Groundhogs (Marmota Manox) are also known as woodchucks/ land-beavers/ whistle-pigs. They are commonly found in North America and are herbivores animals. So, they can eat almost all fruits and vegetables without having any trouble and can be the troublemakers in your gardens if you are growing veggies.
Knowing what they eat and what they don’t can help in avoiding them in your gardens.
Do Groundhogs Eat Apples?
Yes. Groundhogs eat apples. In fact, apples are one of their favorite food in the fall.
Groundhogs love apples, especially crunchy ones. They eat apples by grabbing and biting into them, but mostly, they don’t eat an apple completely. They only take a small bite from an apple and leave the remaining to rot.
Even though groundhogs can climb trees, they prefer to eat the fruit that is lying on the ground (easy food).
Interesting Fact: Although groundhogs are considered herbivores, they are pretty adaptive animals and change their diet depending upon the availability in different seasons. Sometimes, they are seen eating small insects like June bugs, grasshoppers, snails, and even small birds.
Also Read: Do Groundhogs Eat Bananas?
Do Groundhogs Like Apples?
Yes, groundhogs like apples. And it’s common sense to say that apples, or any fruit for that matter, are not just for humans. Apples are loved by many animals like deer, bears, mice, raccoons, pigs, horses, possums, and turkeys. An adult groundhog averagely eats one-third of its body weight per day.
As woodchucks are hibernating animals, they need to store a considerable amount of body fat to get them through the winter. They eat any plant foliage they come across, and they can destroy a crop in a matter of minutes. They often raid vegetable crops and orchards and are widely classed as agricultural pests.
Also Read: Do Groundhogs Eat Grapes?
They mostly eat all vegetables and many herbs in your garden. In addition, they also like fruit like apples, pears, berries, and cherries. In vegetation, they eat carrots, corn, nuts, beans, and celery.
Some other favorite groundhog foods are alfalfa, corn, beans, peas, nuts, and broccoli. If you think that your crops are ruined by groundhogs, just hope you only have one and not a family! Groundhogs are cute only until they start destroying your garden; then, they aren’t so cute.
See you again!!
