Eastern chipmunks are small, common rodents that have adapted well to suburban environments, often bringing them into conflict with homeowners. These striped mammals are known for their frantic activity, constantly digging burrows and storing seeds, which can cause damage to foundations, decks, and gardens. When this conflict arises, the immediate reaction is often to live-trap the animal and move it far away, believing this to be the most merciful course of action. This solution raises a difficult question about the chipmunk’s chances of survival once released into an unfamiliar habitat.
The Harsh Reality of Relocation Survival
Relocating small wild mammals like chipmunks is generally ineffective and results in a high mortality rate. When a chipmunk is removed from its home range and released miles away, it is essentially dropped into a world without a known map. The animal lacks crucial knowledge about where to find water sources, established food supplies, or secure den sites in this new territory.
Survival statistics for relocated small rodents are bleak, with studies showing that a large percentage of relocated animals die or disappear within a few months. One of the most immediate threats is predation, as the disoriented chipmunk does not know the familiar escape routes or bolt-holes that would have been part of its original cognitive map. Without a pre-established network of secure, multi-chambered burrows, the chipmunk is exposed to hawks, foxes, and domestic cats.
Starvation is another significant cause of death, particularly if the animal is moved in the late summer or fall. Chipmunks do not truly hibernate, but instead enter a state of torpor, waking periodically to feed on their food caches. Relocating them forces them to expend precious energy searching for food and building a new burrow system, which is a massive drain on reserves accumulated for winter survival.
Why Relocation Causes Stress and Death
The poor survival rates are directly tied to the chipmunk’s reliance on its home territory. Chipmunks are solitary and highly territorial, typically maintaining a small home range, often less than half an acre, centered around their burrow. Releasing a chipmunk into an already occupied area forces it into immediate, often fatal, competition with the resident chipmunk population.
The established chipmunks will aggressively defend their resources, including food caches and secure burrow entrances. A newly introduced chipmunk, already weakened by the stress of capture and transport, is ill-equipped to compete for access to food or shelter. Furthermore, the intense stress response can suppress the animal’s immune system, making it vulnerable to illness following release.
Chipmunks rely on elaborate burrows, which can extend up to 30 feet and include separate chambers for nesting and storing food. Digging a new, secure home requires considerable time and energy, which the animal may not have before weather or predators overwhelm it. Moving animals can also introduce diseases to the naive population in the release area, creating a health hazard for the existing wildlife.
Humane Alternatives to Trapping and Moving
Since relocation is an ineffective solution, the most constructive approach involves non-lethal exclusion and deterrence methods. Focus should be placed on making the existing habitat less appealing to the chipmunk without removing it from its familiar territory. This strategy resolves the conflict while allowing the animal to continue its life nearby.
Homeowners can start by eliminating common attractants, such as spilled birdseed from feeders and unsecured pet food, which provide easy, high-calorie meals. Clearing dense vegetation, rock piles, and wood debris near the home’s foundation also removes attractive cover and potential nesting sites. Chipmunks are less likely to establish burrows in areas where they feel exposed to predators.
To prevent burrowing near structures, a physical barrier is the most successful method of exclusion. Chipmunk access points, such as under decks, sheds, or porches, can be sealed with a durable material like hardware cloth or galvanized mesh. This mesh should be buried vertically at least six inches deep and bent outward in an L-shape to deter digging. This directs the chipmunk to dig burrows safely away from the foundation.