To control chipmunks in your garden, the right kind of measures have to be adopted. These small but very active rodents can upset plantings and cause damage to structures too.
You can use humane traps to capture them, tie all the garbage properly, or use ammonia, mothballs, or predator urine to discourage them. Here are details on how to get rid of chipmunks in the garden effectively.
1. Remove Bird Feeders or Use Squirrel-Proof Feeders
Stations for feeding birds are likely to invite chipmunks. Chipmunks are usually very persistent, so the only way would be to exclude them or use feeders that they cannot open easily.
Squirrel-proof feeders are designed to prevent chipmunks and other small animals from accessing bird food. They often have mechanisms that close access ports when a heavier animal, like a chipmunk, tries to feed. By removing or modifying bird feeders, you can significantly reduce the attractiveness of your garden to chipmunks.
2. Clean Up Fallen Fruits, Nuts, and Seeds
Replace fallen fruits, nuts, and seeds so that easy food sources are removed. Chipmunks are drawn to these natural food sources, and regularly cleaning up can discourage them from frequenting your garden.
Make it a routine to check under fruit trees and around bushes for any fallen produce and dispose of it properly. This will help to cut off the chipmunks' easy access to food.
3. Store Pet Food and Bird Seed in Airtight Containers
Sealing pet food and bird seed inside containers so that they are not accessible to these animals is crucial. Chipmunks have a keen sense of smell and can easily locate open containers of food.
Using airtight containers ensures that these food sources are out of reach and prevents chipmunks from being attracted to your garden.
4. Trim Back Bushes and Shrubs
This involves removing as many hiding places as possible, especially by trimming bushes and shrubs. Chipmunks use dense vegetation as cover from predators and as pathways to move around your garden.
By keeping bushes and shrubs well-trimmed, you reduce the available shelter and make your garden less appealing to them.
5. Keep the Garden Clean and Free of Debris
Mow the lawn, remove hedges, and trim shrubs often because these make the garden favorable for chipmunks. A tidy garden with short grass and minimal underbrush offers fewer hiding spots and nesting opportunities for chipmunks.
Regular maintenance not only deters chipmunks but also keeps your garden looking neat and healthy.
6. Eliminate Water Sources
Limit water availability by turning bird feeders upside down, emptying birdbaths, and repairing sprinklers and hoses. Chipmunks need water to survive, and by removing or limiting water sources, you make your garden less attractive to them.
Ensure that any standing water is promptly drained and that leaky hoses or sprinkler systems are fixed. By systematically addressing these factors, you can deter chipmunks and prevent new infestations, thus protecting your garden from damage.
There are mainly four types of chipmunk repellents, which can be used together and for different purposes. Here’s a detailed look at the various types of them in detail:
7. Electronic Repellents
Technology is used in electronic repellents to set conditions that are unbearable to chipmunks. Ultrasonic devices produce sounds at a frequency that is above the audible range to human beings but very annoying to chipmunks.
These sounds can interfere with their communication and navigation, forcing them to evacuate the area. Furthermore, motion-activated sprinklers can also work well.
These devices act as motion sensors and then spray water all at once, which scares the chipmunks away and reduces the chances of their presence in the area. They are both humane and nonlethal which makes them safe means to protect your garden.
8. Liquid repellents
Liquid repellents are aerosol products that can be used on plants, fence lines, and other places where chipmunks are present. These repellents include hot pepper, garlic, essential oils, and others that the chipmunks find unpalatable.
The chipmunks avoid feeding on treated plants or approaching areas that have been sprayed due to the strong smells and tastes of the repellents. For instance, capsaicin, the compound within hot peppers generates the burning feeling that repels chipmunks.
To remain effective, the product has to be applied frequently, especially during or after rainfall or irrigation.
9. Natural repellents
These imply the use of plants or other substances that chipmunks avoid in their natural environments. One can plant specimens such as daffodils, alliums, marigolds, or other plants that chipmunks find unpalatable in the vicinity of the garden.
Furthermore, the use of chemicals like the urine of predators like coyotes or foxes can be used to make the surroundings of the chipmunks unpleasant.
Thanks to the smell of predator urine, chipmunks are warned and do not venture into dangerous territories. These methods are environmentally friendly and safe for other inhabits of the garden space or lawn.
10. Dry repellents
These are granules or powder forms that can be spread on the garden area that needs protection. Examples of these are blood meal, crushed red pepper, or used coffee grounds. Blood meal, which is derived from meat scraps, has a distinct smell that chipmunks find unappealing.
Spices specifically crushed red pepper and used coffee grounds are known to cause discomfort when felt by chipmunks thereby discouraging the animals from straying into treated regions.
In order to enforce good fencing, one needs to consider the following things:
11. Choose the Right Material
Select fine mesh or hardware cloth without any gaps that are large enough for a chipmunk to crawl through. Galvanized steel can endure standard usage for some time because it is resistant to rusting.
A chipmunk should not be allowed to play with such items as plastic or any other lighter material that a chipmunk would chew. The best way to make a fence to keep chipmunks out is therefore to use the right material.
12. Proper Installation Techniques
Excavate an area around the perimeter of the gardens to a depth of 6-12 inches. Place the mesh or the hardware cloth over the trench and ensure that it is well-covered or buried.
