Getting Rid of Chipmunks – Super Easy and Effective

Chipmunks belong to squirrel family due to their tenderness of loving nuts and protect themselves in a shelter like a burrow. You can learn general facts about chipmunks from different articles, but in this article, you will learn super easy ways for getting rid of Chipmunks.

After reading this article you would not want to see any chipmunks roaming in your house as they are dangerous, that can-do greater damage not only to your health but also can be destructive to your place and property.

Well, before we get into the ways of getting rid of chipmunks, let’s first know the difference between squirrel and chipmunk so that it can be easier for you to identify the chipmunks and inspect them.

Differnce Between Chipmunks and Squirrels

1- Chipmunks are smaller than squirrels about one foot long, and squirrels are two or more than two feet long.

Getting rid of chipmunks
Chipmunks

2- Chipmunks are not substantial; they come in lightweight mammal species – not more than six ounces. While squirrels are not lightweight, when it is fully grown, it will be of one to two pounds.

Before we get into the ways of getting rid of chipmunks, let’s first know the different types of chipmunks so that it can be easier for you to inspect and choose the best possible way of getting rid of chipmunks.

TYPES OF CHIPMUNKS

EASTERN CHIPMUNK

Its species are found from Middle West to Eastern US. It has some dark and few pale stripes on its back and from corroded red to brown furs on its lower body. Also, it has two mid-brown stripes on its face. Its weight is about two to five ounces. Including its tail, it is about one foot long.

WESTERN CHIPMUNK

Its species are found in Western US and also in Canada. It has gray, white, red and brown color furs including stripes. Its weight is less than two ounces. Including its tail it is about six-eleven inches long.
Before moving towards the ways of getting rid of chipmunks, we first discuss why it is necessary to get rid of chipmunks.

Why Is It Important Getting Rid Od Chipmunks?

Chipmunks start leaving their burrow when they can prey and can live on its own. Chipmunks are moving to humans living area and start hurting them and damaging their property. They can be the cause of significant disease in humans.

CHIPMUNKS CAUSES DISEASES TO HUMANS

These diseases include:

– RABIES: It is the virus from mammals which affect humans and severely damages their nervous system.

– COLORADO TICK FEVER: It is same as flu, but it is very severe and can cause severe damage.

– PLAGUE: its symptoms can lead to pneumonia – proper care is required otherwise, it can cause death.

– ROCKY MOUNTAIN FEVER: This type of fever causes skin rashes all over the body.

Immediate and proper treatment is required after chipmunk’s bite because its saliva is very poisonous and can cause different types of diseases. It is necessary to think about getting rid of chipmunks to prevent yourself from all these diseases.

DAMAGING YOUR PROPERTY

The most surprising thing is that chipmunks live in dirt-free area even they dig their burrow where there is no dirt. That is why they prefer to make their shelter near lawns, gardens, parks and wooded area. If these areas are near to your house, then definitely you will find any burrow near to your living area. Chipmunks need it for shelter and to store their food. If trees and bushes are close to your house, then you are merely providing them secure entrance to dig a burrow. After this, you will start rushing to find ways of getting rid of chipmunks.

It will damage your home or backyard. Chipmunks choose to dig their shelter near staircases, walls and sometimes near the foundation. It will destruct and damage the structure of your house.

Chipmunks destroy the gardens, chewed fruits, vegetables, plants, and flowers. This will irritate the gardeners because they would not be able to work correctly in this gulp down the garden. To protect your gardens put pet food some seeds inside your home if chipmunks became your uninvited guests.

They destroy your belonging as they own sharp teeth. They gnaw on almost everything to make their teeth bright. So if you see holes on your sofas or bitten wires, they are the little creepy reasons behind the damage. They can bring quite a higher amount of damage if not controlled, and this is why you need to know the ways of getting rid of chipmunks.

They are the root cause of some life-threatening diseases and infections, as discussed above. Their feces, urine, and even saliva fulfill the purpose of transmitting diseases other than their bite. However, some people like them and are most attracted to their owners, but the wild ones would attack and bite you in their defense if bothered.

Now that you know how dangerous the rats and mice can be, you probably are now curious to know the ways of getting rid of chipmunks. Well, the wait is over, and you are ready to know the ways of getting rid of chipmunks.

