Will Cayenne Pepper Get Rid Of Chipmunks
Chipmunks can’t stand the taste of hot peppers. Chipmunks are a member of the squirrel family and are small ground-dwelling rodents, although they can climb trees. Chipmunks don’t like the taste of hot peppers, so a liberal dose of homemade pepper spray can keep the cute, but troublesome, critters at bay. via
How Do The Seasons Affect Chipmunks
Like all mammals, chipmunks have their own internal clocks and a primal knowledge of the seasons. Food gathering takes on greater speed in the fall as chipmunks prepare for colder weather.
Fall and Winter
As winter begins, so does a kind of hibernation. Chipmunks dont actually sleep throughout the cold months, however. They retreat into their burrows and enter an inactive state to live on their stored cache of food.
Spring and Summer
In early spring, chipmunks leave their homes for the first of two mating seasons. When warmer temperatures take hold, they run about aboveground but stay within roughly one-third of a mile from their burrows. The second breeding season takes place during the heat of summer.
Chipmunk Burrows And Damage
Their burrows are hidden near woodpiles, stumps, brush piles, basements, and garages. Their burrows are typically about 20-30 feet in length that usually includes food storage and nesting areas. They have escape tunnels and side pockets connected to their main shafts. These burrows may be hard to detect because there is no obvious mound of dirt around the entry points. The chipmunk will carry the excavated dirt in here cheek pouch and scatter it away from the burrow to hide the entrance from predators. Chipmunks can be a pest because they can cause damage due to their burrowing activities. They can cause structural damage to decks, patios, foundational walls, retention walls, and slabs. Chipmunks can also carry fleas to and from your yard.
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Ways To Get Rid Of Chipmunks
There are many ways to control chipmunks, including taking steps for prevention, trapping and releasing, and using homemade chipmunk repellents. Because chipmunks are rodents, many of the same methods used to control them are similar to those used against rats, mice, and squirrels. But the most humane, and often the most effective, methods are exclusion and prevention.
Lethal Methods For Getting Rid Of Chipmunks
This method can only be your very last option in a very desperate situation.
You can get rid of chipmunks using a non-lethal method or inviting animal control to handle it for you. Do not be in haste to start killing them off.
The best solution is always to create an uncomfortable environment for them and watch them abandon your space as quickly as they can. It also prevents future infestations.
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Are Chipmunks Dangerous To Humans
While these critters are not vicious, they can still hurt you.
Firstly, due to their natural behaviour to constantly chew on things, they can bite or chomp down if they find pets or humans nearby.
Secondly, chipmunks are the part of rodent family they can carry various parasites and diseases that can spread to pets, kids, and humans through their feces.
Plus, chipmunks if infested by ticks or fleas can spread fatal diseases like flu, plague, rabies, skin rashes, Lyme Disease, etc.
Where Should I Look For Chipmunk Burrows
If youre looking for piles of dirt as the sign of a burrow, you may be surprised. Chipmunks build their homes free of dirt at the entrances and exits. The holes tend to be quite small, often only two to three inches in diameter, and may extend two to three feet under the surface.
Stumps, stony areas, fallen logs, and woodpiles are inviting spots for chipmunks. Cover provides them comfort. Patios, stairs, basements, and any well-hidden sites near a house or building will fit a chipmunks needs.
Being underground protects chipmunks from cats, foxes, skunks, hawks, owls, and snakes. As some of these predators grow to adult size, they have difficulty fitting into a chipmunk burrow.
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What Digs Shallow Holes In Yard
If your yard is pocked with shallow divots, you may have raccoons, squirrels or even skunks visiting your lawn, even if theyre not burrowing there. These creatures dig divots in grass and mulch to eke out food. Having your plants uprooted at night or finding big chunks of sod points to raccoons.
Use Ultrasonic Repellers To Shoo Away Pests
If planting vegetation chipmunks hate doesnt do the trick, then trying another sensory technique might help. Rather than appealing to the taste and smell of the creatures, or repelling them, ultrasonic devices use sound to turn animals away.
These electronic creations transmit a signal beyond the range of human hearing that other creatures like rodents cant stand. This solution does much more than irritate the chipmunk into finding a new home.
