5 Proven Ways to Get Rid of Chipmunks
For many people, chipmunks are cute little creatures that are adorable and fun to watch. But they can also cause destruction in homeowners’ houses and gardens, by burrowing underground and damaging a structure’s foundations or eating garden fruits. Sometimes they will enter a garage and make a mess there. For these reasons, learning how to get rid of chipmunks is of utmost importance to many homeowners.
There are several pest control measures one can implement to eliminate chipmunks. Using traps is one of the easiest methods. These traps, like the Havahart 0745 Live Animal Professional Style One-Door Trap (1) that is available online through big retail sites such as Amazon.com, is a favorite among animal lovers because it is a humane form of pest control. After the chipmunk gets trapped inside the device, it can be released somewhere far from the home, like a park or nature reserve, where it can do no damage.
There are also traditional snap-type rat traps that can be re-purposed for catching chipmunks. This trap won’t keep a pest alive for transportation to another place, though; it’s designed to quickly kill the creature that is trapped inside. Do make sure that trapping is allowed in your area (2) and ask your local fish and game conservation agency for further advice.
Shooting with a an air rifle or a .22 caliber rifle (3) is another option for those who want to know how to get rid of chipmunks. However, this is not recommended in areas that are densely populated or hunting is illegal. Shooting as a form of pest control is usually done in rural and remote areas where there is a lower risk of inadvertently injuring a neighbour or pets.
Having a pet cat or dog that plays outside regularly is also a good chipmunk deterrent. Sometimes a cat will catch a chipmunk. But usually, the odour that a male cat or dog secretes through its urine to mark its territory is enough to encourage chipmunks to stay away.
Finally, prevention is very important part of pest control according to animal experts. Homeowners wanting to know how to get rid of chipmunks may want to consider erecting physical barriers or use mesh netting to protect their plants. Holes where gas line or cable television lines enter the house are large enough for chipmunks to enter, so these should be sealed (4). Pet foods and bird seed should also be kept in containers where chipmunks won’t be able to scent and gain access to them.
Resources:
- Amazon.com: Havahart 0745 Live Animal Professional Style One-Door Chipmunk, Squirrel, Rat, and Weasel Trap
- Fine Gardening 73, pp96: Dealing with Chipmunks
- The University of Kentucky – College of Agriculture: Managing Chipmunk Problems in Kentucky
- ACES: Chipmunk Control
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