How to get rid of chipmunks in a summer cottage: the best methods of struggle. How to get rid of chipmunks? How to get rid of chipmunks in the garden Chipmunk in the country what to do
We are also preparing for the attacks of moles, rats and other pests!
Julia Shchetinyuk
All the efforts of gardeners can be nullified by a family of rodents or small diggers.
Animals, like people, just want to eat, and where their furry ancestors ate for centuries. Of course, you can try to live together with the destroyers of the land. And if it doesn't work?
Striped Scoundrel
- Earlier our sites were "bombed" by thieves. For several years now, we have concluded an agreement with the police. And our partnership is now under reliable protection. Only now there is no one to protect us from rodents, - summer residents complain.
- In my area, chipmunks regularly eat ripe berries. There is no rest from them all summer: strawberries will depart, cherries, gooseberries and blackberries will ripen. Rodents sometimes eat the bushes clean, - complains a summer resident with experience Angelina Leonidovna. - Their raids are especially ruinous if I do not come to the site for a whole week.
Chipmunks are attacking strawberry plantations today: they pick a berry (moreover, a larger one), take it aside, bite off a few pieces, throw it away and again for a new delicacy. In many areas, striped rodents still eat green cherries. And if earlier only the bones were chosen, and the pulp was thrown away, now neither one nor the other is visible on the ground under the tree.
These animals are loners by nature. They are great at climbing trees, because they get most of their food from them. It turns out that each chipmunk (and their weight is 100 grams) collects about two kilograms of supplies for the winter, carefully separates all this according to food qualities and puts it in different corners of its shelter.
- Stone cherries are especially attractive to minke whales. Therefore, they make their way to the still green berry, - says Viktor Aleksandrovich Kostenko, Doctor of Biological Sciences, Professor, Chief Researcher of the Laboratory of Theriology of the Institute of Biology and Soil Science, Far Eastern Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Honored Ecologist of the Russian Federation.
To prevent rodents from destroying cherries, you can use ordinary rat traps to catch them. The best bait will be pine nuts - the most delicious food for chipmunks, it acts on them like cheese on mice. Before stringing the nut on the gatehouse, it should be slightly soaked and the tip cut off - so the aroma of the kernel will be stronger. Chipmunks can feel a nut a mile away.
But be careful with the hollow animal. It will never attack on its own. But you should not take it in your hands: it can bite, and it hurts quite a lot.
The fight against chipmunks must begin with the grass: mow it around plantings and trees. The rodent will not come out into the open. In addition, he is most active not at night, but in the morning and evening. And according to ordinary gardeners, it is best not to leave the dacha for a long time. It has been noticed that pensioners who manage their land all summer do not suffer from rodents as much as their "visiting" colleagues.
And the cartoon is so cute...
In some years, usually closer to August, many gardeners celebrate the real invasion of moles. Few gardeners have seen these animals, but almost everyone is familiar with the results of their work - heaps of earth on the surface. After all, in one night the mole is able to lay up to 50 meters of underground passages.
Some summer residents are sure that moles eat their potatoes. This is not true: the animals feed on insects and their larvae, snails, and worms. Roots, cereals, berries - they are not interested. However, these diggers destroy the soil structure, destroy beneficial worms and insects. And the damaged roots of plants, if it turns out to be in the air (in the wormhole) - they simply die off.
- Basically summer cottages are located in forest areas, - says Professor Alexander Kostenko. - The forest was cut down, but the moles remained. Our Ussuri mole does not dig large holes (like its European relative), but walks in the forest, lifting up the bedding. So the summer cottage for the digger is a fertile place - here, collecting worms, it is easy to raise the ground.
A mole catcher will help from moles (you can find it in stores for 30 rubles). This cone-shaped metal structure, reminiscent of an ice cream cone, "grabs" the animal by the head. Since the mole rarely goes outside, it is better to place the trap directly in the hole. According to summer residents, both cheese and sausage, as well as special bait pellets, can be used as bait.
One of these is called "Krotoboy" (22 rubles, a portion is enough for 4 baits). This tool has an extremely attractive smell for forest diggers. It is scattered not far from the hole, a board with a small hole is placed on top. The bait has a specific effect - eating it, the moles do not die, but simply leave the place. It is easy to check the effectiveness of the tool - by the absence of new land emissions on the ground.
