How to Get Rid of Chipmunks

Chipmunks are adorable, furry creatures until they start munching on your garden. Luckily, you can eliminate chipmunks using various traps or by using some natural repelling techniques. This guide will help you fully tackle the chipmunk problem.

Purchase live animal traps. Scatter sunflower seeds or peanuts around the trap to lure the chipmunks. Then, release the chipmunk far away according to your local animal control regulations.

Fill half a bucket with water and place it outside. Lean a wooden board against the bucket's rim.

• Spread sunflower seeds on the board, on the water surface, and on the grass surrounding it. The chipmunks will jump onto the board to eat the seeds, fall into the water, and drown.
• If you wish to eliminate chipmunks without harming them, make sure to set traps that won't injure the animals or place the traps in areas where chipmunks are less likely to visit. Curious chipmunks may find the trap, eat the bait, and drown.
• Contact your local animal control agency to learn how to dispose of the chipmunks' bodies. Always wear gloves when handling dead animals, and wash your hands afterward. They may carry fleas, ticks, and other harmful creatures.

Set mouse traps to capture chipmunks. Spread a mixture of peanut butter and oatmeal on the trap. This method will quickly eliminate the chipmunks with minimal suffering. As mentioned earlier, you should dispose of the bodies according to local regulations.

• Always check the mouse traps throughout the day; chipmunks may try to eat the bait and/or drag it away.

Place mothballs. Scatter mothballs around the house foundation, near your garden, and around the chipmunks' burrows. Mothballs won't kill the chipmunks but will keep them away from your yard and garden. Be cautious, as mothballs are toxic.

Scatter substances that chipmunks find unpleasant. You can spread blood meal around tree roots or place inedible scented rubber sticks near the chipmunks' burrows.

Let the cat outdoors. Allowing a dog or cat to roam in your yard will scare the chipmunks away, making them too frightened to approach.

Spray hot pepper or chili on the plants. Alternatively, you can sprinkle chili powder on your plants. This method will stop chipmunks from gnawing on your garden.

• Be aware that capsaicin, the active chemical in chili powder, is toxic to bees and other helpful pollinators. If your garden relies on these animals, you should use a different method rather than spraying hot pepper.

Open all doors to allow the chipmunks to exit. At the same time, close all room doors or other exits to prevent the chipmunks from hiding and force them to run outside.

Place a flat board or object on the open windowsill. The board will provide a way for the chipmunks to climb up and escape through the window.

Use a blanket to push the chipmunk out the door. If the chipmunk climbs onto the blanket, don't be afraid. Just roll up the blanket, take it outside, and dispose of the chipmunk.

Contact a service that handles dead chipmunks. If a chipmunk crawls into the attic or wall and dies there, it's best to have professionals take care of it.

• Your child may feel uneasy if they witness a chipmunk's death in a water bucket or mouse trap. Be mindful of their emotions and remove the dead animal from their view.
• Contact your local animal control office. If the above methods don't work, seek expert advice on how to resolve your chipmunk problem.
• If chipmunks are digging up flower bulbs, consider planting bulbs in wire cages with 2.5 cm x 2.5 cm mesh to prevent damage from these creatures.
• If you allow pets in your garden, consider letting terrier breeds roam. They love chasing and digging for small animals like chipmunks.

• Ensure that there are no local laws prohibiting the eradication of these creatures. Some countries have regulations that forbid the capture, confinement, and killing of rodents. Be sure to consult animal control regulations before using a bucket or trap. Failing to do so may result in fines or imprisonment for this action.
• Keep the water bucket out of the reach of small children. They could fall in and drown, even in shallow water.

• Live animal traps
• Sunflower seeds or peanuts
• Half-filled water bucket
• Wooden board
• Large mouse trap (small traps are ineffective and may only injure the rodents)
• Peanut butter and oatmeal mixture for baiting the trap
• Mothballs
• Blood meal
• Fragrant rubber
• Outdoor pets
• Pepper spray, hot sauce, or chili powder
• Blanket