If you are a gardener in Louisville, you know the heartbreak of waking up to find your prize tomatoes or lettuce crop decimated. The culprit is almost always the Groundhog (also known as the Woodchuck).

These voracious eaters can consume over a pound of vegetation per day. But what makes them truly difficult to stop is their versatility: they are master excavators and surprisingly good climbers.

A standard rigid fence is just a ladder to a groundhog. To protect your garden, you need a specialized design that uses their own weight against them.

The “Floppy Top” Fence Design

This fence design relies on two principles: preventing digging underneath and preventing climbing over.

Materials Needed

• Chicken Wire (Poultry Netting): 1-inch mesh, at least 48 inches wide.
• Green Garden Stakes or U-Posts: 4-5 feet tall.
• Cable Ties or Wire: To attach the mesh.

Step 1: The Trench (Anti-Digging)

Groundhogs will try to dig under any barrier.

1. Dig a trench around your garden perimeter, about 12 inches deep and 12 inches wide.
2. Place the chicken wire in the trench so that it goes down 12 inches and then bends outward (away from the garden) another 12 inches, forming an “L” shape.
3. When the groundhog digs down, it hits the wire. When it tries to back up and dig, it hits the horizontal shelf. It cannot figure out how to get around this.
4. Fill the trench back in with soil.

Step 2: The Vertical Fence

Secure the next 2-3 feet of the wire mesh firmly to your posts. This creates the main barrier.

Step 3: The Floppy Top (Anti-Climbing)

This is the secret weapon.

1. Leave the top 12-18 inches of the chicken wire completely unattached to any posts.
2. The wire should be loose and flimsy.
3. You can even bend it slightly outward.

Why it works: When a groundhog climbs the fence, it feels secure on the rigid lower section. But when it reaches the top, the loose wire bends backward under the animal’s weight. The groundhog feels unstable and falls back to the ground. It cannot climb over because the top won’t support it.

Other Deterrents

While the fence is the best solution, you can supplement it with:

• Taste Repellents: Sprays containing capsaicin (hot pepper) or castor oil can make plants taste bad. These must be reapplied after every rain.
• Motion Sprinklers: Devices like the “ScareCrow” spray a jet of water when they detect motion.
• Habitat Modification: Remove brush piles and cover near the garden where groundhogs might hide.

When to Call a Pro

If you have a groundhog living under your shed, deck, or foundation, a fence won’t solve the root problem. The burrowing can cause structural damage. In these cases, trapping and permanent exclusion (trenching the structure) is necessary.

Critter Removal of Louisville specializes in groundhog removal and exclusion. We can remove the resident animals so you can garden in peace.