Chipmunks are small, striped rodents that are highly active foragers, often seen darting across yards and rock walls during the day. These creatures are omnivorous, but their diet consists primarily of plant matter, including nuts, seeds, and fruits. Their natural behavior of collecting and caching food frequently leads them into conflict with homeowners. When chipmunks cause damage through burrowing near foundations or feeding on garden crops, baiting and trapping become necessary tools for relocation or control. Understanding the chipmunk’s dietary preferences is the first step in selecting a bait that will reliably lure them into a trap.
Highly Effective Food Baits
Chipmunks possess a natural preference for high-fat, high-calorie foods that can be easily transported and stored in their characteristic cheek pouches. This preference makes various seeds and nuts the most successful baits for trapping efforts. Sunflower seeds, particularly the oil-rich black oil variety, are highly appealing due to their high fat content. Pumpkin seeds are another highly effective selection due to their size and strong attractant properties.
Nuts are equally desirable, especially those with a strong scent or that are easily husked, such as peanuts, walnuts, and hazelnuts. These items closely mimic the natural forage chipmunks seek in the wild. Nut meats, or the kernels of nuts, are particularly attractive and convenient for use as bait. Grains also serve as effective secondary baits, with common options including whole kernel corn, rolled oats, and pieces of breakfast cereal. The appealing texture and scent of these staples reliably draw chipmunks toward a trap’s trigger plate.
Dried fruits, such as raisins and prune slices, also attract chipmunks due to their concentrated sugar content. These sweet items offer a different form of caloric reward that can sometimes be effective when seeds and nuts have failed to draw attention.
Maximizing Bait Appeal and Security
The success of a trapping operation relies not just on the food selected, but on how it is prepared and secured within the device. Peanut butter is often employed to present bait, using its sticky consistency to secure loose seeds or grains to the trap’s trigger plate. A small smear of peanut butter mixed with a favorite seed ensures the chipmunk must engage the trigger mechanism fully to consume the bait.
To increase the aromatic draw, slightly crushing nuts before placement helps release their natural oils and scent. It is beneficial to use only a small amount of bait directly on the trigger plate to prevent the animal from simply snatching a piece without fully entering the enclosure. Creating a light trail of a few seeds leading into the trap encourages the chipmunk to follow the scent directly to the secured bait. Handling the bait and trap with gloves is advisable, as chipmunks have a keen sense of smell and may avoid the trap if it carries human scent.
Strategic Placement for Successful Trapping
Proper placement of the baited trap is just as important as the choice of food, capitalizing on the chipmunk’s natural travel patterns and caution. Chipmunks tend to feel safer moving along established paths, which often run parallel to structures like walls, fences, and logs. Positioning the trap perpendicular to these travel routes or directly against a structure forces the animal to walk directly into the entrance.
Locating the trap near known areas of activity, such as under decks, next to woodpiles, or close to burrow entrances, significantly increases the likelihood of a catch. Camouflaging the trap with natural materials like leaves or small branches can help reduce the chipmunk’s wariness toward the new object in its environment. Chipmunks are diurnal, meaning they are active during the day, with peak foraging occurring in the early morning and late afternoon. Setting the trap during these hours and checking it at least twice a day maximizes the chance of a quick capture.