Chipmunk Facts
Found all over North America, chipmunks forage for food between April and October, storing what they find in their cheek pouches to bring back to their nests. Chipmunks like a variety of foods, including leaves, roots, seeds, grain, nuts, fruit, small birds and mammals, insects, and worms. It’s possible for chipmunks to live up to 11 years. Chipmunks will commonly breed twice in one year, first in April, and again in July.
Chipmunk Damage
These rodents have a tendency to burrow under porches, stairs, patios, and even into foundations. Doing so may compromise structural integrity and result in weakened or damaged property. Chipmunks have little regard for the plants you are trying to grow, and will often uproot them as they try to get to bulbs and seeds. If you’ve got bird feeders, chipmunks will just assume that the seeds inside are for them, too, and can quickly deplete the supply. If they’re feeling frisky enough, they may do a lot of chirping in the early morning, disturbing those who are asleep. While the chipmunk is a rodent that carries a variety of parasites like fleas, lice, mites, and worms, there is very little risk of contracting any serious illness from them.
Chipmunk Infestation
These cheeky critters are very adaptable and are common in yards all across the country. You’ll find them not only scampering across your patio or around your porch, but also running through your gardens, in parks, under brush, near garbage cans, or near buildings.
You’ll hear sharp chirping noises that are meant to signal others of danger. This also happens if they are startled. Holes may appear around the foundation of your home or near your shed that will be about two inches across. Like other rodents, chipmunks will leave gnawed food and nutshells laying around as well. Your flower or vegetable gardens may be damaged, as chipmunks love to dig up and eat flower bulbs and seeds.
Chipmunk attacks can cause extensive property damage and spread disease. This damage could be costing you more than you know. With our expert rodent control services, we take care of all the details. We’ll guarantee to eradicate your chipmunks and prevent future problems too.
Types of Chipmunks
Chipmunk Identification
A chipmunk’s brown body can be up to six inches long and is characterized by dark and light stripes across its face and sides.
Chipmunks in the Walls & House
Chipmunks aren’t known to damage property, but sometimes they will stray away from the woods and end up in and around your home. They might damage plants you have around your house as they harvest nuts or fruit. They’ve been known to dig up flowering bulbs, or might even burrow under your sidewalks or porches. Any chipmunk found inside is there by accident. They will gladly leave if offered an open door. Simply close all doors into rooms and leave any door to the outside open.
Frequently Asked Questions
What do chipmunk droppings look like?
Chipmunk droppings are very similar to other rodents like rats or squirrels. They are hard, elongated and dark, and resemble beans or rice. Chipmunk droppings range in size from 1/2 to 3/4- inch in length and are slightly larger than mouse feces.
How do you control a chipmunk infestation?
Like many rodents, the chipmunk likes a handout, so never feed them in the first place if you don’t want them coming around again. It will also help to “squirrel-proof” your bird feeders, allowing the smallest birds, only, to eat the bird seed inside. Keeping the area around your feeders guarded is also essential to keeping chipmunks away.
Chipmunks are fast workers and love to scurry, so blocking their travel routes is another great way to get rid of them. Block gutters with hardware cloth so the drainpipes don’t become an expressway for them. Trim any hedges that hang close to the foundation and provide them cover. If you have firewood, rocks, or debris near the foundation of your home relocate it to another area where chipmunks won’t be a problem.
Protecting your crops with fencing and wiring will also deter these rodents from helping themselves. If you’re worried about them getting inside, always remember to close your doors, seal any cracks around your home, and use screens on your doors and windows. It’s also possible to trap these guys with baits and other devices found at your local hardware store.
What are the benefits of professional chipmunk pest control?
Expert pest specialists have the educational background, equipment, and skill to eradicate pests or wildlife nuisances from a property in a safe, efficient way.
If you’re struggling with chipmunks on your home or property, contact us. Our technicians can remove the rodents and help you regain control of your property and sanity.