You won’t affect the local population, and worse, releasing a chipmunk in a strange area will almost surely result in his or her death. The eastern chipmunk is a small, brownish, ground-dwelling squirrel. It helps to turn off any lights in the room and let the natural light from the opening lead the chipmunk to the safety of the outdoors. Therefore, damage control recommendations are similar for all species. In an effort to prevent their incisors from overgrowing, chipmunks are known to chew wires, pipes, insulation, and flooring, and damage personal property like. These friendly little animals will typically leave as soon as you clear an escape path for them, usually by opening a door or window. If a chipmunk accidentally gets inside your home, don’t panic. If you do want to prevent burrowing, bury a heavy-duty, hardware cloth so that it extends down 10 inches and flares out 8 inches at the bottom. Sometimes they burrow under porches, sidewalks, or plantings, but they do not burrow extensively, so they rarely do any damage. BurrowingĬhipmunks often build their burrows near rocks, logs, or woodpiles.
If necessary, you can protect flower bulbs by covering the dirt above them with a coarse-gauge wire screen that allows plants to grow through but prevents chipmunks and squirrels from damaging the bulbs. Occasionally, a squirrel or chipmunk who is scurrying around searching for nuts and berries could damage an ornamental plant, but this is rare. Getting Rid Of Chipmunks Chipmunk damage In Kansas City Wildlife trapping & removal Restoring damaged insulation and air ducts Sealing potential entry points. All in all, chipmunks are tremendously appealing animals, and most people love having them around. They give birth in April or May and again in July or August. They are delightful animals who seldom cause any problem.Ĭhipmunks are adept at carrying items in their expandable cheek pouches-for example, a chipmunk can carry three shelled, double peanuts at a time, one in each cheek and one in his or her front teeth. They weigh two to four ounces, have broad stripes down their backs, and are out and about during the day. Found throughout North America-mostly in wooded areas where there are no cats-these diminutive relatives of squirrels are easy to identify.
Place 1/4-inch mesh hardware cloth as fencing around gardens and flowers. The plants will sprout through the mesh grid, but the bulbs will be protected. If you’re lucky enough to have chipmunks in or near your yard, you probably know how charming they are. Prevent chipmunks from digging up flower bulbs by planting the bulbs beneath a layer of 1/4-inch hardware cloth or in bulb cages.