However, our Ussuri moles are not afraid of imported mole traps. Since they are two and a half times larger than their Siberian and European relatives.
According to the scientist, one of the most effective methods of dealing with moles is their capture. For this purpose, an ordinary bucket or cylinder is useful. We bury it ten centimeters below the mole passage. From above we close with sticks and sprinkle with turf.
Mouse mice
- For mole traps and baits for moles and chipmunks, people rarely turn to us - one or two people per season, - says Olga Pishchulina, manager of the Gardens of Primorye company. - But there is no end to those who want to get rid of mice and rats in their areas.
There are a lot of special remedies for rodents: for example, in the form of grain (10-12 rubles per package, which is enough to cover five square meters). ALT glue is also popular (the price is 100 rubles, one "container" is enough for ten times use).
Summer residents especially praise the last resort. Using the clamp is simple - it is applied to a wooden board with a small strip (for mice - 2 cm thick, for rats - 4 cm). A rodent, falling on a sticky surface, first sticks to it with its whole body, and then dies from immobility and fear. So, throwing away the board, you will shudder at the sight of a living rat or mouse stuck to it.
One of our regular customers said that on one ALT-greased board 15 cm long, he caught 8 large rats in his area.
Of the baits, gardeners take grain best of all (it can be put in holes along with piece of cheese, for smell). And keep in mind that you should always wear gloves when laying out baits in your area. And it's not that they can be poisonous. Just a rodent, having felt the smell of a person from the same grain, will never approach him.
Chipmunks can damage plants and dig unwanted holes in the garden. Sometimes a chipmunk can even get into the house through the attic, an open window or door. Fortunately, there are many ways to protect your property from these rodents. Eliminate food sources and hiding places to make your yard and home less attractive to chipmunks. If a chipmunk has already entered your house, you can evict this unwanted guest using simple and humane methods.
Steps
Keep Chipmunks Away From Your Lot And Garden
- If you have a bird feeder installed, remove seeds that fall from it to the ground.
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Remove all rocks, thickets, and piles of debris that chipmunks might be hiding among. Chipmunks look for places where they can easily hide from predators and people. If there are no trees on your site, they will hide under stones, in bushes, under firewood and boards.
Fence the plants in your garden with wire mesh. If chipmunks damage or gnaw at vegetation in your garden, put wire mesh around the plants you want to protect. Bury the mesh at least 20 centimeters into the ground so that the chipmunks cannot dig.
- Fence wire can be purchased at a hardware store or ordered online.
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Surround the area with a plant-free strip of gravel. Thanks to such a strip, chipmunks will not be able to hide near your house in the bushes and grass. In addition, because of the gravel, they will not be able to burrow into the ground. Purchase gravel at a hardware store or order online. Sprinkle it around the plants you want to protect, or around the perimeter of your entire garden.
If the chipmunks don't go away, spray some flavor repellent. Repellents such as bitrex, thiram or ammonia water will give plants a disgusting taste and will scare chipmunks away from them. These repellents can be purchased at a garden supply store or ordered online. Pour the repellant into a spray bottle according to the directions for use and spray the chipmunk-attracting plants thoroughly.
- You may have to apply the repellant a few more times for it to work.
- Taste repellents are effective at repelling chipmunks.
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Scare off the chipmunks with a fake owl. A fake owl will help keep chipmunks away from your garden. Such a fake can be purchased at a garden supply store or ordered online. Put it in an area where chipmunks regularly visit and see if it works.
- Some dummies of owls even glow or move their wings.
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Instead of a dummy predator, get a cat or a dog so that the pet scares away the chipmunks. Be aware that cats and small dogs may prey on chipmunks. Try not to let this happen, as chipmunks often carry diseases that your pet can contract.
- You can put the dog on a chain so that he cannot chase and kill chipmunks.
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Scatter mothballs in places where you have seen chipmunks. Naphthalene or camphor balls will serve as a natural deterrent for chipmunks. If you find that the chipmunks have already made a nest in the attic or elsewhere in your home, sprinkle mothballs at the rate of 2-2.5 kilograms of balls for every 200 square meters.
- Please note that mothballs have a strong odor that can be unpleasant to humans and animals.
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Place bird feeders at least five meters from the house. Bird feeders near your home can attract chipmunks to your home. Hang bird feeders away from the house and low-lying branches. Remove seeds that have fallen to the ground.
