How To Keep Chipmunks Out Of Garden Naturally

Chipmunks may be cute, but they can also become destructive and a nuisance in your yard and gardens, to the point that you’ll want to keep them away. Chipmunks eat produced fruits, nuts, and flower bulbs. But they dig tunnels that can impact your landscape, gain entry to your home and outbuildings, and pepper your yard with potential ankle-twisting holes. They are not aggressive towards humans, but, like other rodents, they can transmit various diseases.

What is a Chipmunk?

To control your opponent, you must first know him. Chipmunks (Tamias) are small terrestrial rodents native to North America. They belong to the squirrel family (Sciuridae). Chipmunks in garage are recognized by their cute brown and white stripes. Chipmunks typically measure 5 to 6 inches (12 to 15 cm) long and weigh 1 to 4 ounces (28 to 114 grams). They are active during the day.

Chipmunks have excellent eyesight and hearing. They are fast and agile. Chipmunks are omnivores. They feed on both plants and animals. They consume insects, fruits, nuts, seeds, and even small vertebrates. They frequently reside in wooded regions. But they can also be found in suburban and rural locations with yards and gardens that serve as appropriate habitats.

Chipmunk Lifestyle

Being skilled diggers, chipmunks can excavate tunnels and caves up to one meter (3 feet) below the surface. They dig and agitate the soil with their powerful front legs and pointed claws. They can move through small spaces like chambers and tunnels with ease because of their small size and agility. Typically, chipmunk fence burrows have several entrances and exits. With distinct chambers for sleeping, nesting, and food storage, they can be extremely complex. Apart from being a place to hide, caves also offer defense against harsh weather and predators. Nevertheless, because they can harm plant roots and leave holes in the fencing to keep chipmunks out of Garden, chipmunk burrows can be an annoyance to gardeners.

Chipmunk is a bad look; they are generally solitary animals. However, they are not antisocial and can periodically be found living in small family groups or communities. Chipmunks in garage are territorial. Males often defend their home ranges from other males. They are not aggressive towards other chipmunks. They will generally only get involved in territorial disputes if their shelters or food sources are menaced.

Male chipmunks will search for females during the spring and summer breeding season, and they may mate with more than one partner. Litters of two to eight young will be born, and the females will raise the offspring by themselves in their burrows. The young usually scatter and establish their home range once they are old enough to leave the nest. Some, though, might decide to stay quite near to their mother’s burrow.

What Do Chipmunks Look Like?

Despite being the smallest member of the squirrel family, chipmunks can easily be distinguished from other squirrels. Despite their larger size, squirrels have long, bushy tails and can be either brown or gray. Chipmunks can be easily identified by the dark, vertical stripes around their eyes and on their backs. The tail is more brush-like, flatter, and shorter. The only species found in the eastern half of the United States, the Eastern Chipmunk (Tamias striatus), is the largest, growing to a length of 5 to 7 inches.

Why Do Chipmunks Like Your Garden?

One of the reasons you may see many of these woodland creatures in your yard is that chipmunks have adapted well to life in our homes. “They love soft soil in our gardens, near foundation plantings, and in flower beds,” says Michael Mengak, Ph.D., certified wildlife biologist, professor, and wildlife specialist at the University of Georgia. “They’re not digging in the middle of the grass. They prefer areas that have been covered with mulch and are easy to dig for food.”

If you’ve ever seen these hard-working rodents running around, you’ll have guessed that chipmunks spend most of their days searching for food. They love seeds, nuts, acorns, mushrooms, buds, fruits, berries and some insects. They are energetic little creatures that store food in their dens for the winter (when food is scarce) and stay mostly underground during the season, Mengak says.

What Attracts Chipmunks to Your Garden?

Any place with an abundance of food and shelter will draw a garden fence to keep out chipmunks. Potential habitats include wooded areas, bushes, forests, and urban and suburban areas that provide food and protection from predators. Here are a few things to put in your Garden and yard to attract chipmunks.

Absence of innate predators.
Bulbs that bloom, including tulips, daylilies, and iris.
Unprotected fruits grown in cultivation, such as raspberries, blueberries, and strawberries.
Celery, mushrooms, and chipmunks eat tomatoes, herbs, and other leafy vegetables.
Natural food sources include pinecones, blackberries, and nuts (particularly acorns).
Water-related Features.
Hiding places include places with tall grasses, thick undergrowth, piled wood and rock, and easily accessible outbuildings.

How can I keep Chipmunks out of Garden? Natural ways to keep Chipmunks out of Garden

Adding netting to the fence’s top and sides will give animals more barriers to overcome. Add some spice: A non-toxic method to deter chipmunks from hanging around your Garden is to sprinkle cayenne, chili powder, or other hot, intense spices around. Gardeners have also reported success keeping chipmunks out of Garden away by lightly dusting them with medicated powder.

Use Gravel to Fill pour bleach down Chipmunk hole and Create Barriers

Gravel and sand are difficult to dig. Stuffing chipmunks’ holes with these materials can slow them down and, if you’re diligent, may even make them leave for good. If you choose gravel, select a quality no larger than 1/4 inch in diameter and serve each hole with as much stone as you can push down. how to Get Rid of Snails in Garden Naturally.

