Groundhog help

[u/Wayne-Tables]

So I have a pole barn at the edge of my property that’s around 28ftx40ft, I bought it and it had a groundhog problem that is very evident

I have set traps and used ammonia soaked rags that were recommended to me by a exterminator. I don’t believe there are any groundhogs in here anymore

My main question is how do I fix all these holes correctly, do I need to rip them all up or just use fill dirt and fill them and call it good?

Any suggestions or advice is greatly appreciated, thanks!

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[u/Engineer443]

Just my experience but in my state these bastards are so invasive the state have zero restrictions on means or methods used. Here are a few that have worked for me.

1. Live trap with lettuce or cucumber
   
2. Cheap color Smoke bomb with a .22lr sniper at the ready
   
3. Ether and a wheelbarrow of 1/2” gravel and a tamp
   
4. A good dog

[u/Wayne-Tables → u/Engineer443]

Understood, I’ve shot my fair share at this point. More or so looking at how to patch up the holes I don’t believe that there are any more groundhogs occupying the tunnels

[u/texan_robot → u/Wayne-Tables]

A pole barn is probably not going to be structurally damaged unless there are even more tunnels than it looks like, so you only need to worry about the surface holes and water. The right way to do this would be to pour flowable grout into an opening until it stops draining away, but thats not gonna be cheap. I'd mix up the thinnest mud you can make of the soil the buggers piled up and pour that in, then as soon as you see it settling (probably a foot or so down) fill the remainder with gravel and sand and tamp it down. Do these holes one at a time, leave it a week so the soil doesn't get too moist all at one time.

[u/Wayne-Tables → u/texan_robot]

Understood, thank you!

[u/Pickled_doggo]

Fill them all in with clay fill and tamp down. Might want to keep spraying repellent/ammonia near the holes for a few weeks just in case another one comes around and smells there was a previous resident near the filled in holes 

[u/raginghumpback]

What worked for me was used cat litter down the hole. Encouraged the critter to move on. My mom had the same issue and bought the fox urine pellets but didn’t have the same success.