Remove berries and nuts that have fallen to the ground. Fallen berries and nuts will attract chipmunks to your yard. If these rodents get used to a constant source of food, they will visit you regularly. Remove berries and fruits from the ground as soon as you find them so that they do not attract chipmunks.
For every summer resident, it is important not only to grow a crop, but also to preserve it. To minimize the harm that uninvited guests can bring, you need to know their habits and lifestyle. There are many ways to fight, but unfortunately not all are suitable, you have to try more and more new ways of fighting until you find “your” way. Here are all the ways of forum members.
Sveka Mice - cats are chasing ... mousetraps are possible.
Moles - sound effects. Find a hole, take such small bombs, children on NG have fun with them, and throw them into the hole, well, or a hose there and some water, some water.
Chipmunks - also a cat - are the best medicine.
Tatulya From hares on tree trunks, you can put bottles on or wrap the trunks with chain-link.
Mice, rats, voles, etc. - cats, if not, then wax tablets with "Storm" filling, "Muksidan" glue, "Foret" briquette are considered the most effective. Bait "Vertoks" - granulated. Well, if hedgehogs live, then feed them - there will be no rodents.
Moles are well scared off by the fact that rags moistened with kerosene are laid out around the site, especially around greenhouses.
It is very effective if there is a car or a neighbor with a car, attach a hose to the exhaust pipe and lower it into its hole. Start the car. The mole will leave you and will not come again, he is smart - he loves fresh air.
Elenium bottles were dug in from moles so that the wind whistled in the necks
From a hare, the husband came up with the idea of sticking a stick and tying a plastic bag to it - with every gust of wind, the bag pops
green eyes From hares. Stretch a rope along the bed at a height of about 50 cm from the ground. Tie strips of foil to it. The foil rustles loudly, glitters in the sun. Animals are afraid.
Chukchi From hares. Draw an eye the size of a matchbox on paper, cut it out and stick 3-4 heads of cabbage on the side. All animals are afraid of this. Only now a hare can come at night, without noticing, to gobble up a big-eyed fork.
The second option: put pieces of felt soaked in tar on the leaves or next to the ground. Nobody likes it, not even midges.
Mice are easy to deal with. You dig a trench 15-20 cm deep and the same width, the main thing is that the walls are sheer. Every 2-3 meters you dig cylinders 40-50 cm high into the trench. The bottom line is this: a mouse falls into a trench and runs with its nose against the wall until it falls into a cylinder.
It is enough to spud carrots and beets from a chipmunk: so that root crops do not stick out of the ground, well, peas, beans and sunflowers are its prey.
AlisaPatrikeevna At the market, decorative onions (sellers called garlic) were planted for beauty, then they learned from neighbors that moles were afraid of him. Whether it's a coincidence or not, but in 5 years (that we have a dacha) the first year without a mole. L. gigantic (A. giganteum)
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Marita77 A friend said how she got rid of rats, they say you set fire to a rat and into the hole, they leave without a trace. I didn’t have a rat, but I found an old zigey hat. They cut into pieces 7 * 7, poured lighter fluid (sold with coal) and put these beasts into the trenches, you need to press it with a pebble or a piece of brick, which is at hand. The thrust is super - all combustion products are straight to them through the tunnels. The result is the third day of not a single new pile. Tolley they are completely gone, roofing felts are gone. In general, we won, and most importantly, not a single living creature will use the moves anymore - the smell will remain for a long time. Another option is to pour a solution of ammonia into the mink (only if there are no plants), I just don’t know how the roots will react to such watering.
ksun81 from moles. I read yesterday on the Internet that you need to do all kinds of sound effects. And also there is chemistry for the poison Antiv, Ekar, creatol.
olga n. about pussies: their litter added to lime for coloring fruit trees, especially young ones. to keep mice from biting
marsik1 Just yesterday I read in a magazine that you can get rid of moles with the help of hazel grouse (not a bird, but a bulbous plant). It says that the bulbs exude some kind of pungent smell in the ground, that the moles do not like it, and they leave the site. Only it is not clear how many hazel grouses are needed ??? They're expensive
real annnew The mole was caught in childhood in this way - in the place of the mole's constant movement, a hole was dug out, where a bucket or other similar vessel was placed. The mole got there during the next move. An excellent tool is planting beans around the perimeter of the site.
ygn68 Zokory. Very smart, beautiful, and gluttonous little animals. Repellers don’t take them for sure - it’s checked, poison too - also checked. Only traps, that is, physical destruction, or do not plant root crops. Their girls are gray, and the boys are simply handsome - multi-colored, as in a mantle.
