Chipmunks are generally not considered a threat to humans. It is possible to remove chipmunks from your property. But before you dive into the process of eliminating these critters, decide whether or not they are truly a nuisance for you and your family.
Attempting to control chipmunks in your hard can be time consuming and expensive. The best way to avoid a chipmunk infestation is to take preventative action.
Chipmunk Prevention
Start by removing clutter or wood piles in your yard. When there is significant cover available in the yard, chipmunks can easily hide their burrow holes. The small critters seek out the protection of this debris as an additional defense against predators while foraging.
Another way to make your yard an unattractive home for chipmunks is to remove any food sources. Likely, you cannot remove every food source. For example, there may still be wild berries or nuts that fall from any trees in your yard.
But take action to remove food sources such as outdoor pet bowls. Plus, remove bird feeders or choose bird feeders that prevent chipmunks from breaking into the seed stash.
How to Get Rid of Chipmunks
The first choice is to use habitat modification and exclusions to keep any damage chipmunks could cause at bay.
Chipmunk Repellents and Deterrents
Before you move forward with a chemical repellent or deterrent, check out the regulations for your state. Repellent effectiveness varies based on ingredients, but no repellent will 100% eridicate your chipmunk problem. Taste repellents that contain capsaicin or ammonium soaps of fatty acids can be applied to protect flower bulbs, seeds, and foliage.
You can quickly apply liquid repellents, but dry repellents tend to last longer. Another solution is predator urine. Multiple applications are required.
Chipmunk Traps
Chipmunk traps are either lethal or humane live traps. Some of the most popular lethal methods of control include snap and electrocution traps, which must be placed in areas of high chipmunk activity to be effective. Individuals can make several types of lethal snares using buckets and other household items.
Non-lethal live traps are usually small cages with one or two doors that measure 12 or 14 inches long and 4 to 5 inches wide. These products should be baited with peanut butter, nuts, or seeds. Other deterrents include growing select plants, like narcissus flowers, that chipmunks find repulsive or using various sprays, oils, and pellets around yards.
Problem with Chipmunk Traps
While these methods of control are helpful, property owners are often unable to eradicate chipmunk infestations using traps alone. This is mostly because specific placement is necessary to the success of these products. Additionally, it is dangerous for inexperienced individuals to handle the lethal chemicals used in some traps, and children and household pets are at risk of accidental ingestion.
Removal Tips
Since chipmunks cause issues inside and around homes, it’s important to eradicate populations at the first sign of activity. Homeowners who want to guarantee the removal of chipmunk infestations should contact professional wildlife control. The trained experts from Critter Control have experience dealing with the pests and access to the proper tools to ensure efficient elimination.