The tunnels are long (up to 30 feet) and complex, and the resident squirrel will attempt to dig new entrances. The tunnels are quite deep (3 feet underground), and you won’t find any mounds to help you identify where they are found. Look for holes around the base of trees, retaining walls, rock piles, stumps, patios, flower beds, and building foundations. Fill all the holes you find and check daily for any freshly dug ones. Placing a gravel border about outdoor sheds will prevent digging and tunneling. Seal or shield all openings in outbuildings and ensure doors and windows can be closed securely.

How to Deter Chipmunks?

We could go through a ton of strategies and pointers to help you keep chipmunks out of flower pots in your Garden. Actually, not all of them are 100% effective. For this reason, we’ve assembled the tactics that a lot of gardeners have found to work best.

Try out a few of the suggestions listed below. To create the most useful chipmunk prevention plan, keeping chipmunks out of flower pots in mind that it’s often best to use multiple tactics at once.

Install a Fence

Chipmunks make excellent climbers and diggers alike. Therefore, there are better courses of action than installing a fence. But a fence made of mesh or chicken wire works fine.

Make sure the holes are no larger than ¼ inch if you plan to build a physical barrier. In order to stop burrowing, the mesh must be buried at least 6 inches into the ground. If you want to protect new seedlings and plants that grow from bulbs, you might also think about laying the chicken wire on top of the ground.

Contain Smelly and Pokey Plants In Your Garden

To deter rodents like chipmunks, we suggest incorporating small plants and aromatic plants into your garden design.

For example, daffodils, black-eyed Susans, lupins, asters, coreopsis, and purple coneflowers can be planted between crops or in borders as chipmunk-repellent plants.

Scented plants are also good for repelling chipmunks. Sage, mint, lavender, cilantro, and garlic are good examples of spices that chipmunks tend to avoid. These herbs are placed in strategic locations to keep squirrels away from sensitive plants. Plus, you’ll have fresh herbs ready to use in any recipe at any time!

Wrap Your Trees Spray or Sprinkle Chipmunk Repellents

When it comes to repelling chipmunk fences, repellents are one of the most popular and useful measures you can take when you want to keep chipmunks out of planters and other creatures out of your yard. The reason is that many repellents can be prepared at home with ingredients you already have.

What repels chipmunks is a barrier to odors that chipmunks don’t like. When applied correctly, repellents can dramatically reduce the presence of chipmunks in your yard.

The most effective chipmunk fence repellents will use any of the following elements: hot cayenne pepper, peppermint, citrus essential oils, chili powder, garlic, apple cider vinegar, Epsom salt, coffee grounds or baby powder. But these ingredients also help repel rodents and other pests.

Wrap Your Trees

Chipmunks in garage sometimes like to scratch tree bark and climb trees. This is especially the case for smaller, younger trees. If you notice that chipmunks are damaging your trees or climbing them to access fruits, you may need to protect your trees.

The most straightforward way to do this is to encase the base of the tree with plastic or aluminum foil. The new outer layer will prevent scratching and decrease the chipmunk’s ability to gain traction on the tree bark to climb.

You can also use this method to save fruit trees from squirrels.

If you notice chipmunks pecking at particular plants, you can also wrap them in wire or chicken wire to give them room to grow but also protect them from pesky chipmunks. It also helps keep chipmunks out of bird feeders.

Position Plastic Predators Around the Garden

In general, chipmunks are low on the food chain, meaning they are considered prey by many larger animals. For that reason, chipmunks in garage are skittish little animals.

You can take advantage of their nervousness by planting plastic predators in your Garden. Plastic snakes, keeping chipmunks out of bird feeders, owls, and birds of prey, work fantastically as decorative predators. Chipmunks will see the decoys and believe the space unsafe.

When using decoys, it is important to remember to change the locations where you position your timing. Otherwise, chipmunks and other prey animals will realize that the plastic predator is not a threat. A predator that moves around the garden is much scarier than one that stays in one place day after day.

Let Your Pets Enjoy the Yard

You’re in luck if you have pets. One of the easiest ways to keep animals like squirrels and chipmunks out of your yard is to keep your pet dogs and cats away from them. The rationale is that a lot of tiny animals, including chipmunks, view cats and dogs as predators.

It’s best if your pets can spend as much time in the yard as possible. They will eventually leave behind hair samples and overpowering odors from their feces and urine. Once they detect these scents of predator urine, chipmunks will stay away from the area for their safety. You should visit your neighborhood pet groomer and ask to use some of the extra furs they have lying around if you want to try this tactic even though you don’t have any pets.

Install Motion-Activated Deterrents

It isn’t always possible for us to be in the garden to ward off intrusive animals that might be digging holes and stealing fresh produce. It explains why chipmunks are so effectively scared off by motion-activated deterrents. Even when you and your pets are not present, they can still keep your garden safe.

One of our favorite deterrent strategies is the use of motion-activated sprinklers. Chipmunks are easily scared away by the unexpected noise and sudden bursts of water. You also give your plants a little extra water.