Marina Yu. Girls, I read a way to deal with these zokors. You dig a trench along the garden, 30 cm deep, and already inside it you need to dig buckets of water. Zokors not only move along burrows, falling into a trench, they run along the wall. One of the buckets should work.
private this is how we escaped the moles. A reinforcing bar (not thick) was stuck into the ground, and a cut plastic bottle was put on it. On the sides of the bottle, you still need to cut out the windows and bend them like wings. On 6 acres, three or four pieces. The bottles sway in the wind and the reinforcing bar creates vibration in the soil. It helped us. Last year, even without these things, there were no moles.
Lora1973 A piece of carbide is thrown into the mink with a little water and covered with earth. It seems like a reaction begins, gas is produced and the animals either get poisoned or leave.
pani for the time being, moles and mice were apparently invisible, until the dachshund was brought in for the second year now - beauty, even hedgehogs only walk along the fence, there is not a single extra animal on the site, so I recommend a universal remedy for rodents - a hunting dog, she would also catch mosquitoes
Kuzina_L I bought gypsum, read somewhere that it is mixed with flour, unrefined vegetable oil is added for smell and laid out in minks. The animal eats, well, the gypsum in the stomach of that one hardens.
Marina79 got a cat. brought the whole family of moles. The cat is not an apartment! local - rural ... and FSE))
Mirage Take a piece of sphagnum moss (dry or fresh). Squeeze about 1 cm of Vishnevsky's ointment onto it. And shove it into the hole. Only without hammering deep, just clog the entrance. You can kerosene, tar, but Vishnevsky's ointment stinks longer. In short, the beast does not like this smell. And they must leave your site.
Fairy too an effective way to catch a water vole: dig a barrel (or half of it) into the ground to the ground level and fill it with a little water, it should be high from the water to the brim. Water voles jump into the water, but they cannot get out, they drown. You just need to take them out every day, otherwise there will be a smell. The method, of course, is brutal, but if you are so fed up ..... The bait for mice is made from breadcrumbs (approximately 1x1cm), which are then soaked in unrefined vegetable oil (with a good smell) and laid in a trap (or cling to).
MNBer We fight like this: we drank, we don’t throw away the bottles. First experience: 4-6pcs. bottles were buried in the ground 2/3 around the apple tree, the necks stick out of the ground in different directions, the wind blows, the hum goes into the ground, the apple tree is intact. It is inconvenient to tap, sometimes you touch the neck. Experience two: we bury the bottles around the perimeter of the site, there are fewer enemies. Experience three: I found a hole in the garden with strawberries in the spring, buried a bottle in this hole, the strawberries were intact. For prevention, we bury the bottles in the beds with carrots and beets in the corners. It is better to use plastic ones, they make more noise, bury at an angle and necks in different directions. But the cat also helps us, though he is afraid of adult animals, they are aggressive.
tka I stick metal stakes into the ground, a meter high, and put empty plastic bottles on them. The bottles sway in the wind and make a sound, and the bars vibrate. The moles didn't like it. But I have these bottles all the time, I don’t clean them.
