We may earn revenue from the Cartesian product available on this Thomas Nelson Page and participate in affiliate program . Learn More ›
certainly one of the cunning rodent you ’ll ever counter , chipmunks are also among the most destructive . These small , foray natives of North America and Asia are omnivore that devour everything from good insects to bud , bulbs , and other garden planting . Potentially worse , while they run like lightning to avoid humans , their underground burrows can destabilise the creation of your mansion .
Fortunately , you could monish and , if necessary , humanely hit the critter from your property . Start with simple , instinctive hinderance and go forward to strict yet still humane quantity to station the little guys packing . Below , you ’ll line up five cardinal strategies for how to get disembarrass of chipmunk run around in your yard .
Photo: Depositphotos
Look for signs of chipmunks on your property.
Chipmunks are so shy and so quick , you may not even notice them in your chiliad , though they ’re most dynamic during daytime hours . But if you ’ve construe evidence of munching in your garden , start detection . take care for “ tiny muddle in lawns and trail , typically in the thick of a itinerary or paseo , next to the home ’s understructure , and along the edge , ” says Eddie Martin , CEO , Private Exterminating , establish in Brooklyn , New York . You might also see tiny footprint ( four toes in front , five in back ) , and piles of seed shell under your bird feeder . wait for chipmunk dung , which are blue , elongate bits that look like rice or beans . Note that chipmunks do not live communally ; each chipmunk labour and hold out in its own burrow . Once you ’ve affirm you have chipmunks , you could determine how to get rid of chipmunks on your attribute .
Tried-and-True Advice
“ I discover that chipmunks are particularly attracted to flower bulbs in dip since they ’re compact with nutrients and promiscuous to transport back to chipmunk burrows . In year by , I ’ve really seen chipmunks scavenge in areas where I just set bulbs , so now I ’m jolly vigilant about protecting my peak bulbs after planting .
I expend bulb cages to protect private flowering bulbs , but I also sometimes bury weather sheet of hardware cloth below and above full beds of bulbs to forestall chipmunk and other rodent from causing trouble . I feel this is a more cost - good way to protect magnanimous planting of bulb and it ’s effective against field mouse , mice , and betray too . It ’s also a beneficial idea to pick up flora debris like bulb skin after planting . Skip using smelly products like osseous tissue meal and Pisces emulsion in planting hole , as these products can sometimes attract chipmunks . ”
— Lauren Landers , Contributing Writer
Photo: Depositphotos
Roll up the welcome mat.
To make your property unattractive to chipmunks , keep your garden sizable by cleaning up windfall from fruit trees and Chuck Berry bushes . Also , consider putting in plant like garlic and daffodils that act as instinctive repellents . “ Clear yards of brush , wood piles , and junk where chipmunk can obliterate or build nests , ” says Peter Rania , CEO ofWaltham Pest Controlin Burlington , Massachusetts . Keep snort feeders high off the ground and off from fences , porch banisters , and other potential chipmunk way . To discourage the critter from approaching your home ’s understructure , avoid shrub and low-pitched rock and roll limit near the house , which provide tax shelter and transportation for critter . “ Fill in any hole or cracks run into attics or under porches , ” Rania tote up .
squirrel can also take up residence in your garret . Discourage this by set up “ a one - agency door or trap , ” says Rania . Be sure to remove all chipmunks from attic space before you “ seal up entry trap to prevent re - plague , ” he adds .
Use a combination of chipmunk repellents.
When thinking about how to get rid of chipmunk , consider that there are four chief type of chipmunk repellant , which can be used together and for dissimilar aim :
Enforce good fencing.
The Humane Societysuggests finding gentle ways of living with chipmunk while keep them from nibbling our plants . regard set up an L - shaped roadblock of mesh fencing around the base of founding , fences , porches , and other wall . Choose a crushed rock border instead of box shrubs . Protect flower bulbs by planting them in bulb cages , available at home essence and horticulture provision stores .
Try trapping them.
Humane snare catch chipmunks without killing them so you could then ” release them at least 1/2 mile away from the capture site , ” say Rania . select one- or two - door ambuscade , typically 10 to 20 inches long , for chipmunk . ( One - doorway traps run to be wide-eyed to run and are often used by professional . ) Wear glove when setting the traps , as any hint of human scent will spook your prey . While chipmunk are n’t typically aggressive , they will sting if they feel threatened , and they can pack diseases such as pest , salmonella , and hantavirus .
Trap chipmunks in areas you ’ve place as prime chipmunk territory : your attic , garden shed , along fence and wall , and near the house founding . monkey nut , helianthus seeds , and peanut butter makeexcellent hook , which you place straight off on the trigger plate . Set the trap according to instructions and check out it often so you may release the rodents promptly . After you ’ve removed the chipmunk , you’re able to fill up in their holes with dirt or Amandine Aurore Lucie Dupin .
Note : unlike localities have varying law about trapping and relocating groundless animals , so double - stop your metropolis ’s wildlife regulation first before using traps to get disembarrass of the chipmunk running free in your lawn .
Photo: Depositphotos
This Is the class for a Kitchen Renovation
Whether you ’re sell or staying , everyone can get something out of a kitchen update . memorise why we consider this redevelopment the Most Valuable Project of 2025 and how to stay on budget .
Photo: Depositphotos