WAYS OF GETTING RID OF CHIPMUNKS

There are many methods of controlling chipmunks, including taking preventive, trapping, and releasing measures, and using chipmunk repellents from home. Because chipmunks are animals, many of the same techniques are comparable to those used in rats, mice, and birds to regulate chipmunks. But avoidance and exclusion are the most humane and often the most efficient techniques.

PREVENTING AND EXCLUDING

The Humane Society proposes that modifications be made to your yard to decrease harm and presence to the chipmunk.

Place L-shaped footers around the base of the home as well as any foundations, sidewalks, porches, and retaining walls to prevent chipmunks from burrowing.

Remove piles of wood or rock and cut back seedlings; these provide chipmunks with cover or food.

Surround the yard or home with a gravel boundary that is free of plants.
Prevent chipmunks by planting the bulbs under a wire or plastic screen ground cover or in bulb cages from digging up flower bulbs. 1x 1 inch mesh is sufficiently big to allow crops to grow but tiny enough to prevent chipmunk from digging.

Only plant those bulbs that are not drawn to wildlife, such as narcissus or alliums.

Place around gardens and flowers 1/4-inch mesh hardware cloth.
Keep firewood and similar piles away from home to avoid burrowing chipmunks under the stack (and potentially under the base of the house).
Do not allow trees, shrubs, or other plantings to run from forested fields to the house continually, as this will attract chipmunks in.

Do not hold outdoor food products, including pet food and birdseed, unless put in rodent-proof containers.

REPELLENTS

Repellents alone are not efficient for removing chipmunk, but they can be a further step towards making your yard less attractive to the small criteria. When used along the perimeter of your estate and close to your vegetation, because of the smell, chipmunks will remain away. But after a while, these repellents will wash away, so eventually, the animals will come back.

Finally, chipmunks can also get used to them, so you should switch it to distinct repellent kinds to maintain the criteria on your toes.

Most repellents purchased from the store come in the form of liquid spray or granules. Usually, they contain either natural substance with their smell that repels chipmunks. These include some essential oils or traces of urine from predators. The latter is much more efficient as chipmunks understand how to remain away from particular creatures, such as coyotes and foxes that feed on them.

TRAPPING

Trapping can be an optimal way to remove them rapidly if you’re only dealing with a few chipmunks on your estate. With a significant infestation, this technique will be much harder, and it will not ensure that other chipmunks remain away from your yard. You will need to combine trapping with other technologies such as repellents and fencing to eradicate chipmunks.

Usually, a live trap includes a one-way or spring-loaded door. Since chipmunks are the same size as mice and rats, traps intended for these criteria can also be used, such as rat traps, which generally work with a snap-down bar that kills the animal.

There are advantages and disadvantages for each of these traps. A live trap is regarded as more human and ethical, but before it dies or hurts itself, you will have to remove the chipmunk. It can be risky to release chipmunks from live traps if you don’t understand what you’re doing because they’re dangerous when they’re scared and can also transmit illnesses when they bite.

Snap traps are not regarded as human, and a rapid clean-up process is also required. Otherwise, a host of other pests may be attracted by the dead chipmunk in your yard. You are also susceptible to infection by cleaning up after and around the chipmunk carcass.

BASIC TIPS FOR TRAPPING

– Choose a small trap with a small wire mesh (about 10 to 20 inches long), so the chipmunk can’t escape.

– Place the trap in renowned chipmunk regions, including traffic lanes and near burrows (if you can locate them). Secret locations are better than fields that are exposed.

– Bait the trap so chipmunks won’t be able to get it out of the trap. It often operates well to apply peanut butter straight to the trigger plate of the trap.

– Frequently check the trap and move the animal as quickly as it is caught. Release at least five miles from your home or as indicated by local law in appropriate habitat.

The above three ways are the primary ways of getting rid of chipmunks. Some other prevention and treatments are:

CONSTRUCT A FENCE

First of all, excluding chipmunks from your yard is the best way to avoid an issue. You can generate a perimeter around individual crops, your garden, or your whole estate by using hardware cloth or wire mesh.

An easy privacy fence around your yard is unlikely to maintain out chipmunks as they are generally not very deeply dug into the floor and often have cracks and spaces that can pass through chipmunks. Your fence should be at least eight inches deep to prevent them from burrowing underneath.

