Groundhog's Day

By the time you read this, Phil will have made his prediction. For all our sake, we hope it is for an early spring.  In the midst of winter, Groundhog’s day is a fun diversion and reminds us spring is on the way sooner or later. Some 40,000 make the trek to Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania to witness this yearly event dating back to the 1800’s. Punxsutawney Phil has met Oprah Winfrey, President Reagan, Governors Thornburg and Rendell, and in 2001, his prediction was broadcast live to New York City’s Times Square. Fun as Phil is, groundhog’s day is folklore.

Here are some facts about the groundhog, and how to manage the furry creature once he makes an appearance in your yard.

Marmota monax, the groundhog, also known as the woodchuck, is a chunky creature weighing up to 10 lbs. Its length ranges sixteen to twenty inches plus the tail, four to seven inches. While open farm land is their first choice, the groundhog has made a comfortable home in the suburban landscape where plenty of food and shelter make life easy for them. Often a groundhog will construct its burrow along stone walls, at the base of trees, and even along a foundation.

Groundhog burrows can be identified by the large mound of excavated earth at the main entrance. On this mound, which is constantly renewed by debris from within, the groundhog frequently sits to look for danger. The entranceway is 10 to 12 inches in diameter, and they also have secondary entrances. These tend to be hidden and dug from below so mounds are not seen.

The groundhog can be the bane of most homeowners. The animal’s feeding and burrowing habits conflict with human interests. Damage often occurs on farms, in home gardens, orchards, nurseries, and around buildings.  Damage to crops such as alfalfa, soybeans, beans, squash, tomatoes, and peas can be costly and extensive. A homeowner may lose his or her entire tomato patch. Fruit trees and ornamental shrubs may be damaged by a groundhog as they gnaw on woody vegetation. Mounds of earth from the excavated burrow systems and holes formed at burrow entrances present a hazard to farm equipment, animals, and humans. On occasion, burrowing can weaken building foundations.

In Pennsylvania, groundhogs are classified as game animals. Game protection is removed when they damage personal property. In that case, groundhogs can be controlled by the property owner using the lawful means. If a homeowner does not feel comfortable with any means of control, there are many wildlife pest control companies who can do this for you.

If the area is small, poultry wire or two inch woven mesh fencing can be installed. With three foot minimum above ground, the fence should have twelve inches buried in the ground, with six inches bent in an L shape pointing away.
Scarecrows can provide temporary relief from groundhog damage. Move them regularly and incorporate a high level of human activity in the susceptible area.

There are no repellents or toxicants that are for use on groundhogs. There are other products such as fumigants and gas cartridges available at home and garden centers which are labeled for use on groundhogs. Please carefully follow the directions as these are dangerous products.

There are live traps the homeowners can use as well. Place the trap near fresh damage or at the main entrance of the burrow. Use fresh bait such as apple slices, carrots, and lettuce. Be careful once the animal is trapped. Give some thought to a relocation area at least ten miles away and where the groundhog will not be the pest he was to you.

The Penn State Master Gardeners in Lackawanna County  have a free publication on groundhogs, contact us at (570) 963-6842 or email: LackawannaMG@psu.edu for a copy.


Steve Ward
Master Gardener Coordinator
Penn State Extension Lackawanna County

Garden Slugs, Yuck!!

If you prefer avoiding insecticides, and do not mind putting in early morning work time, you can trap slugs. Place scrap boards on the soil under plants and between garden rows. Each morning collect slugs from under the boards and put in a bucket containing soapy water. The slugs will drown and can be disposed of later. (Don't put slugs into your compost pile as they will become smelly.)

Yeasty odors attract slugs. Use yeast and water, or beer, as an attractant for slug traps. One trap design uses a coffee can in which a hole has been cut about one-third of the way up from the bottom. The can is buried so the hole is at ground level. Place about 2 inches of beer or yeast and water into the trap. Cover with the plastic lid to reduce evaporation and to keep out thirsty pets! Check and remove dead slugs daily, and replace the attractant every 4 days.

You can find answers to many gardening questions at our consumer horticulture web site: http://consumerhorticulture.psu.edu/, or contact your local cooperative extension office. In Lackawanna County ask for the Garden Help line at 963-6842 or email LackawannaMG@psu.edu


Terry Schettini, Extension Educator
Penn State Cooperative Extension in Lackawanna County

Purple Boxes and Emerald Ash Borer

Emerald ash borer (Agrilus planipennis) is an exotic, invasive wood-boring insect that is threatening to infest and kill all North American ash species from the genus Fraxinus, like Green Ash and White Ash (the more common ashes), as well as Black Ash and Blue Ash. The borer does NOT infest the unrelated American Mountain Ash, which is in the genus Pyrus. Government agency and Cooperative Extension staff have been monitoring the borer and trying to slow its movement across the USA since it was first sighted in Michigan in 2002. This week we would like to explain a bit about the purple monitoring boxes that you might see as you travel across the state and give you some tips on how you could help slow down the borer’s spread.

So, as for the boxes, we have been hearing some interesting stories about them. They range from “I have no idea what they do” to “they attract beetles that attack ash trees and kill the beetles.” To help clear things up below is some information from a blog maintained by Robert Hansen, Extension Forester, Tioga County Extension office. You can visit his blog at http://www.mypawoods.blogspot.com

The “Purple Boxes” are back in Pennsylvania’s landscape. Cooperating agencies have again hung the purple emerald ash borer “traps” in key areas of the state. Many of them are located along major roads and highways and parks (since people are one of the principle transporters of this insect). The traps are treated with a substance that attracts emerald ash borer to the trap where they get stuck on the sticky surface. Technicians will periodically check the traps for emerald ash borer adults.

Remember, these traps do not attract emerald ash borer into non-infested areas. The purpose of the traps is to determine if the insect is already present in the area. If you see these traps in your travels, please do not disturb them. They can best do their job if they are left undisturbed. And please encourage anyone who may mention them to you to please leave them alone.

If you suspect that you have seen emerald ash borer damage or an adult emerald ash borer, contact your local Cooperative Extension office, Pennsylvania Bureau of Forestry office or Regional Pennsylvania Dept. of Agriculture office. For more information on emerald ash borer go to http://bradford.extension.psu.edu/nresources/forestry.html and scroll down to the emerald ash borer photo and click there. The purple boxes are not control measures. Their purpose is not to kill the beetles. Their purpose is to monitor to see if the beetle is in the area.

To keep up with up to date happenings about emerald ash borer and other forest related topics, visit Hansen’s blog listed above.

Now, here are some tips on how you could help slow the spread of the borer …

• Do not move firewood. That is one of the primary ways the emerald ash borer moves into uninfested areas. Buy your firewood locally when you get to your campsite.
• Do not plant ash trees.
• Monitor ash trees on your property and be prepared to remove if them if they become unhealthy or infested. We recommend that you use a certified arborist in your area. For help in finding a certified arborist visit the website www.PATrees.org or call your local extension office.

Questions? Contact your local cooperative extension office. In Lackawanna County ask for the Garden Help line at 570-963-6842 or email LackawannaMG@psu.edu

Terry Schettini, Extension Educator
Penn State Cooperative Extension in Lackawanna County