Do I see a chipmunk?
This summer we have been overrun with chipmunks in the garden! Everywhere I look I see a chipmunk! They are eating the blueberries, enjoying my tomatoes and eating my beans! Not only are they doing damage but when I am in the garden they sit there and watch me as if to say, “what are you doing in my garden!”
I really didn’t want to resort to harmful chemicals to get rid of them but what were we to do?
Chipmunks look so cute but they can be so destructive. They’re small and nimble and can get into tight places that larger pests can’t. Here are a few options to get rid of them.
Fence them out.
Chipmunks are small and they are good diggers. If you want to fence them out you will need to have a fence with small holes and it will have to be buried at least six inches under ground. Since our garden was already planted this year before we realized the chipmunks were going to be a problem this was not an option for us.
Trap Them
We have numerous have-a-heart traps so we decided to give this method a try. In the past we have been very successful trapping chipmunks, one year we caught more than 30! This year I think we are dealing with smarter chipmunks. My husband actually saw the chipmunks rolling the small have-a-heart trap over so the seeds would come out, they would eat the sunflower seeds and not go into the trap. Next time we’ll mix peanut butter with the seeds so they stick in the trap!
Spices
It has been said that you can sprinkle cayenne, chili powder or other hot, intense spices around your garden. Many gardeners report success using this method. I may still try this method although I am now at the end of my garden season and the chipmunks are not so much of a problem. They’ve done their damage and have moved on!
Predators
You can also use a decoy predator like a motion activated owl. You can also purchase a product make for the urine of predator animals like red foxes and cats. The smell will convince the chipmunks that they are in danger and they will stay away. May have to try this next year. Wonder how bad the smell is?
Have you had trouble with chipmunks this year? What did you do to solve the problem of eliminating chipmunks?
Nancy on the Home Front 
Oh little chips they can be such a nuisance. They love to get in my bird feeders near the deck—now the dog keeps them away. Out in the gardens I got some organic powders that I scatter around the gardens and have not been bothered by chipmunks or ever rabbits—so far.
MB
LikeLike
MaryBeth,
We enjoy the chipmunks in the winter when they are eating the birdseed off the deck but I’m going to have to do something to help keep them away from the garden!
LikeLike
Oh, can I relate. Think one of our “barn cats” got him, saw where the entrance had been clawed at. And a lot less destruction in garden. They where also digging under the foundation to the garage. Not sorry to see an end to the tunneling. Those cats are worth their weight in gold.
LikeLike
D. I wish we had some cats, we used to have a pug and she loved to chase small critters especially chipmunks!
LikeLike
Your photographs of chipmunks are absolutely perfect. Their eye is in focus. It is like you are the chipmunk whisperer. Chipmunks are posing for you. Great captures!
LikeLike
JM,
It’s ok to capture them with the camera but I wish I could capture them in a trap! (Have-a- Heart)
LikeLike