do groundhogs eat bird seed

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Paula in Indian Head, Maryland, writes: “I have a chipmunk living under my house. I like them and think they are cute, but they are rodents. Should I plan to catch and relocate it or just leave it alone? I feed a lot of birds, so there is plenty of food, which is why he/she probably chose my house.”

Before we get to the issue of Chippy, we have to address your spilled birdseed, which has the potential to attract lots of nastier rodents, like mice, rats and garden-destroying voles. Using feeders that spill seed — which is all of them once evil squirrels get involved — is asking for serious vermin trouble.

Oh, and the Humane Society specifically asks that people not put out seed at this time of year so that baby birds can learn to find their own food in the wild.

“I have used motion-activated sprinklers and Deer Off to repel them, but the eviction is usually temporary. Be careful when releasing them, as they have sharp teeth and claws.” Get the groundhogs trapped and seal the den if there are any close by; otherwise, your gardening neighbors will have an endless task to complete. ”.

Diane in College Park included a link to a brief but informative article from the Maryland State Extension that describes how to successfully “live-trap” a groundhog, including the great bit of advice to only leave the trap out during the day to avoid catching “non-target” nocturnal animals like the possums, raccoons and skunks I caught not knowing this.

Oh, and in order to allow young birds to learn how to find food on their own in the wild, the Humane Society expressly requests that people refrain from planting seeds during this time of year.

Prior to tackling Chippy’s problem, we must deal with your spilled bird seed, which could draw in a variety of more obnoxious rodents, including mice, rats, and voles that ruin gardens. If you use feeders that leak seed (which they all do once nefarious squirrels get involved), you’re inviting major trouble from rodents.

From Indian Head, Maryland, Paula writes: “My house has a chipmunk living under it.” Although I find them cute and endearing, they are rodents. There’s plenty of food here because I feed a lot of birds, so it probably picked my house because of that. Should I plan to catch and relocate it, or just leave it alone? ”.

Yes! Groundhogs love grains and seeds.

In addition to fruits, grains, and vegetables, groundhogs will even nibble on tomatoes or tomato plants. They also like peas, carrots, lettuce, alfalfa, and other plant foods. They also like apples and berries.

Although they can scale trees to get fruit, groundhogs would rather eat on the ground.

Groundhogs also like to eat leftovers from human meals. They’ll even eat leftover peanut butter or bread. But, they don’t like anything spicy.

They prefer fruits and vegetables that aren’t spicy. In particular, they don’t like asparagus or peppers. But they’ll eat other vegetables.

In addition to grains and seeds, groundhogs also like nuts. In the fall, they will raid bird feeders and eat nuts.

Groundhogs also eat a wide variety of root vegetables. These include beets, carrots, and potatoes.

Do groundhogs eat from my bird feeder?

Make sure your birds have enough food if you want to prevent groundhogs from stealing from your bird feeder.

Because they enjoy eating sunflower seeds, groundhogs frequently raid bird feeders. They enjoy nuts as well, and in the fall you can find them under trees. But fruits and veggies are the foods they adore the most.

If you wish to keep groundhogs out of your yard, use a bird feeder with tightly fitting seeds to prevent spills onto the ground.

do groundhogs eat bird seed

Although they primarily consume plants, groundhogs occasionally consume bird seed. Groundhogs are herbivores, but they also consume grass, fruits, vegetables, and bark from trees.

They will also eat other animals like worms, beetles, small birds, and their eggs on rare occasions. Moreover, groundhogs are known to destroy trees and flowers.

The diet of groundhogs differs depending on their location. In the summer, they eat mainly fruits and vegetables. In the spring, they feed on flowers. Their incisors stay in good condition because of this constant feeding.

Because they must eat frequently to stay healthy, groundhogs will probably consume other foods near a bird feeder, such as fruits and a variety of vegetables.

FAQ

What is groundhog favorite food?

Most Common Groundhog Meals Primarily, groundhogs eat grasses, clover, alfalfa, and dandelions. In addition, groundhogs like to eat garden fruits and vegetables like berries, apples, lettuce, corn, and carrots.

Do groundhogs eat birds?

DID YOU KNOW? Groundhogs remove an average of 275 pounds of rock and soil to build their burrows. Their burrows are also used as homes for other animals including skunks, foxes, weasels, opossums, and rabbits. Though their diet mostly consists of vegetation like grasses and fruit, groundhogs can also eat young birds.

Can you sprinkle bird seed on the ground?

You really don’t need to use anything when feeding the birds. I feed multiple birds and many of them are ground feeders. I broadcast the seed much like you do for feeding chickens.

What do groundhogs eat out of your yard?

Types of Food Groundhogs are primarily herbivores and rely on typical garden crops; however, they will sometimes feed on some insects and worms: Greens like lettuce, alfalfa, clovers, dandelions, daisies, red mulberry and hackberry leaves. Trees (specifically bark and twigs) like black cherry and dogwood.