Chipmunks

[Lost Californian]

Sigh.

We like feeding the critters. Squirrels get corn, birds get all sorts of stuff, turkeys are welcome to corn piles if the squirrels leave them long enough, raccoons are allowed to raid the feeder as long as they aren't tearing things up, deer don't come to the salt block since the road construction started 2 years back...some sort of hawk nests out back, and we do not mind the few birds it gets at the feeders, even.

However, as cute as they are in the wild, stupid chipmunks are not welcome here. For little bitty things, they sure do a lot of damage. Today, one of the more brazen, cheeky bastards sat on the other end of the porch from me, ~25 feet away. So, out came the .22 smoothbore single shot. A little patience, one more smoke, and it was back. Shoulder surgery (labrum repair etc) 10 days ago, so I can not use my right arm as I prefer, meant a left handed shot. I surprised myself by actually making a good hit. One down, find out how many more to go. Wish they would just stay away.

 

[Cameramonkey]

For me, I found a solution.

One of these if the food source is scarce enough. (mine had too much free food from the feeder to coax him up the ramp)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aORyEgsaQa4

But I went to True Value Hardware and bought a rat trap. I smeared the trigger with peanut butter, set it as light as I could (fully engaged he was able to lick the peanut butter off the trigger without consequences.) and then put a handful of black oil sunflowers all over the trap and around it. I then put a plastic tote upside down over it up on blocks so he could get to it but the birds wouldnt be attracted to the seed.

I had him trapped 30 minutes after setting it, even after spooking him by taking a pot shot at him with a pellet gun. And mine was VERY skittish. He knew exactly where dangerous humans come from, and simply opening the door was enough to scare him away even though he was 20 yards away. When I found him, both cheeks were FILLED with seed. So he was in the process of walking all over the trap gathering seed when he bumped something and set it off.

Good luck!

 

[Lost Californian]

I had to resort to one of those a couple years back, to clear out the infestation in the barn. 7 of them failed their swim test. Pretty sure this one was the same one last night that came out from under the porch and started hovering seeds from under the feeders while we sat and watched. Didn't even duck when we got up to come in. Paid for its arrogance.

 

[Twangbanger]

...For little bitty things, they sure do a lot of damage...

What are they damaging? Just curious...we are overrun with them. I kill everything that inflicts concrete damage, but we have never experienced any actual repercussions from the ground squirrels. They live underground, and here this time of year, seem mostly interested in converting tons of maple propellers into a protein-rich meal for the occasional hawk or kitty, but that's about it.

 

[Cameramonkey]

What are they damaging? Just curious...we are overrun with them, and while I kill everything that inflicts concrete damage, we have never experienced any actual repercussions from the ground squirrels. They live underground, eat tons of maple propellers, and provide the occasional meal for a hawk or kitty, but that's about it.

For me they were DESTROYING my garden. I lost half of my pea crop to the munching critter.

 

[Lost Californian]

What are they damaging? Just curious...we are overrun with them. I kill everything that inflicts concrete damage, but we have never experienced any actual repercussions from the ground squirrels. They live underground, and here this time of year, seem mostly interested in converting tons of maple propellers into a protein-rich meal for the occasional hawk or kitty, but that's about it.

Sweetie's flowers and flowerbeds take a beating every time they show up. Way too many holes around the foundation of the house and outbuildings. In the barn they were tearing up insulation and damaging wiring on vehicles.

 

[mom45]

Flower beds and garden...they damage it all here, but Elvis (my #1 hunter) seems to catch one about every day. One of the other cats had one yesterday and howled at the door until I came to see what he had and thank him for his good work.

 

[Bennettjh]

We have a couple around our house. They keep to themselves for the most part but every so often I'll see some damage to flowers and what not. We have a harder time with rabbits. They can wreak havoc on plants.

 

[K_W]

I have to have a 16 by 16 concrete slab replaced because of them.

 

[Twangbanger]

Hmm...maybe I need to go pop a few for good measure?

 

[seedubs1]

we have a bunch of them. They don't do any damage that I care about. Dig some holes here and there, but nothing structural, and I could care less about flowers.

 

[indiucky]

They are such well mannered little critters....

[video=youtube;rSTBqim2Vg4]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rSTBqim2Vg4[/video]

 

[AtTheMurph]

Front walk had to be mud jacked. Retaining walls replaced/rebuilt. Back patio mud jacked then replaced.

I pick them off with my trusty 5mm Sheridan pellet gun. I cannot count the number I have shot over the years.

I also have Tomcat plastic rat traps that I bait with peanuts. One suggestion is to drill a small hole in them and run a string to anchor the thing to something. I have lost several when Chippers get caught but not killed and wander off somewhere where I never find the trap, or find it in the fall after leaf clean up.

 

[BigBoxaJunk]

We get chipmunks, attracted by the birdseed, and to my huge woodpile in the back, but I haven't suffered any damage that I've seen. Our little terrier puts the fear of god in them whenever she can. I try to live and let live, but there is a line drawn when it comes to vermin that cause damage.

 

[KittySlayer]

Chipmunks are just transvestite squirrels in pretty dresses.

Get a a five gallon bucket, fill it half full with water, sprinkle sunflower seeds on the surface of the water, set it next to a step or build a ramp so they can get in. The evil creatures dive in and drown. I use an old pair of kitchen tonges to retrieve the dead villains, add a few more seeds and wait for the next sucker.

No Lifeguard on Duty.

 

[Restroyer]

They hit our garden pretty hard so we got a Havaheart live trap. Once caught we relocate them at least 1-1/2 miles away (county park). We caught 6 in May. None in June so they must have all been relocated now or either they are getting wise. Garden has no more damage so trap has worked well.

 

[1DOWN4UP]

Flower beds and garden...they damage it all here, but Elvis (my #1 hunter) seems to catch one about every day. One of the other cats had one yesterday and howled at the door until I came to see what he had and thank him for his good work.

You really do not know many of those chipmunks are around your house till you get a good hunting cat.I was not a cat person till the wife got a pair of ferrill cat kittens.These girls KILL chipmunks. They both probably get one each a day,and it is like they don,t even scratch the surface.The chipmunks are everywhere.We do have to keep the cats wormed regularly,cause these things are full of worms........the chipmunks that is.

 

[Sniper 79]

I whacked 13 with a Gamo air rifle. They had dug up under my shed and kids playset. They can do a lot of damage quickly.

Keep it baited up with Decon year round now and that seems to keep new comers nice and dead.

 

[Sniper 79]

I no longer feed the birds or keep a wood pile. Both great ways to get overrun with pests.

Keep everything mowed and even drop mower deck down farther when around shed. Keeps voles and chipmunks from hiding.

 

[mom45]

Cats had another one yesterday. I found the back half by the sidewalk when Bashful got done with her snack. I guess that end isn't as tasty.