A mound of fresh dirt beside the shed. A hole big enough for a football under the deck steps. Garden beds dug up overnight. In Arlington, that’s a woodchuck — also called a groundhog — and its burrow is rarely just a hole in the lawn. Woodchuck burrows run 25 feet or more, with multiple entrances and chambers, often dug right against foundations, retaining walls, and shed footings.

Harvey’s Animal Evictions LLC is a licensed Massachusetts wildlife removal company based in Wilmington, with our shop in Medford. We humanely trap and remove woodchucks from Arlington properties and secure the burrow site so the next woodchuck doesn’t move into a ready-made home.

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Signs a woodchuck has moved in

• A large burrow entrance — typically 10–12 inches across — with a mound of excavated dirt beside it

• Smaller “back door” entrances with no dirt mound, often hidden in brush or under a structure

• Burrowing under sheds, decks, porches, concrete slabs, and retaining walls

• Gardens, peas, beans, and flower beds eaten down in a clean, clipped pattern

• Dirt and settling along foundation edges, walkways, and stone walls

• A stocky, brown animal grazing on the lawn at dawn or dusk, diving for the hole when startled

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The burrow is the real problem. Excavation under a slab, footing, or retaining wall undermines it — slabs crack, walls lean, and water follows the tunnels toward the foundation. One burrow system can have several animals using it across a season.

Where Arlington woodchucks burrow

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Arlington’s mix of older single-family homes, big garden lots, and green corridors gives woodchucks everything they need — food in the garden, cover along the edges, and soft digging under outbuildings. Spy Pond, the Alewife Brook corridor, the Minuteman Bikeway edges, and the town’s playing fields and cemetery grass all feed and shelter them:

• Under sheds and garages — the classic Arlington burrow: dry, sheltered, and right next to the garden

• Under decks, porches, and concrete stoops and slabs

• Along retaining walls and stone walls — tunnels follow the footing line

• At the edge of gardens and compost areas — food and burrow in one trip

• Sloped banks and brushy lot lines between properties

A seasonal note, honestly: woodchucks are true hibernators. By November most Arlington woodchucks are settling into their winter burrow, which makes late fall the right time for an inspection — we can map the burrow system, tell you whether it’s occupied, and plan removal and exclusion for the moment it works, instead of sealing a burrow blind and trapping an animal inside it.

How we get them out — and keep them out

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Every job starts with an inspection, which you can book online through our website. We don’t give estimates over the phone or online, because the price depends on what we find: how many animals are using the system, where the entrances are, and what it takes to secure the structure properly.

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1. Inspection — We map every entrance to the burrow system, check whether it’s occupied, and assess damage to slabs, walls, and foundations, then give you a clear plan and price before any work starts.

2. Humane removal — Woodchucks are trapped and removed safely and humanely, in line with Massachusetts regulations, with timing matched to the season and the burrow’s occupancy.

3. Exclusion and repairs — We secure the site with durable, dig-proof exclusion — screening trenched into the ground around sheds, decks, and porches so woodchucks can’t dig back under. Filling a hole with loose dirt doesn’t stop a digging animal; a buried barrier does.

4. Damage check — We flag settling, cracked slabs, and wall damage the burrow caused, and can repair wildlife damage as part of the job.

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See our wildlife exclusion and damage repair services.

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Why Arlington homeowners call Harvey's

• Licensed Massachusetts Problem Animal Control agents

• Wildlife only — no bugs, mice, or rats; woodchucks and other nuisance wildlife are all we do

• Removal + exclusion together — the woodchuck is gone and the burrow site is secured with a buried, dig-proof barrier

• Honest seasonal timing — we won’t seal an occupied hibernation burrow or sell you a job the season won’t support

• 24/7 emergency service for the wildlife problems that can’t wait

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Arlington woodchuck questions

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How much does woodchuck removal cost in Arlington?

It depends on how many animals are using the burrow, how many entrances the system has, and how much exclusion work the structure needs, so we never quote a price without looking. Every job starts with an inspection — book online through our website, and the inspection fee is confirmed at booking. After the inspection, you get a clear price before any work starts.

Can’t I just fill the hole in?

Not while a woodchuck is using it — filling an occupied burrow traps the animal or forces it to dig out somewhere worse, often further under the structure. And an empty-looking burrow that isn’t secured gets re-dug or re-occupied, because the tunnel system is still there. Removal first, then a buried dig-proof barrier: that’s the order that works.

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Is it a woodchuck or something else digging?

Woodchuck holes are big — 10–12 inches, with a dirt mound at the main entrance. Skunk digging is small cone-shaped holes in the lawn; chipmunk holes are small with no mound. If you’re not sure, an inspection settles it, and we handle all three.

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Do woodchucks really damage foundations?

The digging does. Burrows along a footing or under a slab remove the soil supporting it, so slabs settle and crack and retaining walls shift — and the tunnels channel water toward the foundation. The animal is the cause; the excavation is the damage.

Do you handle other animals in Arlington?

Yes — raccoons, squirrels, bats, skunks, opossums, birds, and more, plus mole and vole lawn treatment. See the full list on our FAQ page.

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Book your inspection

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Found a burrow under the shed this fall? Don’t wait for spring litters and a bigger tunnel system. Book an inspection online, or call 1-800-692-0406 — emergency service, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.