It disrupts their ability to communicate with one another, making them more susceptible to predators. As a result, the small pests seek out a new domain to call home.
Some of these handy devices even come with motion sensors and can be found online or in your local hardware store. They work quite well as the best way to get rid of squirrels, rabbits, and a variety of other rodents, too.
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Add Thiram To Bulbs To Deter Creatures
Conventional pest control uses an ingredient known as thiram in their repellents. This agent does not affect birds, which means you wont have to sacrifice seeing these beautiful creatures to keep smaller rodents from traipsing around in your garden, though you should only apply it to plants and flowers that you dont intend to eat.
Spray the thiram over plant bulbs, their stems, and bark. Follow this pest control procedure at least once a week, or whenever it rains, to keep the components of the repellent working. Some products that use this repellent include Ziram and Daconil.
What Can You Put Down Chipmunk Holes And Tunnels
Your home is prone to pests and animals making their way to the foundation.
Chipmunks are a prime example of animals that make their way to your homes foundation especially during hibernation time.
Once the period is over, you will surely find a bunch of holes that you will need to cover.
But, you will have to be smart about this.
Since chipmunk tunnels can go quite deep, you want to ensure that you are using the right mechanisms for an effective result.
You might be wondering why this is important. Well, leaving those holes can be quite damaging to your home.
So, you want to ensure that you cover them up as soon as possible.
Over here, I will be discussing what you should expect in terms of a chipmunk hole. Moreover, you will also learn how to fill these holes up.
So, before any further ado, lets get to the main thing.
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Signs You Have A Chipmunk Problem
Chipmunks tend to be quick and quiet, making them hard to spot. In fact, you may have a chipmunk problem in your yard and not even know it. Here are a few ways to identify a chipmunk infestation.
- Evidence of damage in the garden or flower beds Does it look as though something has been munching on your plants, flowers and fruits? You may have a chipmunk problem. Oftentimes, chipmunks choose to burrow in gardens and flower beds, so keep an eye out for damage to your gardens.
- Tiny footprints in the yard If youve got a chipmunk problem, you may spot chipmunk footprints in your yard. Chipmunks have four toes on the front feet and five toes on the hind feet. Keep a look out for prints in the dirt around the sides of your home, garden or garden shed.
- Cracked sidewalks and issues with the house foundation This could be evidence that chipmunks are building tunnels underneath your walkways and home. If you spot evidence of chipmunks tunneling around your home, youll need to take care of the pest problem asap to prevent structural damage.
- A high-pitched chirping sound Think you have a chipmunk inside your home? Listen out for high-pitched chirping noises that sound like chip chip. If you do find a chipmunk in your home, make it easy for them to escape. Trust us they dont want to be inside your house any more than you want them to be there.
What Can You Fill Chipmunk Holes With
So, what can you do when you once you observe that there are chipmunk holes around your home?
I have come up with a list of three things that you can add to the tunnels and keep chipmunks away.
While not every option is a permanent solution to keep the chipmunks away, they do prove to be effective in covering them up.
They include adding cat litter, fine gravel, or cement to the tunnels present around and under your home.
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What Do Squirrel Holes In The Yard Look Like
One way to identify a squirrel intrusion is from the holes they leave when digging for food in yards and gardens. Squirrels leave holes that are consistently two inches in diameter, shallow, and have little to no surrounding soil. These types of holes are specific to squirrels and differentiate them from other rodents.
How Deep Do Chipmunks Burrow
Chipmunks burrow excavations can be huge. The main tunnel can extend 2 to 3 feet deep under the ground and reach 20 to 30 feet in length.
The tunnels within the burrow system vary in width and may run alongside extensive tree roots. The chipmunk is also continuously expanding its burrow system each year.
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Whats The Best Way To Get Rid Of Chipmunks In Your Yard
Generally small traps, from 10 to 20 inches long, and with one or two doors are the way to go. Place them around burrows and the places youve most often seen chipmunks, baiting the traps with goodies like peanut butter or sunflower seeds. Be sure to check the trap often and re-home the animals promptly.
Can You Put Poison In Holes To Kill Chipmunk
Poison pellets or baits are effective in eliminating chipmunks forever.
But these do have their own pros and cons.
First of all, while using the fatal baits and poisons you should take precautions while handling them.
