Groundhog Digging Near Your Foundation This Fall? Here’s What Central PA Homeowners Should Know

If you’ve noticed a fresh dirt mound near your shed, deck, or foundation this fall, there’s a good chance a groundhog has moved in — and fall is exactly when they do their most damage. As temperatures drop, groundhogs (also called woodchucks) shift into hyperphagia: eating heavily and digging deeper, more extensive burrows to prepare for winter hibernation. For Central PA homeowners, that burrowing often happens in the worst possible places.

Groundhogs spend spring and summer building shallow feeding burrows, but by early fall they start excavating a deeper hibernation den — often a separate, more elaborate tunnel system that can run 4 to 6 feet deep and stretch 20-plus feet in length. Because a stable structure like a house foundation, shed base, deck, or porch provides natural cover and structural support, groundhogs frequently choose to dig their winter burrows directly beneath or alongside them. That’s when a minor yard nuisance becomes a real structural concern.

• A large mound of loose dirt at a burrow entrance, often near a foundation, deck, shed, or stone wall
• Multiple burrow openings connected by visible tunneling (groundhogs typically dig more than one entrance/exit)
• Chewed or flattened vegetation in a path leading to and from the burrow
• Settling, cracking, or soft spots in soil near a foundation or patio
• A stocky, brown animal seen waddling near the yard at dawn or dusk

If you’re seeing burrow activity now, it’s worth having it assessed before the den is fully established for winter.

Groundhog burrows create a few compounding problems for homeowners:

1. 1. Structural risk. Burrowing beneath a foundation, patio slab, or deck footing can undermine the soil supporting it, leading to settling or cracking over time.
   2. Attracting other wildlife. Abandoned groundhog burrows rarely stay empty — skunks, foxes, and even snakes commonly move into vacated tunnels, turning one problem into several.
   3. Damage to landscaping and gardens. Groundhogs are voracious eaters heading into hibernation season and can strip a vegetable garden or flower bed in a matter of days.

Groundhogs are persistent, strong diggers, and most homeowner-level solutions fall short:

• Repellents and sprays offer, at best, temporary deterrence and rarely address an established burrow.
• Filling in the burrow entrance without addressing the animal inside often just prompts the groundhog to dig a new entrance a few feet away — or dig out from underneath whatever was used to fill it.
• Relocation attempts can run into state wildlife regulations, and a burrow left behind will usually be claimed by another animal within weeks.

The more reliable approach is a proper wildlife exclusion process: confirming the burrow is vacated, then physically excluding the area so it can’t be reoccupied — by a groundhog or anything else.

Seeing burrow activity near your home right now? Contact ZWS Wildlife Solutions for an inspection before the den becomes a winter hibernation site.

At Zimmerman Wildlife Solutions, groundhog issues are handled the same way we approach every wildlife problem — as a full exclusion, not a quick trap-and-go fix. Our process typically includes:

• An on-site inspection to locate all active burrow entrances
• Confirmation that the burrow is vacated before any exclusion work begins by trapping and removing occupants
• Exclusion work around the structure designed to prevent re-entry by groundhogs or other animals that might otherwise move in
• Guidance on any landscaping adjustments that may reduce the odds of a repeat burrow next season

This same exclusion approach is what we use across our wildlife removal services, because sealing an animal out for good takes more than removing the one you can see.

Once a groundhog’s hibernation burrow is fully established for the season, it becomes a much bigger job to address safely and humanely. Acting while burrow activity is still fresh — right now, in early-to-mid fall — is the easiest window to resolve it before winter.

Notice a burrow near your foundation, shed, or deck? Schedule an inspection with ZWS Wildlife Solutions — trusted by Central PA homeowners since 2006.

Q: How do I know if it’s a groundhog burrow and not another animal?
A:  Groundhog burrows typically have one large main entrance (10–12 inches wide) with a prominent dirt mound, plus one or more smaller, mound-free “escape” entrances nearby. If you’re unsure, our wildlife removal FAQ covers how to identify common Central PA wildlife signs.

Q: Can a groundhog burrow really damage my foundation?
A:  Yes — burrowing beneath or alongside a foundation, patio, or deck footing can erode the supporting soil over time, leading to settling, cracking, or uneven surfaces.

Q: Is it safe to fill in a groundhog hole myself?
A:  Not without confirming the burrow is empty first. An occupied groundhog will usually just dig a new exit.