Chipmunks are the cutest little creatures on the planet!
And I’ll always stand by my statement, but there’s no denying that they can be a gardener’s worst nightmare, owing to their destructive nature. I clearly remember the morning when I found that my garden was wrecked; from half-eaten fruits to uprooted plants, everything was a mess.
All my efforts of maintaining a beautiful yard went down the drain, and my heart sank. It was clearly the work of a chipmunk, and the indents of its two front teeth on my berries were all the proof I needed.
I tried to minimize the extent of the damage, but the little creatures were persistent; they just kept coming back to cause even more damage. However, I was not one to go without a fight.
Without wasting any more time, I took out my laptop and began my search on how to keep chipmunks out of garden areas. And finally, after a few trials and errors, my garden was chipmunk-free.
Howdy! I’m Stacy Smith, and today, I’ll be sharing my findings with you in the form of this guide. These tips and tricks will definitely help you keep the invaders out of your property.
So, let’s begin.
How To Keep Chipmunks Away From Your Garden?
Chipmunks tend to be creative and quite persistent, and no matter how much you try, they’ll keep coming back to wreck your garden. But there are a few ways to keep them away from your property without causing any kind of harm and attracting unwanted pests.
Tips To Keep Chipmunks Out Of The Garden
Here are a few tips and tricks to prevent chipmunks from entering and harming your beautiful garden; take a look.
1. Fencing And Making Landscape Changes
Chipmunks might be small creatures, but they are really good climbers and excellent diggers. So, while building a fence around your garden, make sure it’s buried 6 inches underground and is tall enough to prevent the little critters from climbing and digging to a certain extent.
You could provide more obstacles to deter them from entering your yard by netting the top and sides of the fence.
I would also suggest changing the landscape of your property. Remove shrubs, rock walls, and other similar plants and structures from your yard. This will make the area less attractive to the chipmunks as they won’t be having any convenient spot to hide anymore.
2. Chipmunk Repellents
These little creatures don’t really like the smell of cayenne pepper, garlic, and chili powder. So, sprinkling or placing these items in and around your garden will serve as a safe way to keep chipmunks out of your property.
I usually prepare a homemade repellent using these natural ingredients to deter the unwanted trouble-makers. All you have to do is puree garlic and hot peppers and soak the puree in a cup of hot soapy water till the water cools down.
Next, strain the mixture in a spray bottle and add around 15ml of oil. You can then spray the solution on your plants to keep chipmunks away from them.
3. Build An Owl Box
For those who are unaware, owls are the predator’s chipmunks dread. So, an effective way to keep chipmunks out is by bringing these birds into your garden. You can do this by building an owl box to attract them. This will not only help in chipmunk control but will also keep rats and moles away from your yard.
You may also get a motion-activated owl to scare chipmunks away. What’s more, spray products made using the urine of predators like cats and red foxes are available in the market. Spraying them around your property will convince the little creatures that they are in danger, prompting them to stay away.
4. Chipmunk Traps
If you’ve tried all the tips mentioned above, and none of them have seemingly worked, there’s no other option but to set traps. Now, keep in mind that there are different types of chipmunk traps available in the market. But the two primary categories are - lethal and no-kill traps.
I’d definitely ask you to refrain from using the former as it’s an inhumane way of eliminating the little creatures. Instead, opt for the no-kill (box) traps; they’ll only restrain the chipmunks, allowing you to safely release them far away from your home to friendlier areas.
All you have to do is place the trap at burrow openings and in the other areas of your garden where chipmunk activity commonly takes place. Peanut butter, sunflower seeds, and nuts will serve as the perfect baits for your traps. The smell of the food alone will lure them out of their hiding spots.
However, box traps are only suggested if there are one or two chipmunks causing problems. This method won’t be effective in case you have an entire colony breeding or living underground.
- Safe and Reliable - Reduce the risk of rodent-linked disease as well as damage to your space with Tratper’s covered rat trap. Trapping mechanisms inside the enclosed tunnel keep children and pets out of harm's way.
- Easy to Set - Tratper’s dual-entry tunnel rat trap is simple to use with its hands-free design. Simply insert bait of choice (e.g. peanut butter), set the trap in a vermin hotspot, and push the lever down. Simple automatic locking mechanism with no hooks or wires, and no dangerous set up.
- Effective and Quick - Tratper is designed with a responsive lock chamber, a sensitive trigger pad, and a specially designed jaw with teeth to ensure mice or rats won’t escape. Effective and humane capture enables rodents to be killed quickly and with as little pain as possible.
- 12.5 x 5.5 x 4.5 inches live cage trap, humane way to catch, relocate and release rats, mice and chipmunks
- Larger trigger pedal than similar traps on the market, much more sensitive to be triggered
- Once the pedal is triggered, the door will be closed instantly and the auto door lock will prevent animals from escaping
Summing It Up
That brings me to the end of my brief, informative guide. I hope these tips and techniques will help you maintain the pristine beauty of your garden by keeping chipmunks and squirrels away.
Now, it’s time for me to sign off, but before that, I have another pro-tip to give you. If everything else fails, always have a plan B to fall back on, i.e., provide nuts and seeds away from your garden for them to feed on.
The easy food source will prevent them from feeding on your vegetables, herbs, and plants. And your garden will remain as beautiful as ever.
That’s all from my end. I’ll be back again with yet another relevant and useful guide on lawn and garden care. Till then, you could always reach out to me by leaving a comment down below. I’ll try to address your queries and concerns to the best of my ability.
Take care!