Sveta-nsk I pick up a narrow garden scoop and start digging - in the place where the hole passes. As a trap, I choose a three-liter enameled can, with which I went for milk as a child. Old, full of holes, but just right for a trap. I tightly squeeze the can into the dug deep hole, filling the side gaps with earth. I arrange the upper edge of the trap flush with the "floor" of the mole passage. I cover the underground structure with a piece of plywood, sprinkle it with humus so that there is not the slightest draft and the malicious animal does not suspect a dirty trick. On Saturday, having appeared on the site, the first thing I check is the “trapping hole”. Hooray!!! Gotcha, pest! And here, in a trap, he died of hunger - without food, the gluttonous animal is not able to hold out even for a day. Bearing in mind that moles usually master their habitat with the whole family, I leave the agile structure in the same place. Let them come, a worthy meeting awaits them. You won’t get to the bottom of us now.” The next time, two enemies fell into the trap at once, and at the time of discovery they were alive. very valuable for me. In 2008 - fresh strawberry plantings. In 2009 - all street cucumbers, a hole passed right along the row and all the roots were not in the ground, but in the air. And last year they walked along the edges of the beds and I didn’t touch them for raspberries either. Our cat doesn’t catch moles, but last year he crushed a water vole and brought it to us to treat. Here is my mole trap:
Another recipe from another site: “I lightly treated the molehills in the clearing with aqueous ammonia. I note with satisfaction that there were no new holes with heaps of earth on this almost one hundred square meters. The holes trampled by me by moles (and mice) have not been restored. fifteen meters from the clearing, a dozen fresh heaps were formed. They are perfectly visible in the snow. I filled in 50 liters with a concentration of 2.0% ammonia. In other words, the site can be completely processed in a day. Including against mice. Sources from the net tell us that ammonia, in addition to rodents, quite successfully destroys soil pests, including wireworm, beetle, etc. Slugs - by itself. And acts as a successful fungicide. "
I know that they sell it in 25% concentration. This means that it is necessary to dilute approximately 10.5 liters of water with 1 liter of a 25% ammonia solution.
Nanhavo Cut fresh herring into pieces, put in the sun for a couple of days (in general, an appropriate dugman should appear) .. and stuff this stink into minks!
Moles can be scared away by the unpleasant smell of sulfuric smoke. Moles run away, leaving their habitable places in a hurry. An ordinary "Fas" checker inserted into a mink will do. We set fire to the saber and cover with a bucket
marsik1 We take a basin with water, put a reton in it (a small such thing that acts as a washing machine). These retons were very popular 5-10 years ago, maybe someone else still has them. For greater importance, we put something else like a doormat in this basin. And we turn it on for the DAY (of course it seemed strange to me, but in the original this method looked exactly like this). In a day we turn it off and we don’t see these animals anymore.
Hit parade of the best funds
- cats, hunting dogs
- cat toilet (or rather, its contents)
- trenches, and dug-in containers with water in the trenches
- reton, included in a basin of water, and left for a day
- sphagnum moss impregnated with Vishnevsky's ointment in the form of a plug for burrows
- gypsum diluted with vegetable oil and flour
- trap
- poison
Svetlana Charm I also remembered the poison on rats. It is necessary to take finely crushed glass, stir it with cement and something edible, but not raw. They say that they will eat, then drink water, and there the cement and glass are set to work.
Alyonka7 They say that nasturtium helps against rodents (not 100% of course)
Tanya25 They say 70% Vinegar helps. A rag in vinegar and in a mink.
Hunting for chipmunks is very popular with hunters who live in areas where such an animal is found. It is not surprising - fur-bearing animals have always attracted attention. Take, for example, squirrel hunting. Read more about her. However, in order for the hunter to return from such a hunt not empty-handed, he needs to know about some of the rules for such a hunt. And, it is about them that our publication will tell you today.
Chipmunk hunting time
To hunt for a chipmunk, as well as for any other forest animal, it is worth setting off when the sun has not yet risen. Experienced chipmunk hunters go to the cedars, long before the sun rises. AND, the sooner they are in place, the more prolific their day will be.
How to hunt a chipmunk
If you think that you will have to take it with you, then you are mistaken. There is a simpler and more ancient way of hunting such an animal.
On such a hunt, we suggest you go with a homemade wabik made of a brass shotgun shell and with a stick and a hair loop ... In order to lure a chipmunk, the hunter will need to imitate the whistle of a female chipmunk during the rut with the help of a vabik. Any male chipmunk, as soon as he hears such a whistle, will surely run to the loud call and fall directly into the hands of the hunter. It is not worth worrying about the fact that the sound of the vabik may be fake and the rodent doubts that it is the female chipmunk that is calling him. The main thing is that the whistle should be at least a little similar to the racing songs of a chipmunk.
The hunter himself, after he has lured a chipmunk in such a simple way, will need to straighten a small hair loop, which he ties to a 2-meter stick, and be patient. When a chipmunk runs up to a hunter, as a rule, he is not frightened and does not run away, but sits down in a column and examines the catcher with surprise. At this time, the hunter should carefully bring a hair loop to the muzzle of the animal, throw it around the animal’s neck and pull such a fishing rod to the top. That's all - the chipmunk is caught. However, do not rush to pull it out of the loop - the animal is very tenacious and, despite its small size, it has sharp claws and teeth with which it can injure you.