SEAL YOUR HOME

Chipmunks don’t want to come inside your home necessarily, but their tiny size makes it easy for them to move inside. For everyone, this is lose-lose situation as they can cause a mess without even finding the sort of food they need to survive.

Take the initiative to seal your home to keep them out correctly. Seal them with rubber or plastic if you have cracks or spaces between your windows and doors. Also, tiny holes in your side are hazardous because a chipmunk can fit in a room as small as two inches wide.

To cover any cracks or holes you see on the outside of your house, use caulk, expandable building foam or concrete.

Like winds, chimneys, and tubes, chipmunks can also fit into natural openings. Especially if you already notice chipmunks in your yard, cover these openings with some sort of mesh or other breathable materials so that chipmunks can be kept out while preserving their objective.

USE YOUR PETS

For cats and dogs to chase after and catch for fun, chipmunks are a perfect size, so letting your pet out could be an easy way to control the chipmunk population. Even if your animals are not interested in hunting, the chipmunks might be scared off by their very presence.

Cats were known to show their catch, both alive and dead, to their owners. This might be an even worse nightmare if they end up getting inside the chipmunks.

KEEP YOUR BACKYARD CLEAN

The first step to discourage chipmunks from burrowing in your yard is to eliminate as many possibilities as possible for feeding and nesting. This is a significant step you can take towards preventive approaches, but if you are already dealing with a chipmunk issue, it should also be your first step towards remediation.

As chipmunks feed on fruits and vegetables, pick up as they mature your fruit trees and bushes.

Quickly rake any fruits or vegetables that fall to the floor before they can be sought out by chipmunks.

Use bird feeders that are not simple to spill and are not as simple to get into for squirrels and chipmunks.

Chipmunks enjoy burrowing in regions covered by predators such as near shrubs, trees, brush piles, tall grasses, or piles of leaves and logs. Monitor your yard frequently and maintain it as tidy, open and tidy as possible to decrease chipmunk’s coverage.

SPICY SPRAY

The symptoms frequently experienced by individuals when eating spicy foods (watering eyes, mouth pain, and coughing) are comparable to what tiny animal experiences when placed in direct contact with them. Spicy peppers such as cayenne pepper and chili pepper are therefore efficient as well as non-toxic to crops and vegetation. Add crushed peppers or hot sauce to a spray bottle, and fill with water to generate your repellent.

MOTHBALLS

Just as mothballs repel moths, they will also repel chipmunks for some time with their odor and materials. This is a nice way to use if you try to maintain chipmunks out of your house as you can put the mothballs in a protective perimeter and push the chipmunks away from your property.

PREDATORS

Many birds feed on chipmunks and for a fast snack, they can quickly scoop off the floor. By bringing more of their prey near your estate and enabling nature to take its course, you can encourage natural removal of chipmunks. Especially owls are some of the finest chipmunk’s hunters and other tiny animals such as rodents. Create an owl box as an easy-to-use nesting place to encourage them on your estate.

Using plywood, nail together a box with 38″x18″x12 “measurements. Cut a six-inch broad entrance hole and add a few tiny drain holes to the bottom. Place the box high in a tree or on a beam of some kind.

Well, finding a burrow implies you have discovered a tunnel system that can stretch more than 30 feet. A sizable hidden network can be supported by your garden, lawn, or estate. Keep two habits in mind when repeated tourists are chipmunks.

Never touch an animal that has been wounded or ill. A chipmunk that is injured or scared can bite and spread disease through its saliva.
If a portion of your property is used for gardening, you might need to look for exclusion measures to safeguard your crops, flowers, and vegetables while maintaining chipmunks in the bay.

Moreover,
• Never feed in the wild rodents.
• Never touch rodents that are wounded or dead.
• Do not camp or rest close to the burrows of animals.

CALL A PROFESSIONAL

If none of these methods works for you, then you need to call the professional chipmunks’ control to take care of it and help eliminate them from your location.

These are the ways of getting rid of chipmunks. Hopefully, you found this article helpful, so do share your feedback. Also, do not forget to share this piece of the information which might be struggling with getting rid of chipmunks.

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