These can be found by your pets or kids and have severely harm them.
Secondly, when the poison is eaten by chipmunks, you should be prepared to dispose of the chipmunk bodies with proper care.
If you leave the body in or around your property, the carcass may start to rot and can attract many more damaging vermin like raccoons, rats, eagles, flies, and many others.
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When To Call A Professional To Get Rid Of Chipmunks
It can be difficult to get rid of chipmunks on your own without any real training or experience. If you find yourself in a place where you cannot figure out how to get rid of chipmunks in your yard, it is time to call a professional. Ultimately, a pro will be able to catch and re-home the chipmunks in your yard much faster than you could do on your own. If you are short on time and want the chipmunks out as soon as possible, get some professional help.
Choose Chipmunk Hole Filler
After relocating chipmunks from your yard, decide what type of hole filler material you want to use for your chipmunk problem. You can choose between cat litter, gravel or sand and its based primarily based on personal preference.
I recommend sand because is it readily available, fills the hole completely, and it is easy to pour into the chipmunk hole.
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How To Keep Chipmunks Out Of Your Yard
Prevention is always preferable, so how can you keep chipmunks out of your yard?
Catch And Release Chipmunks
We were invaded by chipmunks that were destroying the foundation of our cement porch. We tried every remedy including flooding the boroughs, red pepper spray, and fox and coyote urine. We also tried smoke bombs and every other remedy the hardware store had.
The only thing that worked is small squirrel traps. We catch them and release them at the local nature preserve. We were up to 34 last year. The traps are humane if you check them frequently. Bate them with peanuts. They never seem to catch on that their brothers are missing, and they dont seem to be bothered by human scent. Please use caution as we caught a baby skunk in one of the traps. The traps have reduced the population.
Also treat your lawn for grubs. This will also cut down on the population.Dawn
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How To Prevent Chipmunk From Burrowing Holes In Future
Now, if youre wondering as to what the best solution for you to keep chipmunks from burrowing holes in the future, then look no further.
You will have to think of solutions that will be sustainable.
While installing electronic repellents/sprinklers in the garden can be pretty useful, here are a few more of them that I think can work for you
1- Fencing
One of the options available to you is fences.
Using the right type of wire mesh fencing can ensure that you keep chipmunks away from your home for good.
With these fences around the perimeter of your garden or your home, you will no longer have to take extreme measures of adding cement to chipmunk holes or anything else.
Be smart about this, and invest in fencing that will prevent the possibility of chipmunks burrowing holes in your home!
For preventing chipmunks from digging, make sure you extend the wire mesh a little below the ground surface.
2- Let the Cat Do the Work
Cats are good predators that prey on small rodents like chipmunks.
If you have a pet cat at home, you can let her do the job for you.
Just leave her out during the daytime and she will scare the chipmunks away and make them remain out for long.
3- Clear the Mess and Food Sources
Like all other rodents, chipmunks are also attracted to their favorite food, shelter and right dwelling conditions.
So, make sure you keep your home surroundings and yard free of clutter.
Develop a habit to trim down overgrown flowers or shrubs that are close to your building.
Reduce Cover For Chipmunks
While chipmunks dont need cover to survive, they wont want to stick around an area without cover for safety and hiding. If your property has plenty of ground cover in the form of woodpiles, overgrown plants, and shrubs near the house and garden, you can be sure youll attract chipmunks.
Get rid of piles of wood from around the house and check carefully for areas that give chipmunks easy places to hide. The biggest problem is long runs of cover such as overgrown plants next to shrubs that grow along the house. This gives the chipmunk an easy way to cover large distances without being seen by predators. Make sure the cover is broken up in many areas, especially from any wooded area to the home or garden.
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Try Juicy Fruit To Get Rid Of Chipmunks
Chipmunks are cute, but they sometimes can be a pain as well. Our exterminator has told us that one way to get rid of them is to put Juicy Fruit gum pieces in their burrows. Do not chew the gum. In fact, do not let it touch human hands. Take the gum out of the wrapper, a few pieces will do, with gloves on. Place the pieces near the burrows, and the chipmunks will be disgusted at the scent. Remember, they should not sense that a human has put the gum there.Jackie
