Chipmunks can quickly become a nuisance due to their extensive burrowing habits, which can undermine patios, foundations, and retaining walls. These small rodents seek readily available food sources and sheltered locations for their nests and tunnels. While their quick movements may be charming, their destructive potential necessitates action. The following methods focus exclusively on non-lethal, humane strategies designed to deter chipmunks or remove them safely from the area.
Eliminating Attractive Food Sources
The most effective step in humane chipmunk control is modifying the outdoor environment by removing or securing the food sources that initially drew them in. Chipmunks are opportunistic foragers whose diet includes seeds, nuts, berries, and insects. Interrupting this food supply makes the habitat significantly less desirable.
Bird feeders are a common attractant, as chipmunks readily consume spilled sunflower seeds and cracked corn. Switching to seeds they dislike, such as thistle, or installing specialized squirrel-proof feeders that minimize spillage can reduce their incentive to linger. Any pet food left outdoors should be secured immediately, as should garbage and compost bins, ensuring they have tight-fitting lids.
Fallen fruit and berries should be collected daily, as these high-energy foods attract chipmunks preparing for winter. Clearing dense vegetation, wood piles, and rock walls near the home’s foundation also helps, as this eliminates the protective cover they use to hide their burrow entrances.
Utilizing Sensory Repellents
Sensory repellents work by creating an environment that is unpleasant for chipmunks, forcing them to seek more comfortable territory without inflicting harm. These repellents target the animal’s highly sensitive sense of smell and taste. Commercial options are available in granular or liquid forms, often containing capsaicin, the compound that gives chili peppers their heat.
Applying taste-based repellents directly to vulnerable items, like flower bulbs or ornamental plants, makes them unpalatable. Other deterrents use the scent of a natural predator, such as fox or coyote urine, which triggers the chipmunk’s instinctual fear response, signaling that the area is unsafe.
For a do-it-yourself approach, sprinkling cayenne pepper or coffee grounds near known burrow entrances or along foundations can provide a temporary deterrent. Ultrasonic devices, which emit high-frequency sounds, are another option, though their effectiveness is variable. Liquid and granular repellents should be reapplied frequently, especially after rain, to maintain the intensity of the sensory discomfort.
Physical Exclusion and Barrier Installation
When habitat modification and repellents prove insufficient, installing physical barriers offers a permanent solution to prevent chipmunks from accessing vulnerable areas. Chipmunks are capable diggers, meaning any effective barrier must extend beneath the surface of the ground. The most effective material is galvanized hardware cloth with a 1/4-inch mesh size, which is too small for the animal to squeeze through.
To protect structures like decks, sheds, or patios, a trench must be dug around the perimeter, extending 6 to 8 inches into the soil. The hardware cloth is then attached securely to the base of the structure, extended down into the trench, and bent outward at a 90-degree angle to form an “L-footer.” This L-footer should extend 8 to 12 inches and be covered with soil or gravel. When a chipmunk attempts to burrow, it encounters the horizontal plane of the mesh, which discourages further digging.
Safe Live Trapping and Relocation
If deterrence methods fail, live trapping and relocation offer an active, humane way to remove chipmunks from the property. Small, single-door live traps, typically 10 to 20 inches in length, are the appropriate size for safe capture. Traps should be placed near active burrow entrances or along established travel routes where chipmunk activity is highest.
Effective bait includes sunflower seeds, nut meats, peanut butter, or grains, placed past the trigger plate to encourage the chipmunk to fully enter the trap. It is recommended to pre-bait the trap for a few days by securing the door open, allowing the chipmunks to become comfortable feeding before the trap is set. Once the trap is set, it must be checked frequently—at a minimum, at dawn and dusk—to minimize the stress on the captured animal.
Wear thick gloves when handling the trap to avoid direct contact. Relocation must be done in accordance with local and state wildlife regulations, which often specify a minimum distance, typically at least five miles away from the capture site. The release location should be a suitable, wooded area with natural cover and food sources. All entry points and potential attractants must be sealed or removed immediately after the animal is relocated to prevent a new chipmunk from taking up residence.