Groundhog Problem

[Bison]

Well I have a groundhog that has made its burrow in my back yard.  I'd just shoot the damn thing but shooting in city limits is appareantly frowned upon.  I'd poison the damn thing but it'd most likely go down the hole and die, which would cause a huge stink eventually as it decomposes.  I guess I need to hire someone to trap the thing.  What do they use for bait I wonder?

I don't want to even get on the topic of spiders.  They are EVERYWHERE in the yard and oak trees.

[junk2drive]

Spiders don't live without food. If you have lots of spiders, you have lots of bugs. Leave them alone or you will notice the increase in other bugs.

For the ground hog, didn't you watch cartoons? Lots of great ideas from Wylie Coyote...

[Staggerwing]

Well I have a groundhog that has made its burrow in my back yard.  I'd just shoot the damn thing but shooting in city limits is appareantly frowned upon.  I'd poison the damn thing but it'd most likely go down the hole and die, which would cause a huge stink eventually as it decomposes.

If the groundhog goes down his hole and you then fill the hole up I'm sure the stink would be minimal. I've buried several deceased cats over the years (one recently :() and I haven't noticed any strong smell. Just cover the hole with a rock if you're worried about other critters digging him up later. I'm not necessarily condoning poison mind you as it's liable to kill pets and could be dangerous to children.

I don't want to even get on the topic of spiders.  They are EVERYWHERE in the yard and oak trees.

You have my sympathies. I just found a spider under my washing machine lid. He was at least as big as a fig newton...

[Gusington]

I have a good friend who has trapped every type of conceivable varmint. I'll see him tomorrow and ask what he recommends.

From my experience if you cover up a groundhogs hole he will just dig one up somewhere else. I have a resident groundhog who lives at the top of my driveway near my mailbox. He leaves us alone, we leave him alone.

[mirth]

I could make some recommendations but I don't think they'd end well.



Just remember this -

A varmint will never quit - ever. They're like the Viet Cong - Varmint Cong. So you have to fall back on superior firepower and superior intelligence. And that's all she wrote.

[Silent Disapproval Robot]

My place is over-run with giant house spiders this year.  I've had one in the kitchen sink on 4 occasions in the last week and one in the shower almost every day.  I don't have a problem with spiders but man, there are a lot of them and these little guys are fast!  Wikipedia says they are the fastest spider known to man.

[mirth]

Spiders don't normally bother me, but that is one mean looking arachnid!

[LongBlade]

My place is over-run with giant house spiders this year.  I've had one in the kitchen sink on 4 occasions in the last week and one in the shower almost every day.  I don't have a problem with spiders but man, there are a lot of them and these little guys are fast!  Wikipedia says they are the fastest spider known to man.

There is only one solution - exterminatus.

More seriously those orb spinners eat tons of bugs (as noted above). Just be happy with it. Most of them build a web at night and take it down in the morning. They actually make fairly descent neighbors (considering they're spiders).

Folks around these parts just tolerate them. There are probably 30 spiders making a home around my front porch. I can't say I love it, but having gone the route of sweeping them out they just return in a matter of a week or two - and they eat all kinds of insects. Unless they pose a direct problem to getting out of the house I just leave them be.

I will relate that when Daughter #1 was heading off to kindergarten one Fall morning we exited the house and there was a fairly large orb spinner that had build a web between the trees directly in front of the front door. As I start calling out commands to halt she passed directly under the web and cleared it by less than two inches. More concerned for her mental health than any serious bites it still was an unfriendly wakeup call. Needless to say, that spider wasn't treated too gently despite the happy outcome (for us, not it).

[Steelgrave]

I could make some recommendations but I don't think they'd end well.



Just remember this -

A varmint will never quit - ever. They're like the Viet Cong - Varmint Cong. So you have to fall back on superior firepower and superior intelligence. And that's all she wrote.

I was SO waiting for this.....you never disappoint, Mirth! I knew this one was right up your ally, bro!

[Silent Disapproval Robot]

My place is over-run with giant house spiders this year.  I've had one in the kitchen sink on 4 occasions in the last week and one in the shower almost every day.  I don't have a problem with spiders but man, there are a lot of them and these little guys are fast!  Wikipedia says they are the fastest spider known to man.

There is only one solution - exterminatus.

More seriously those orb spinners eat tons of bugs (as noted above). Just be happy with it. Most of them build a web at night and take it down in the morning. They actually make fairly descent neighbors (considering they're spiders).

Folks around these parts just tolerate them. There are probably 30 spiders making a home around my front porch. I can't say I love it, but having gone the route of sweeping them out they just return in a matter of a week or two - and they eat all kinds of insects. Unless they pose a direct problem to getting out of the house I just leave them be.

I will relate that when Daughter #1 was heading off to kindergarten one Fall morning we exited the house and there was a fairly large orb spinner that had build a web between the trees directly in front of the front door. As I start calling out commands to halt she passed directly under the web and cleared it by less than two inches. More concerned for her mental health than any serious bites it still was an unfriendly wakeup call. Needless to say, that spider wasn't treated too gently despite the happy outcome (for us, not it).

Like I said, I don't have a problem with them for the most part.  They're more than welcome to live outside and even one or two inside is fine, but now that the weather's changing, they're all coming inside.  I found 4 in my living room this morning and if I can see 4, I guarantee there are a lot more.  I also saw one climbing through the screen on my PC van vent.  These guys are just big enough that I'm worried they can damage the PC when I power it up in the morning after they've decided to sleep on off on top of my toasty warm video card as it cools off overnight.

[LongBlade]

Yeah, that's no good with them making a home in your PC.

I'm happy to live with them outside, but I don't think I'd get an especially warm welcome in their web, and I generally return the favor when they enter my house.

[Gusington]

And a new sig is born.

Living in the woods I am at peace with most creatures. Except giant millipedes. Those bastards have to go.

[Staggerwing]

And a new sig is born.

Living in the woods I am at peace with most creatures. Except giant millipedes. Those bastards have to go.

How long do those things get?

[Silent Disapproval Robot]

[LongBlade]

And a new sig is born.

Living in the woods I am at peace with most creatures. Except giant millipedes. Those bastards have to go.

How long do those things get?

Six inches. Give or take. Depends on where you are.