# How to get rid of chipmunks???



## icemanrrc

I must have a city of chipmunks. They chew up plants, dig holes in my lawn and flower beds, tear up my bird feeders, etc. I've never seen so many. 
Outside of using a firearm, What are my options for terminating them? Anyone else had problems with these?
Thank you


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## iowa jim

You could get a couple of live traps. I trapped about 25 of them one summer and took them to a woods about a mile away. They love corn.


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## SpiveyJr

Take a 5 gallon bucket and fill it with 4 gallons of water. Dump in a bunch of sunflower seeds until you can't see any water. Take a piece of wood and make a ramp for them to the top of the bucket so they can jump in and get the seeds.

I also had success with Bonide Mole Max. Grab a few bags depending on the coverage you need. I've had success with this keeping 'monks off my lawn.


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## jbaav

I have used a small box trap (live trap) with good success. A very small amount of bird seed is used as bait. Once they are caught I submerge the whole trap in a 7.5 gallon bucket of water for about a minute. Its not enjoyable, but it is effective. I would often catch several a day. The amount of damage they can do is crazy.


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## gm560

I had a ton of them last year. I bought one of these:
https://www.amazon.com/Havahart-1025-Small-2-Door-Animal/dp/B000BQQMJQ/

I caught them and brought them to a state park on the other side of a highway. The secret was to put the bait (i used cheerios) on the ground and then place the trap on top of them. Then scatter some more in and around it. They jump around trying to get the stuff under the trap and set it off. When I just placed the bait inside, it kept getting stolen.


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## jbaav

I forgot something in my reply. I have zip tied one end on trap permanently shut. I put the bait at the permanently shut end. When I give the munks swimming lessons, the permanently shut end goes in last. Otherwise, they can push through the end, grab the side of the bucket, and escape. I know, because it happened to me.


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## pennstater2005

I've used the rat zapper with great success. 4 AA batteries and a handful of trail mix or whatever sprinkled inside. The electrified kill plate is located in the back. Clean up is a breeze. Just don't get it wet.

https://www.amazon.com/Rat-Zapper-Classic-Trap-Disposal/dp/B002665ZTC?crid=2KRINR62EQFSL&keywords=rat+zapper&qid=1532176577&sprefix=rat+za&sr=1-3&ref=mp_s_a_1_3

Chipmunks are actually protected in Pennsylvania unless they're "causing or about to cause damage" which is all the time so you know......


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## Tsmith

I have chipmunks too but they don't really bother me outside of the holes in my beds. I don't have as many as I used to though due to the stray cats I have in the area. I found two dead ones in the last couple weeks but not sure if cats killed them and just left them or if they gorged themselves on safflower seeds that fell from bird feeder as they were bigger than average chipmunk.


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## SNOWBOB11

jbaav said:


> I have used a small box trap (live trap) with good success. A very small amount of bird seed is used as bait. Once they are caught I submerge the whole trap in a 7.5 gallon bucket of water for about a minute. Its not enjoyable, but it is effective. I would often catch several a day. The amount of damage they can do is crazy.


That is unbelievably heartless.


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## pennstater2005

Moved this to the General Discussion forum.


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## dfw_pilot

SNOWBOB11 said:


> jbaav said:
> 
> 
> 
> I have used a small box trap (live trap) with good success. A very small amount of bird seed is used as bait. Once they are caught I submerge the whole trap in a 7.5 gallon bucket of water for about a minute. Its not enjoyable, but it is effective. I would often catch several a day. The amount of damage they can do is crazy.
> 
> 
> 
> That is unbelievably heartless.
Click to expand...

I've used a live trap to move animals further away, but yeah, I couldn't drown them, that's for sure.


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## jbaav

dfw_pilot said:


> SNOWBOB11 said:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> jbaav said:
> 
> 
> 
> I have used a small box trap (live trap) with good success. A very small amount of bird seed is used as bait. Once they are caught I submerge the whole trap in a 7.5 gallon bucket of water for about a minute. Its not enjoyable, but it is effective. I would often catch several a day. The amount of damage they can do is crazy.
> 
> 
> 
> That is unbelievably heartless.
> 
> Click to expand...
> 
> I've used a live trap to move animals further away, but yeah, I couldn't drown them, that's for sure.
Click to expand...

Perhaps I should explain my situation further.

Several years ago, a couple of my neighbors and I became what I would call infested with chipmunks. We would see dozens each day. They would constantly make holes, dig in flower pots, chew the wood trim on our homes, etc. One neighbor had to have his sidewalk and front porch raised at great expense due to undermining.

I live in very populated area. It is not practical time wise to move live caught chipmunks to a new home. I could take them to a park, but they would likely end up in someone else's yard and as someone else's problem. We tried electronic buzzers, repelling scents, etc. None of them worked.

Poison was not an option, because I didn't want kids or pets accidentally getting poisoned as well. Rat or mouse traps can also catch birds or hurt small pets.

The solution I outlined above worked, and worked pretty quickly. Yes, it is unfortunate, not enjoyable, and no fun. Property damage isn't either.

Thankfully, our neighborhood chipmunk population has returned to a more reasonable number. I see them in my yard now and again, but they are no longer creating unacceptable damage. I'm happy to live with a reasonable number of them just not be infested with them.


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## Movingshrub

SpiveyJr said:


> Take a 5 gallon bucket and fill it with 4 gallons of water. Dump in a bunch of sunflower seeds until you can't see any water. Take a piece of wood and make a ramp for them to the top of the bucket so they can jump in and get the seeds.
> 
> I also had suc


This. Absolutely this.

I used to have 30+ chipmunks exploring my 7000 sqft backyard; note the pass tense.

I actually would suggest being prepared to eventually upgrade to a large trashcan. The squirrels kept going for the seeds in the 5gal buckets and would deter the chipmunks, just make sure to set the water level low enough for both animals. The larger container also helps remove squirrels and you're apt to catch mice/rats as well. Happy hunting!


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## ken-n-nancy

SpiveyJr said:


> Take a 5 gallon bucket and fill it with 4 gallons of water. Dump in a bunch of sunflower seeds until you can't see any water. Take a piece of wood and make a ramp for them to the top of the bucket so they can jump in and get the seeds.


I'm not one that finds joy in wanton destruction or causing unnecessary suffering. However, the chipmunk problem in our yard has gotten completely out of hand this year.

Holes in the lawn I can deal with, but this year, the chipmunks have added to their prior accomplishments by gnawing through irrigation system lines and digging holes under the driveway/walkway which have caused a collapse of some of the asphalt that can only be properly fixed by repaving the driveway.

As a result, I've tried different things to eliminate the problem, including snap traps and a rat zapper. With only moderate success with each of those, I resorted to the 5-gallon bucket approach described above. Although it is disagreeable, it is by far the best I've tried in terms of effectiveness. It just works.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SBFmdnllGEY.


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## gene_stl

https://www.youtube.com/user/historichunter

See his "mouse trap mondays" videos


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## Mozart

You can try a product like Contrac Blox. This seems like a more humane approach, in my opinion. Also likely that they die in their nest (while asleep), so little/no cleanup required.


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## pennstater2005

I got a few with the bucket trap but my kids made me get rid of it. It works very well but I had a yucky feeling in my stomach when I saw them in there. They're so destructive though I can see why people use any means necessary.


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## FATC1TY

I enjoy taking care of them with a pellet gun. Get a good break barrel one with hollow point pellets.

If you aren't a good shot- maybe avoid it so you don't wound an animal, but a quick head/neck shot has served me well to keep the damage down around my home.


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