After one chipmunk is caught, the hunter can again call other chipmunks with the wabik. It is noteworthy that in a day in such a simple and not tricky way, experienced hunters are able to get up to a hundred chipmunks.
Today we talked about a simple way to catch chipmunks. As you can see, there is nothing complicated in such a hunt, and even a novice hunter can do it.
Have you ever hunted chipmunks? Which hunting method do you prefer? Share with us your hunting experience.
The article was prepared based on the materials of V. Ivanov, taken from free sources.
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Photo + video step by step at home The invasion of chipmunks is always a serious test that requires patience, diligence and proper knowledge on the topic from the victim. We believe that the best weapon in this case is competent prevention.
How to get rid of chipmunks?
Photos of what you need to get rid of forever
The invasion of chipmunks is always a serious test that requires patience, diligence and proper knowledge on the topic from the victim. We are sure that the best weapon in this case is competent prevention. But those of you who still meet this fluffy creature on your site do not need to despair. We will tell you which traps, baits and repellents are really effective against chipmunks.
What a chipmunk looks like: important facts about the life and behavior of a rodent
So, a chipmunk is a small rodent with a recognizable brown coat (from chocolate to reddish hues), as well as 5 black and 2 white stripes on the back. If you look closely, then small stripes can be seen on the muzzle of the animal. Our hero loves to dig in the ground a little more than the rest of the rodents. He is ready to search the entire garden to find his favorite food. This makes the chipmunk one of the main enemies of the modern farmer. Here are the facts you need to know about this species in order to successfully fight it!
Why are chipmunks dangerous for a person and his economy?
Chipmunks love to eat. And they also dig a lot. Most of the conflicts between chipmunks and humans are connected with these qualities.
How to protect yourself from chipmunks?
Let's find out which methods of dealing with chipmunks are the most effective. We do not want to be guided by the advice of grandmothers and Internet users. Our portal relies only on articles by scientists and government experts.
Let's start with prevention. How to ensure that our sites do not even attract chipmunks? The Internet Center for Wildlife Damage Management lists conventional fencing as the most effective containment method. Expert David Williams suggests using an inexpensive mesh with small cells: it can cover crops, cavities in the foundation, pipes, etc.
Another connoisseur - Thomas G. Barnes, Extension Wildlife specialist also offers a democratic version with galvanized mesh:
“Galvanized mesh is one of the best fencing materials. Use a sheet with 6 mm holes and be sure to bury it to a depth of 15-20 cm to keep chipmunks from digging paths, digging in the garden or other important places.”
Be sure to think about the factors that may attract rodents to your territory. They, for example, really like bird feeders, even if they are hung on a tree. Dangerous bait are also bowls of food for pets in the public domain. And it is better for the owners of ducks and chickens to sweep everything to a single grain after the next feeding of the bird.
Analysts at the Missouri Department of Conservation write that the risks of chipmunks are increasing for owners of houses in a wooded area and connoisseurs of garden decor. All these huge logs, rock gardens and dense shrubs can be a good hiding place for pests. Experts summarize: the more spacious, cleaner and well-groomed the yard, the less the chipmunk will like it.
Best Chipmunk Control Methods: Traps, Repellents, Poisons or Physical Extermination?
If you have not managed to protect the garden from chipmunks, then you need to ask yourself a few questions. Firstly, is it possible to limit oneself to fences in important flower beds / beds and live peacefully with a rodent in the neighborhood? Secondly, does the appearance of 1-2 individuals threaten with a large invasion or can they be caught and taken out? Thirdly, you need to find out if shooting rodents is allowed in your region.
After that, it is necessary to track down the habitats of the bastards. The Internet Center for Wildlife portal suggests that in small gardens they often settle near residential and commercial buildings. Moreover, you will not recognize the entrance to the hole by the mound of earth and dirt, as is the case with moles. Chipmunks skillfully disguise their "collars", which rarely exceed 5 cm in diameter. Look for holes in garages, stumps, piles and in weak places in foundations. But for large lands and farms, these tips are inappropriate: a hole can be caught anywhere.
Scientists strongly doubt the potential of repellents and fumigants: “They are not recommended because none of them are known to be effective. Naphthalene balls from milli, in particular, are not only not effective, they contain toxic naphthalene, and the vapors are harmful to humans, ”zoologists say.