It should also rise to a height of at least 1 foot above the ground in order to deter climbing. Secure fence tightly at the right points to the sturdy posts and ensure that it is not possible to have any big gaps that would enable the intruders to gain access to your compound.
13. Regular Maintenance and Inspection
Visually inspect the fence for general deterioration, signs of wear, or voids, especially at the base. Any gaps or cracks should be filled by drawing more of the mesh material over the area in question.
Maintenance increases the durability of the fence and ensures that chipmunks cannot penetrate through the fence to get to the garden.
14. Enhancing Fence Security
Enhance the security feature by incorporating a horizontal bar across the fence at the top where it is impossible to climb because it is parallel to the ground and directed outwards.
Another feature to add is having an electric wire on the top with safety measures and codes in mind.
15. Integrating with Other Deterrents
Fencing should be used hand in hand with deterrents for enhanced outcomes. Squirt natural or chemical repellent along the fence line and also plant chipmunk-repellent plants in the area.
Install motion-sensitive devices like sprinklers and lights around the fence to chase away the chipmunks.
Using traps is a practical method for managing chipmunks in your garden. Here’s a detailed description of how to effectively use traps:
16. Selecting Right Trap
Select a live trap that is suitable for use in trapping chipmunks. Live traps are effective and it is legal to let the chipmunks go at a different place of your choice.
Search for traps that are appropriate for small rodents such as chipmunks.
17. Placement of Traps
Focus on locations that are frequented by chipmunks like areas surrounding their burrow or where plants have been chipped. Set the traps along their trails or close to their feeding grounds.
It is important to properly place the traps so that they do not easily get knocked over.
18. Baiting Trap
Select good-smelling and flavorful baits that appeal greatly to chipmunks such as peanut butter, sunflower seeds, or fruits like berries or sliced apples.
Put a few bits of bait at the end of the trap or at a section that elicits the chipmunk’s reaction to trigger the trap.
19. Setting Trap
It is important to set the trap according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Most often, this is done by either sliding a bolt back or turning a knob which releases the trap door.
Make sure the trap is sensitive enough to shut once the chipmunk comes in for the bait.
20. Checking Trap
Inspect the trap, ideally, every several hours at most, to reduce stress on caught chipmunks and to promptly release the trapped animals. Stress and injuries are common in chipmunks if trapped for a long time.
21. Releasing Chipmunks
When the chipmunk is trapped, it is advisable to be careful when handling the trap so as not to scare or injure the trapped chipmunk.
Take the trap several miles away from your house or place of residence and set the chipmunks free.
22. Monitoring and Repeating
Supervise your garden for further chipping after trapping the chipmunks. If the infestation is severe, then it may be necessary to set the trap a number of times to capture all the chipmunks.
Continue to use preventive measures to discourage new chipmunks from entering your garden.
Recognizing a chipmunk infestation early is crucial for preventing extensive damage to your garden and property. Here are the detailed signs to look for:
Burrows and Holes
One of the sure indications that your garden has been invaded by chipmunks is when you find burrows and holes within the compound. The chipmunk burrow system usually has small openings which are approximately 2-3 inches in diameter.
Some of these burrows can be found close to foundations, patios, stairs, or any protected area. Unlike mole tunnels, chipmunk burrows do not push the soil upward, leaving distinct strips on the ground surface, but you might see the soil shoved to one side and small heaps of dirt near the entrances.
Chewed Plants, Flowers, and Bulbs
Chipmunks are best known for their tendency to gnaw on plants and vegetables in gardens. Chipmunks are likely around if plants, flowers, and bulbs have been eaten or pulled out from the ground.
Their preferred food includes the tender shoots and young plants which they quickly uproot and eat. Bulbs like tulips, crocuses, etc. are often dug up by chipmunks and thus get damaged.
Displaced Soil and Small Piles of Dirt
When digging, the chipmunks transport the soil and leave it in little heaps near the holes’ entrances to their tunnels. These piles may be located near the base of plants, at the foundations, or along pathways in a garden. The mounds of soil are often soft and sandy, citing that the area has been recently dug up.
Visible Chipmunks
Direct signs of chipmunk infestation include observing these animals in your garden during the morning or evening hours. While many pests are active at night, chipmunks are awake during the day, especially early in the morning and late in the evening.
The presence, and more so in large numbers suggest that there is abundant food and nesting sites in your garden.
Damage to Outdoor Structures
Chipmunks are so powerful that they are capable of chewing almost anything, and this often results in a lot of damage. These signs include bite marks on outdoor furniture, wooden structures, decks, and even electrical wiring.
They may gnaw on these objects to shorten their teeth that continuously grow, thereby causing damages, which are costly to repair or pose risks of harm.
Plant Damage Patterns
Unlike some pest animals that leave havoc and destruction in their wake, chipmunks are rather more specific in the places and plants they affect. However, if there is a trend of this damage, for example, the plants that have been more often eaten by chipmunks or the parts of the garden that are more often visited by these creatures, it can help find the chipmunks.
Noises and Movements
The chipmunks are highly active and also very chatty, especially during the dawn. High-pitched chirping or chattering sounds are common and can best be heard in early mornings or late afternoons.
This is manifested by their rapid movements and short bursts of activity while shifting between refuges. Studying these sounds and movements of the animals is also useful in determining their presence.
