Sometimes We Have Our Own Groundhog Issues
Today, Dominic (Frontline Animal Removal’s computer guy) got in on the groundhog removal action as he (very unexpectedly) saw a groundhog walk into his own Akron garage.
We hope you’ll enjoy this story as it underscores that nuisance animal problems don’t discriminate and show up in random ways.
A Groundhog Walked Into My Garage????
So there I am standing in the kitchen talking on the phone. It’s 12:30 or so in the afternoon. I had finished mowing the lawn, weed whacking, etc. about 15 minutes ago and hadn’t yet put my tools away. Both garage doors are open. I came inside for a drink and got sidetracked.
So as I’m standing there in the kitchen talking on the phone, I look out and see an animal in front of my detached garage. I think its got to be that mangy cat I just saw spray the neighbors’ bushes while I was mowing…you know the one who’s been stalking around here lately that I think is going to find the baby bunnies that are tucked in a hole in my front yard.
But in an instant, I recognize it’s not that cat. No way…that’s a groundhog! And not only is it in front of the garage, it just walked into it!
I quickly pressed the buttons for the garage door openers. The doors go down slowly giving it plenty of time to bail out…but he doesn’t. It’s still in there. I’ve just trapped a groundhog in my garage!
I shout to my wife and she’s rightfully dubious. “Are you sure?” she wants to know. No doubt about it, I tell her.
Where Did the Groundhog Come From?
Honestly, I was as surprised as her that I had a groundhog in the garage.
While many neighborhoods here in the Akron, Canton, Kent area have lots of groundhogs, ours just doesn’t.
We live in the Firestone Park neighborhood of south Akron. Our lot is 40′ by 120′ and there are 26 or 27 single family homes on our block. We all have small yards. And, we are surrounded by similar blocks on all sides.
While there are loads of squirrels, a bunch of rabbits, many raccoons, and an occasional opossum, it’s honestly not ideal groundhog habitat at all. In fact, I’ve probably only seen a couple in the neighborhood proper over the last decade.
It just goes to show that in our urban and suburban environments, there is more wildlife than we realize.
How Do I Trap a Garage Groundhog?
Having trapped the groundhog in the garage, the obvious question is how am I going to get it out.
I quickly formulate a plan.
I’ll set a trap by one edge of one of the overhead garage doors, block off the remainder of that door, and then open the door slightly. The groundhog will see one opening and it’ll walk out that way through the trap.
Sounds pretty simple, but I am trapless. I give Ryan a call to see where he’s at. I’m in luck. He is coming up I 77 from Canton en route to a job in the Portage Lakes area. Of course, he’s got a trap and he’ll be there in ten minutes.
So far so good. Next I need to find something to block the rest of the door with. Again, I’m in luck, as I’m able the scrounge some cardboard pieces, a longer 4″ by 4″ and some bricks from around my and my neighbor’s garage. This material should make a nice block for the lower part of the garage door not covered by the trap.
Ryan shows up quickly and we put the plan into action.
Here’s what the set-up looked like. (Clicking the picture will enlarge it)
You can see the trap and nose cone courtesy of Ryan and the blocking materials found around the outside of the garages.
We open the garage door slightly. It’s 1:00 PM. Now the wait.
Ryan leaves for the next job promising to send me a hefty bill. I head back into the kitchen and watch.
Well, the wait was less than ten minutes. Apparently, the groundhog did not get too comfortable in the garage and came out quickly. Here is the video of the capture. Sorry it’s a little grainy as its behind the kitchen window screen.
There you have it.
Never before has a topic for a blog post just walked into my garage.
Luckily, I had access to the tools to help me solve this groundhog situation.
Speaking with my neighbors later, they stated that something has been eating items their garden recently…maybe it was this groundhog. Our raised beds haven’t been touched so far and, luckily, we’ve given ourselves some insurance that they won’t by removing this groundhog from the neighborhood.
For help with your groundhog issues in the Akron, Canton, Kent, OH area give us a call today!
