Chipmunks

One of the cutest rodents is the chipmunk, but these small critters are destructive when left alone. You find these striped natives in Asia and North America. When you keep them around, they ruin everything in the garden, and you should not confuse it with a squirrel. Some interfere with the foundation of the building as well. Therefore, do you have chip munks roaming around your garden? So how do you get rid of chipmunks in the most humane way? Stay awhile and find out here to trap chipmunks today. Biology of Chipmunks Chipmunks are omnivores and eat anything from bulbs, buds, plantings, and beneficial insects. The chipmunk has no rights reserved on your property as they run like lightning underground in burrows. Eventually, it leads to a destabilized foundation causing many damage and high costs. Chipmunks are shy creatures, and some go unnoticed in the yard. However, if you find flower bulbs munched or see sunflower seeds scattered, it is time to start sleuthing and look for holes in the lawn. You will notice tiny footprints with four toes in the front and five in the back. Sometimes you will see piles of shells under the bird feeders in the garden as well. While chipmunks live in forests, the creature also moves to your property where it can find food. Depending on the chipmunk specie in the garden, they can have reddish-brown to gray color with dark to light stripes. The size can range from 7.2-inches to 8.5 inches long. Then you get chipmunks that grow to 11 inches long. If you do have chipmunks present in the yard, then it is time to get rid of them as they gather food on the ground and make tunnels to live. While chipmunks hibernate, they do not store fat and occasionally eat the nuts and seeds gathered for the winter. Furthermore, chipmunks usually ignore one another except during spring when mating takes place. Chipmunks have a litter of babies up to eight of them, and the young chipmunks remain with the parents before they start gathering for food. How to Get Rid of Chipmunks As chipmunks go unnoticed, the chipmunk may or may not cause devastation around the yard. However, when you do have a lot of chipmunks present, the chipmunk damage can be severe. Have you noticed animals scurrying around? Do not confuse chipmunks with a squirrel. The squirrels live in trees and do not cause that much devastation as chipmunks. The next step is to roll up the welcome mat and take chipmunk control in a humane way to remove the critters yourself. Alternatively, you can call a pest control service to handle the problem for you. So what are these human measures to repel chipmunks? Furthermore, how to get rid of chipmunks without harming them in the process. Start with Natural Deterrent Methods You can start with natural ways to get the little guys packing, and if all else fails with chipmunk control, proceed to stricter human techniques. Here the crucial thing is to make your property unappealing to chipmunks. You can start by cleaning the garden up of windfall found by berry bushes and fruit trees. What smells do chipmunks hate the most? You can plant daffodils and garlic as it naturally repels chipmunks. Furthermore, dispose of vines, clippings, and vines, as these are the hiding places of chipmunks. If you do have bird feeders in the yard, make sure you place it high from the ground. Do not place the bird feeders close to the porch or fences, as it is a chipmunk path. To prevent access to the house foundation removes flat rocks and shrubs near the home that can provide shelter for the chipmunk. Here are some natural deterrents that may get rid of chipmunks if you do not want to employ a live trap. Chipmunk Repellents Here we have four chipmunk control methods you can use together! 1. Innate Repellent To repel chipmunks visit your hairstylist to get some hair clippings. Take the cuttings and sprinkle it around the yard. One of the most natural ways that may frighten these small critters is the smell of humans. A fact is that with the nitrogen breaks down in the hair, it is an excellent fertilizer to boost plants naturally as well. 2. Electronic Repellent Instead of using a trap, you can employ this system that works with ultrasonic pulses, and you can find some spraying water as well. The electronic device works with AA batteries or AC 110 volts. With the equipment, you can cover up to 1,200 square feet, and it is safe to use for the family and the animal. The fantastic thing is that the device may repel rabbits, deer, squirrels, and other animals as well. However, it will not remove the chipmunk burrows or nests. 3. Dry Repellents Another way to get rid of the critter is to use dry repellent as it may help prevent burrowing of the chipmunk. You can make a barrier using something similar to Shake-Away and sprinkle the granules in specific areas. The product works as a ground cover and does not kill the animal. Sprinkle it around garden paths, flowerbeds, bird feeders, or near the house foundation. Now, if you do not want to spend a fortune and question yourself, “What is a home remedy to get rid of chipmunks?” you can use some cayenne pepper as well as the chipmunks may move to another place. 4. Liquid Repellents Other useful products to use instead of a trap are Rodent Defense Spray and Repel Plus that are non-toxic liquid repellent. On the other hand, you can boil one-quart water and leave it to cool down. Once cold, mix two tablespoons of cayenne with two tablespoons of olive oil. Place in a spray bottle and give it a good shake. Now spray to infested areas; however, you will need patience as it takes time. Furthermore, you can also dip tulip bulbs into the repellent before planting them. If All Else Fails with Chipmunk Control Now, if you have tried the above techniques and it still does not get rid of the cute creature, you need to take the next human step. Get Good Fencing When preventing chipmunks from nibbling plants, you need to find a way to live with them. You can install a barrier of mesh fencing at the base of fences, foundations, and walls. Instead of using box shrubs, use gravel borders or plant your bulbs in cages. Do mothballs keep chipmunks away? Well, if you consider the smell, it should make them run away. However, you do not want this poisonous product around the garden or home and is not the best trap for controlling the creature. While mothballs have been used on the internet as an effective way to ward animals off it remains toxic for the soil, pets, and children. Your kids may think it is sweets and eat it. Instead, you can use cinnamon, peppermint, or eucalyptus. Another smell they do not like is garlic. You can grow some in the garden and you will have fresh garlic for the food as well. On the other hand, you can always let snuggles your cat out to use the garden as a toilet. The scent of the urine is sure to make the critter run away into the wild. Traps for Chipmunks Another way in trapping chipmunks is with humane traps that do not kill the animal to release them miles away. You will need more than one live trap that is at least 20-inches long. We recommend using a one-door live trap, as it is simple to use and, in most cases, used by pest control services. Make sure to wear gloves when you set the live trap. By doing this helps prevent your scent from getting into the ground cover, scaring them away. You will need to identify the chipmunk area and place it within the territory where they move around most. As bait, you can use peanut butter to lure them. Chipmunks love peanut butter, but you can also use peanuts or sunflower seeds. Follow the instructions of trap and make sure to check the laws in your state if you can set a trap to catch the chipmunk as well. You may even find squirrels in the trap with peanuts inside. Final Thoughts on Chipmunk Control While the chipmunk is a cute creature, it can burrow under the ground, and the tunnels stretch about 30-feet in length. Here they will store up food for the winter and nest. Furthermore, the animal will also have escape tunnels with side pockets to connect to the main shaft. Finding these burrows are hard as you do not see dirt around as with moles. If you have seen a chipmunk in your garden, you need to take action as these tunnels cause significant damage to the house foundation. With the chipmunk control techniques or using a trap, we hope that you can take control of the situation. The important thing is not to confuse yourself with squirrels in the yard. If you are not able to control chipmunks, call pest control to help. Sources: https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/mammals/group/chipmunks/ http://www.ca.uky.edu/agc/pubs/for/for41/for41.pdf Related posts: Ammonia to get rid of groundhogs Do rabbits attract rats?