Groundhogs are primarily herbivores and rely on typical garden crops, but they will sometimes feed on some insects and worms. They eat a wide variety of vegetation, most of which are available in the wild, but they also like to eat cultivated crops, which can lead them to incur the wrath of farmers and gardeners. Some of their favorite foods include plants like dandelions, sorrel, clover, and alfalfa. These leafy greens make up the bulk of a wild groundhog’s diet and are readily available in most environments. Along with grasses, wild groundhogs will also eat fruits such as berries, apples, pears, and cherries. If a groundhog’s burrow is near to a garden or farm, they may dine on any cultivated vegetables growing there. Some of their favorite vegetables to munch on include lettuce, corn, carrots, peas, beans, squash, and celery. Groundhogs will also eat insects such as grasshoppers and crickets, as well as snails and grubs.

Here is a list of some of the foods that groundhogs eat:

• Greens like lettuce, alfalfa, clovers, dandelions, daisies, red mulberry and hackberry leaves
• Trees (specifically bark and twigs) like black cherry and dogwood
• Vegetation like carrots, celery, corn, peas, and beans
• Fruits like berries, cherries, and apples
• Insects like June bugs, snails, and grasshoppers

Groundhogs have distinct eating patterns that vary depending on the season. During the spring and fall, groundhogs eat during the mid-afternoon. They forage through gardens in the mornings and late afternoons during the summer. During the winter, they don’t eat and instead build up fat reserves during the year to sustain themselves.