Almost all colleagues agree with them. Unless the Internet Center for Wildlife believes in the relative benefits of repellents. For example, flavoring and aromatic mixtures, in their opinion, can repel chipmunks from specific seeds and plants. But even here there will not be a 100% result. Well, with naphthalene, experts say, not so good.
“Naphthalene shavings can repel chipmunks from attics, summer houses, and storage areas when used heavily (1.0 to 1.2 kg/100 m2). Be careful, however, in treated buildings, as the smell can be too unpleasant and irritating for people or pets,” writes David Williams.
All experts agree on one thing: poison for chipmunks should not be used. Such products do not have a license, because they can seriously harm people and animals.
Total: fences and traps are effective means. In countries like the US, chipmunks can also be shot, unless prohibited by state law.
Choosing the best baits and traps for chipmunks
In this section, we will learn how to make traps for chipmunks by hand, select the best baits for them, and look for ideal traps ready to use.
The mechanisms of most of these devices are not very original. Specialists consider humane cage-type traps and rat-type traps to be the best - however, the latter can kill or injure too large individuals.
The American authors of the memo "Managing Chipmunk Problems in Kentucky" do not stand on ceremony with animals and recommend the use of steel traps or noose traps. They say that if they are buried at the entrance to the hole and sprinkled with earth, then even no bait is needed!
And the guys from Kentucky also offer a medium-difficulty option for making a pumped trap with their own hands:
“A humane trap with a burrow entrance can be crafted from a metal mesh. Take a piece 30x50 cm with holes of 6 or 12 mm. Bend it so that a rectangular cell is formed. Press the edges together using the snap rings. Close one end of the trap with a net and build a door out of it, attaching one end at the top so that it can move freely. Bend the lower edge of the door so that when it is closed, this edge goes into the ground by 5 cm. For best results, set the trap where the chipmunks have been spotted."
On the Internet, you can actually find dozens of different instructions for making homemade chipmunk traps. But experts do not confirm their high efficiency. Therefore, let's turn to the certified options available in online stores.
Havahart X-Small Professional Style One-Door Animal Trap for Chipmunk, Squirrel, Rat, and Weasel – 0745
A classic for its type trap made of stainless wire mesh based on steel reinforcement. The trap is protected from corrosion and rust, and also has smaller gaps between the bars so that the animal has no chance of escaping. The trap has a very sensitive trigger, and the flaps provide a grip that is safe for the chipmunk.
If the owner of this little thing decides to save the life of the rodent and transfer it to another area, then a safe transfer mechanism will help him. A chipmunk will not be able to scratch you and will not feel pain during transportation. By the way, in addition to our heroes, squirrels, rats, weasels and even larger mice are caught here.
Among more than 1500 customer reviews, we found comments from people who caught 23 and even 40 chipmunks in a season. Occasionally there were complaints about a specific defect in the product, but there were much more positives. In addition, people advise masking the trap with twigs and leaves, as well as checking the cage more often so as not to torment the caught animal in a stressful situation.
Live Catch Mouse Trap Humane No Touch Rodents Ground Squirrel Chipmunk Mice 2pk
This device is not as popular as the Havahart traps, but it has an interesting feature. The developers call their invention the "most humane" trap for squirrels, mice and chipmunks. Before us is a transparent tube made of soft plastic, the metal gates of which open only at the entrance. Then the rodent finds itself inside a trap, from which it cannot get out even with the help of force.
According to sellers, transparent walls make Live Catch Trap not only safe, but also invisible to a chipmunk. But he can feel and see the same bait. Extreme ease of use is noticeable: there are no triggers, closers and magnets to fiddle with. Well, Live Catch is many times lighter than metal competitors.
What do buyers write about him? They are sure that the product is not suitable for rats and wood squirrels, and chipmunks are really on it. However, we did not find heroic reports about dozens of caught rodents, as with Havahart. Maybe the plastic releases the aroma of the bait worse? From serious criticism, we note the remarks that for large chipmunks Live Cath with dimensions of 2x3 inches is still small.
