help chase pesky groundhogs out of the yard, but it's difficult to protect a whole garden that way. The best solution is a permanent barrier. However, while there are a number of fence ideas to keep annoying animals out of your yard, most won't work with groundhogs because the tricky critters can not only burrow, but they can climb a bit as well. So, the best way to install a garden fence that will keep groundhogs out is to sink it below ground and also have a top that leans out. That way, they can't dig under or scramble over. Let's look at that in a bit more detail.

You can buy groundhog fencing from commercial suppliers, but it's not cheap, and it still needs to be put up. If you know the rule of thumb for easily installing fence posts, you can build your own. In addition to posts, you'll need some chicken wire or welded mesh. Some experts say holes should be no bigger than three inches, while others say two. It's probably better to go for the smaller gaps if it's readily available.

The fence should be at least three feet tall, but some recommend four feet. You'll need to dig a trench a foot deep, all the way along the boundary, and bury the mesh to that depth to prevent the groundhogs from burrowing underneath. At the top, you should leave an extra nine to twelve inches above the posts, then bend it outwards, like an inverted "L." This section doesn't need any support. In fact, it's better without it because groundhogs don't like to climb things that wobble around.

Job done. That's all it takes to build an affordable DIY garden fence that will keep groundhogs out. It should also stop rabbits and dogs and cats from around the neighborhood. If you make it more than four feet tall, it might even stop squirrels.