How To Get Rid of Chipmunks

Hey everyone,

Thank you for visiting the new Get-Rid! mini-site dedicated to the topic of how to get rid of chipmunks.

Here, you will learn a variety of techniques for getting rid of the little pests using trapping methods, repellents and scare tactics.

I have included techniques that range in price from free to around $50, so you will find a cost-effective solution no matter how small your budget is. However, please bear in mind that the most effective solutions are often the more expensive ones.

I will also cover both humane and lethal techniques, so you no matter what your personal beliefs are regarding animal rights, you will have an option for getting rid of them.

Why chipmunks are a pest…

When a colony of chipmunks invade your property, whether it be your yard or even your home, they can be a real pain in the a$$.

One or two chipmunks living in close proximity to humans will probably not be too big of a problem – in fact, when you’re sitting on your porch in the Summer it can even be desirable to watch a couple of chipmunks playing on your lawn.

But in large enough numbers, chipmunks can cause wanton destruction to your home by digging up freshly planted bulbs and flowers for food and tunnelling beneath the foundations of your structures.

They can also drive other wildlife away from your garden such as small birds by poaching the nuts and seeds you leave out for them, scaring them away and feeding on their eggs.

In addition, they can create annoying noise pollution with their high-pitched chirping sound – and if they set up home in your loft or basement, the sound of them scurrying behind your walls after hours is a great way to lose many a night’s sleep.

But, if you’re reading this webpage, chances are that you already know about the irritations of living with chipmunks and you want some practical advice for getting rid of them.

Chipmunk Traps…

I’ve started with chipmunk traps because, in my experience, they are the most effective ways of getting rid of the pesky critters.

There are a variety chipmunk traps on the market but perhaps the best is The Rat Zapper Ultra, which is manufactured by a company called Agri Zap Inc.

Although it’s called a Rat Zapper, it is very useful for getting rid of other small rodents including chipmunks.

All you have to do is bait it (more info on chipmunk bait here) and leave it somewhere close to where you have been experiencing the most chipmunk activity.

The chipmunk will enter the trap to get the bait, trigger the mechanism and receive an electric shock, which will kill it instantly.

One of the best things about this particular trap is that there is none of the blood or gore to clean up afterwards that more traditional ‘impact’ traps cause. When the chipmunk is dead, you can simply carry the trap to your trash can, tilt it and the carcass will slide out.

CLICK HERE TO FIND OUT THE PROS AND CONS OF THE RAT ZAPPER

If you don’t like the idea of killing chipmunks, the most effective humane solution is to use a cage trap. Some of the best cage traps available are manufactured by a company called Havahart.

Chipmunk cage traps work in a similar fashion to the Rat Zapper, however instead of killing the chipmunk, once the mechanism is triggered the chipmunk is captured alive inside the cage.

The only downside is that you have to drive to a rural area (preferably at least 2 miles away) to release the chipmunk back into the wild before you can reuse the trap.

You may see some cage traps with two doors, however don’t be fooled into thinking that this allows you to catch two chipmunks with one setting – the majority of these double-door traps will only catch one chipmunk at a time, however they do give the chipmunk two points of entry.

You are probably familiar with Impact Traps because they are of the ‘traditional mousetrap’ ilk, although many of the dedicated chipmunk impact traps have been designed slightly larger because chipmunks are a little bigger than mice.

When the chipmunk tries to take the bait from the trap, the metal spring-loaded bar is forced down onto it’s head/spine killing it instantly.

Although cheaper than the Rat Zapper, the impact of the bar can cause some blood and gore that you may have to clean up afterwards, which can sometimes be quite gross.

The final trap I want to tell you about can be made at home using common household items.

Although, in my experience, not as effective as the previous traps, the Bucket of Water Trap has been used for centuries with varied success.

Simply lean a plank of wood against a gallon bucket filled with water, then sprinkle a few pumpkin seeds on the water’s surface. Leave a few more seeds on and around the plank of wood and leave it close to the chipmunks.

If all goes to plan, the chipmunk will be enticed by the seeds and walk up the plank. As it tries to fish the seeds out of the water, it will fall in and drown.

Chipmunk repellents…

Using repellents to get rid of chipmunks is NOT the most effective option at your disposal – trapping chipmunks using the trapping methods above are, in my opinion, much more superior.

Saying that, I’ve had emails from one or two people that have had some success with using them to drive chipmunks away so in this section I’ll share a few of the more popular repellents for you to try.

The first repellent is the humble mothball.

Although more commonly used as a repellent for insects such as silverfish and (of course) moths, there is some evidence to suggest that they can also be effective against snakes and rodents.

Lay a few mothballs close to areas that you want to keep the chipmunks away from and hopefully, they’ll steer well clear.

Please bear in mind that mothballs are toxic when ingest, so don’t leave them anywhere that pets or small children may be able to get to them. You also run the risk of killing or injuring beneficial animals in your yard.

Another repellent you could try is a product called Critter Ridder, made by Havahart (the same company that manufacture the humane cage trap above).

It is made from natural ingredients and is a bit like pepper spray for pests because if a chipmunk touches, tastes or smells it, the pepper in it will burn their senses.

The final repellent is fox urine.

Another option is to use rodent poison, but this is something I really wouldn’t recommend – find out why here.

Because foxes are predators of chipmunks, their basic instincts are highly honed to picking up evidence of foxy activity.

Spreading a little fox urine around your yard will set off alarm bells in the chipmunks heads and may be useful for keeping them at bay.

Other chipmunk removal techniques…

In addition to traps and repellents, you can also get rid of your chipmunk infestation with a Bird Decoy.

A decoy is an ornamental model of a bird of prey, such as a hawk or an owl, that can be used to strike fear into the hearts of the chipmunks and (hopefully) scare them away.

There are a variety of decoys available from simple static models to those that have eyes that light up and flap their wings.

It’s a good idea to move it around your garden so that the chipmunks don’t become too used it.

You can find more info about decoys for getting rid of chipmunks here.

Another method you may choose to employ is shooting them with a good old-fashioned air rifle. I know a guy that killed around two dozen chipmunks just by sitting on his porch all morning with his gun.

Finally, if all else fails, get yourself a cat