Intruder 16525 The Better Rodentrap
But this is not a humane trap at all. But it is the cheapest of our list. The principle of operation here is simple - "trap". Unbend the stainless steel spring, put down the bait and wait for the animal. If a chipmunk gets into these "jaws", then the device will simply squeeze it with great force. The sellers promise that there will be no blood: the jaw will either suffocate the rodent or break its neck. After that, you will need to get rid of the corpse, rinse the trap and hunt further.
The most economical buyers will also be pleased with the fact that Intruder Rodentrap requires minimal doses of bait for chipmunks. Here is what such stingy gardeners write:
“I caught three chipmunks in just a few days. Very little peanut butter is needed in the very center of the trap. It works better than any other trap I've ever tried."
“This trap is easy to set up. Already caught 4 chipmunks this year using peanut butter and sunflower seeds.”
An effective trap was recognized by 64% of buyers. Not so much, but not too little! Perhaps someone was embarrassed by the cruelty in work. And some buyers complained that their purchase soon broke: sometimes this happened for unknown reasons.
In general, this is a slightly outdated trap of average efficiency. Yes, it works, but with Intruder you will definitely have to tinker!
Hoont™ Electronic Rodent Trap - Clean and Humane Extermination of Rats, Mice and Squirrels
The time has come for the most controversial and scandalous trap in our rating. We are always skeptical about electronic products for pest control. Many of them turn out to be too cheap products, and such "gadgets" have problems with certification. Therefore, we carefully study the reviews and choose only the best models.
What can be said about this electronic "rodent killer"? Before us is a small plastic box with a compartment for bait, which kills mice and chipmunks with a powerful discharge of electricity. The developers call it "first time humane liquidation".
The Hoont™ Electronic Rodent trap comes with 1.5m of wire and can also run on four batteries. You can count on 30 kills with one set of batteries. A special indicator will tell you about the prey, and it will be possible to throw away the corpse very easily and without direct contact with the skin.
We have a couple more claims for this product. Suppose he works well at home ... But the fight against chipmunks is most often carried out on the street. It is unlikely that metal elements and an electric discharge supply system will respond well to rain and even fog! Secondly, the dimensions of the trap are not the largest ... and are not suitable for a fat chipmunk. In the end, unlike transparent and metal traps, here the bait is felt only by smell: the rodent will not see it with its eyes. All this reduces the possible effectiveness of the product.
So, in the comments to HoontTM, there are a lot of positive things from chipmunks haters. They say that at home the contraption works well. But there are also reasonable claims that the trap can kill a small puppy, a kitten and a domestic hamster. In addition, there is no reasonable mechanism that will show that the batteries in the device are discharged. Well, don’t stick your fingers in there, honestly!
At the end of the review of traps, we will also write about models like Snap-E Mouse Trap-6 Pack.
These rodent traps are easy to scatter throughout the site and provide a "breadth of coverage". But the downside is that they are not always deadly for chipmunks. Their springs are not strong enough: the animal can simply cripple or crawl out from under the "jaws" on its own. So this is also a method, but the method is not the most humane and reasonable.
Whatever trap you use, you can’t do without a “treat”. What kind of bait to use in chipmunk traps?
Biologists answer specifically: chipmunks will be attracted to a mixture of peanut butter with oatmeal, nuts and seeds. You can also add berries to taste!
How to choose an effective chipmunk repellant?
We remember that repellents are not suitable as the main weapon against chipmunks. But some rare substances can still push these animals away from your home. Above, we gave a recipe from David Williams for the use of naphthalene in attics, barns and other non-residential premises. For this, classic naphthalene moth balls. The main thing - remember about the dosage and do not harm the environment!
Are there other means? You can try using granules like Shake Away 5006358 Rodent Repellent Granules. The description says that rodents perceive their smell as "the scent of predator urine" and run away in fear. Although for people the granules smell like "very tart mint". We cannot confirm or deny the power of Shake Away scientifically. But about 50% of buyers called the product effective.
We did not find any other repellents against chipmunks in any normal online store.
To summarize:
Our portal recommends readers to choose the means to combat chipmunks, depending on the threat they pose to you and your garden. Often they can simply be driven out of their territory or fenced off from rodents with a small fence. But even if the animals have gone on the offensive - take a closer look at humane means of control like cage traps. This way you can get rid of chipmunks without getting your hands dirty with their blood.
In extreme cases - use the killer's traps or take up arms. But remember that its use must be coordinated with the authorities in your region!
Natalia Toropova