How to Get Rid of Chipmunks | The Ultimate Guide

Last Updated on May 16, 2022 By Emma W. Thomas

Chipmunks are far away from being friendly cute animals. In fact, they’re nothing but regular cute rodents that are capable of inflicting a significant amount of damage to your property. No homeowner wants to deal with a chipmunk invasion. Although handling any household tormentor is difficult, chipmunks are in an exceeding league of their own. Not only will these hirsute creatures wreak havoc on your yard and garden, but they’re also probably to create their homes in your walls and attic. If left to try and do as they please, chipmunks will cause enough damage to sacrifice the structural safety of your home.

There are some ways to manage chipmunks, as well as taking steps for prevention, trappings and releasing, and using home-brewed chipmunk repellents. Because chipmunks are rodents, several of the same strategies used to control chipmunks are the same as those used in rats, mice, and squirrels. However, the most humane, and sometimes the most effective, strategies are prevention and exclusion. Today We will discuss How to Get Rid of Chipmunks, let’s get started.

How to Get Rid of Chipmunks?

So what can you do if you’re stressed with a chipmunk invasion? The key to this kind of situation is to act right away. Use the following prevention and removal procedures to get rid of chipmunks and keep them away for good.

Preventing and Excluding

There is a proverb, prevention is better than cure. So the best way to get rid of chipmunks is to prevent them from invading your property. The Humane Society recommends making changes to your yard to reduce chipmunk damage and presence. The basic recommendations include:

• Place L-shaped footers around the home’s foundation as well as any foundations, sidewalks, porches, and retaining walls to keep chipmunks from digging.
• Remove wood or rock piles and trim back plantings; these provide cover and food for chipmunks.
• Surround the yard or home with a plant-free gravel border.
• Prevent chipmunks from digging up flower bulbs by planting the bulbs beneath a wire or plastic screen ground cover or in bulb cages.
• Plant only corms to which wildlife is not attracted, such as daffodils or Allium.

Other rodent or pest-proofing techniques that will also help control chipmunks include:

• Place 1/4-inch mesh hardware cloth around gardens and flowers.
• Keep firewood and similar piles away from the home to keep chipmunks from scrabbling beneath the pile.
• Do not allow trees, shrubs, or other plantings to run continuously around your home, as this will draw chipmunks in.
• Do not keep food items outdoors, including pet foods and birdseed. The best practice is to keep them in rodent-proof containers.

Using Repellents

There are no repellents exactly listed for use against chipmunks, and the use of repellents is rather debatable. Although the Missouri Department of Conservation advises that fumigants and repellents “are not recommended because none are known to be effective.” Moreover, the Humane Society states that “commercial repellents that promise to repel squirrels will also repel chipmunks.” Some squirrel repellents can be used for chipmunks. The best practice is to follow all manufacturer safety warnings when using any repellent product.

• Thiram applied to plant bulbs, stems or bark
• Mothballs or flakes (Naphthalene) placed around gardens
• Apply commercial products containing thiram, bitrex, nicotine sulfate, methyl nonyl ketone crystals, and polybutene to plants that are not to be eaten by humans. applications may need to be repeated because rain and watering can wash them away

To make a homemade chipmunk repellent, mix together:

• 1 teaspoon Lysol
• 3 ounces Epsom salt
• 1-gallon water

Trapping and Relocating

Trapping and relocating a chipmunk far away from your home is a decent way to deal with a predominantly stubborn animal. Check the local laws and recommendations for transferring chipmunks in your area before attempting to trap a chipmunk. Relocation may not be legal in all areas. Follow these simple instructions for trapping and relocating a chipmunk:

• Choose a small trap with a small wire net so the chipmunk cannot escape.
• Place the trap in areas of known chipmunk activity. Don’t forget to include traffic paths and near burrows. Places that are undercover are better than exposed areas.
• Bait the trap so that chipmunks can’t retrieve it from outside the trap. Applying peanut butter directly to the trap’s trigger plate often works well.
• Check the trap often, and relocate the animal as soon as possible. Release it in a suitable environment at least five miles away from your home, or as specified by local law.

Protecting Bird Feeders

Chipmunks are ground feeders and are attracted to seeds fallen from bird feeders. So keep the chipmunks away from bird feeders. Follow these basic tips:

• Make sure you clean up spilled seed regularly.
• Feed seeds to which chipmunks are not attracted.
• Place bird feeders at least 15 to 30 feet away from home.
• Follow regular steps to keep chipmunks away from bird feeders.

Bottom Line

Irrespective of the method that you take advantage of, it’s important that you act fast and on time. One of the most typical specifications of chipmunks and rodents is their quick reproduction. You may see two or three chipmunks today that might turn into a dozen in a month. Trust me, things are going to become quite a lot harder to handle when this happens. These are some of the considerations that you have to be very well aware of.