A jar of castor oil
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Why Castor Oil Is Best For Keeping Groundhogs Out Of Your Garden
By CHRISTY RAE AMMONS
A groundhog in a garden
Groundhogs feast on your garden and can create tunnels up to 6 feet deep and 25 feet long. Castor oil is a simple, effective, and natural preventative for these issues.
A bottle of castor oil surrounded by the Ricinus communis plant and its seeds
Groundhogs hate the scent of castor oil, and spraying ½ cup of it with 2 cups of water near your vegetable garden or the animal's burrows will encourage them to leave.
A groundhog peeks out behind bush
If the scent isn’t strong enough, mix one part castor oil with three parts water, or one part oil and one part water if the groundhogs are stubborn, repeating every few weeks.
Animal burrows in a backyard
If necessary, pour undiluted oil into the groundhog's burrow entrance, and seal off the hole with dirt to trap the scent in the tunnels and help them move on.