Try Ultrasonic Deterrents

Ultrasonic deterrents are a common tool used in pest management. Ultrasonic repellents are high-frequency sound-emitting devices that react to motion. A human ear cannot hear the sound. It is intolerable for small animals, though.

The chipmunks will eventually come to view the area where you’ve placed the deterrents as dangerous and will decide to go elsewhere.

Keep Your Trash Cans Secured

Chipmunks may be visiting your property due to the easy access to food. Although chipmunks enjoy fresh produce, nuts, seeds, and fruits, if your trash is within easy reach, they may also get into it. For this reason, it’s critical to make sure your trash cans are locked securely each night.

Trash bags should never be left outside. Remember to properly close the lid. Should the need arise, you can use bungee cords to secure your trash cans further. By being cautious about where you store your trash, you can deter raccoons, rodents, and chipmunks.

Hire A Professional To Trap the Chipmunks

If the chipmunk issue is particularly difficult to handle, you should consider hiring an expert. Experts in pest control can frequently use methods, such as trapping, that you shouldn’t use to manage your pest problem.

Local laws and ordinances frequently regulate the trapping of chipmunks and other wild animals. For this reason, we never advise capturing wild animals on your own. Hiring a pro will guarantee that the chipmunks are released properly and that the trapping is done humanely.

Invest in a fake Owl

In addition to cats and dogs, Chipmunks in garage are also terrified of owls, which are one of their biggest predators (via Squirrels at the Feeder). In fact, they even have an alert system to alert other chipmunks if there is a threat in the area. If only there were a way to get chipmunks to warn each other about your garden.

Do you hesitate to attract predators to your garden? That seems fine to me! Fortunately, a fake owl can still work. According to Pest Lockdown, fake owls can be sufficient deterrents against chipmunks, but the rodents may eventually realize that the threat is not real. To keep them terrified (and out of your yard), you should place the owl on a tree branch and change its location every few days. The site also recommends placing reflective tape and wind chimes near the fake owl to make it more intimidating and discourage brave Chipmunks in garage from getting too close.

Put up fences

If you’ve tried a few methods to get rid of chipmunks but still need to get a chance, consider adding a fence. Since chipmunks are excellent climbers and burrow up to 3 feet confidential, according to SFGate, fences are generally not the best repellent, so we don’t recommend them as a first step (or as your only line of defense). After all, you would need a very tall and deep fence to keep the chipmunks alone. They may be annoying, but it’s probably not worth digging a 3-foot trench over them.

That said, if you’re already using some chipmunk deterrents, a fence can be the little extra push that will ultimately make your yard more trouble than it’s worth. A chipmunk may still be willing to come into your yard and brave some pepper rush to eat your tulips, but it’s more work to hide under the fence. Likewise, you may have fewer chipmunk burrows in your yard if the chipmunks have to jump over the barrier every time they want to hunt for food.

Use a large (and humane) trap

Although not our favorite way to get rid of chipmunks, humane traps are a good last effort if nothing else works. These traps keep the animals in a cage without killing them, allowing you to release them somewhere other than your house. Bob Vila advises setting up a long cage-style trap (roughly 10 to 20 inches long), using peanuts, sunflower seeds, or butter peanuts as bait, and wearing gloves to prevent chipmunks from avoiding anything that smells like you. It is very important to check the trap frequently so that the captured animals do not die. You must also quickly release captured animals; make sure you drive far enough from your house so they won’t be a problem again.

If you know you’ll be busy or away from home for a few days, move the trap inward so you don’t accidentally capture any creatures you can’t release in time. Also, be sure to check local ordinances before setting traps.

FAQs

How long do chipmunks live?

In the wild, chipmunks can last up to three years. They have an eight-year lifespan in captivity.

Do chipmunks?

Throughout the winter, chipmunks stay in their underground burrows and spend most of their time sleeping, only emerging every few days to eat from their large food reserves. Although the animals’ heart rates drop, they do not actually hibernate. It is in March or April that they surface above dirt.

Do chipmunks climb trees?

Although they can climb, chipmunks will spend the majority of their time on the ground searching for berries and nuts in trees. They can occasionally be seen running atop fences and falling headfirst from trees.

Do coffee grounds repel chipmunks?

Indeed, chipmunks may be deterred from your garden by coffee grounds. Coffee grounds have a strong, bitter smell that might encourage chipmunks to stay away from the area. You can gather your spent coffee grounds and scatter them around the plants you wish to keep safe in your garden. The fact that coffee grounds biodegrade and improve the soil is an added benefit of using them as a repellent.

What smells do chipmunks hate?

The sense of smell is very keen in chipmunks. They locate the delicious treats in your garden by using their sense of smell. But there are also a lot of scents that chipmunks find repulsive. Scents like citrus, peppermint, cinnamon, garlic, and eucalyptus are offensive to chipmunks.

How do you fence to keep Chipmunks out of garden and away from tomato plants?

Occasionally, wild chipmunks share our enjoyment of our tomato plants. When they can easily reach the low-hanging fruit, they especially enjoy it. There are two strategies to prevent chipmunks from your chipmunks eating tomatoes.