Groundhogs eat everything they find in your yard, and even your Marigolds are not safe from these tricky animals.
Due to the toxic compound Pyrethrum in Marigolds, Groundhogs usually avoid this flower if other food items are available.
So, go through this complete article to know about Groundhogs and the failproof tips to get rid of them from your garden.
Table of Contents Show
What Do Groundhogs Eat?
Basically, Groundhogs are herbivorous and feed on various items like grasses, clovers, small insects, etc.
Moreover, these little animals love to eat most plant items like leaves, soft stems, fruits, and flowers.
As they do not depend upon particular food to survive, you can find them eating anything that’s available in your vegetable gardens.
Thus, your vegetable garden is at risk of these cunning animals in every season.
However, Groundhogs are not active during winter as they hibernate. So, they collect foods like corn, nuts, stems, fruits, etc., and store them in their burrows.
Thus, Groundhogs eat almost all food varieties, like flowers, berries, apples, lettuce, carrots, grasshoppers, snails, etc., to live.
They also feed on flowers like sunflowers, daisies, Dandelions, etc. These flowers contain fats, proteins, fiber, and vitamins that make Groundhogs healthy.
Do Groundhogs Eat Marigolds?
No, Grounds do not eat Marigolds as much as nuts, berries, and grasses, but they eat flower petals during the scarcity.
However, marigold contains essential oil with strong scents that deter many herbivores, including Marigolds.
Moreover, Marigold petals are toxic to Groundhogs, and excessive consumption can cause serious stomach upsets, diarrhea, vomiting, etc.
Meanwhile, this does not mean that your Marigolds are safe from Groundhogs. They can still attack your Marigold garden if other food items are unavailable.
Furthermore, Groundhogs can also eat marigold petals if they are adaptive to this flower. The petals also contain nutrition that is essential for the growth of Groundhogs.
How To Prevent Groundhogs From Eating Marigolds?
As animals like dogs, foxes, wolves, etc., are the predators of Groundhogs, you can use decoys to scare them away from your garden.
If these do not work, mix castor oil with water and spray on your Marigolds. Castor oil works as a good deterrent for Groundhogs.
- Plant your Marigolds in pots instead of planting them directly on the grounds, and keep the pots about 18 inches high.
- If you plant them on the ground, use physical barriers like fencing to avoid Groundhogs.
- However, Groundhogs are burrowing animals, so if barriers do not work, use Marigold companion plants like Daffodils, peppermint, Garlic, etc.
- You can also scare Groundhogs with moving objects and loud noises.
- Plant other food sources around Marigolds to make Groundhogs avoid Marigolds. However, if the food sources attract too many Groundhogs, you have to remove them.
- Groundhogs burrow in your yard and stay there to get food continuously. So, fill the burrows to make them difficult to come out constantly.
- If any methods do not work, sprinkle some ammonia, as the strong scent will surely deter Groundhogs.
If Groundhogs are a serious problem in your yard, you must contact the professionals who remove wildlife to get rid of these animals.
Moreover, make sure what’s eating your Marigolds, as Groundhogs do not particularly prefer Marigolds. There may be other culprits, too.
From Editorial Team
Other Tips!
As Groundhogs prefer other food sources rather than Marigolds, remove all the fallen fruits and nuts to make them avoid your yard.
Additionally, if you own pets like dogs or cats, they can be the perfect choice to scare Groundhogs away from your garden.
Also, if you are using Marigolds only for decorations, you can replace this flower with other beautiful varieties like Roses, Lilies, etc.
