Marmots hibernate in underground burrows for about eight months of the year. While they are inactive, these animals burn stored fat and slow their vitals to survive.
In preparation for winter, marmots cover their tunnel entrances with dirt and plants to hide from predators. The critters emerge in the spring to mate and begin the marmot hibernation cycle again each fall.
Marmot Problems in the Yard
These animals cause damage when they make lawns part of their territory. Outside the months that marmots hibernate, the pests are busy eating garden plants and creating tunnel systems in yards.
Some types of marmots dig as many as five entrance holes per burrow. Tunnels close to homes may even harm foundations.
Marmot Control
Because marmots hibernate, they are typically a seasonal problem. However, a lack of lawn damage in the winter doesn’t mean the pests are truly gone. Marmots emerge from hibernation ready to eat. During the spring and summer, the animals undergo a period of hyperphagia, a feeding frenzy designed to fatten the marmots so they can survive the coming winter.
To keep hungry marmots from digging through gardens, property owners can install special fences that extend underground. While traps are available, they are safest and most effective when set by professionals.
For issues with these hibernating, digging pests, contact Critter Control’s wildlife experts.
