Removing Chipmunks From Your Attic, House, Walls, or Basement

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There are actually plenty of ways that you can remove a chipmunk from your land or home without having to get too hands-on. In fact, getting hands-on is an approach that you won't want to take with this critter. It's very small, to start with, so it would be like trying to catch a mouse. If you've ever tried to catch a mouse by hand, you'll already have an idea for how difficult that is. If you've never attempted that, let us tell you that it is very difficult. Translation: difficult = impossible.



There is one species of chipmunk that is considered vulnerable, meaning that it is close to becoming an endangered species. We would strongly recommend that you make sure what species of chipmunk you are dealing with, before you take any DIY action to remove it. The last thing you will want is to cause damage to a population of vulnerable chipmunks that are already failing. And, for the record, trapping and releasing the creature many miles away doesn’t ensure it won’t come back. It does, however, pretty much guarantee the animal will die within just a few days after its release. The stats work against the animal when it comes to being released in a brand new territory that they don't know.

The best and easiest way to get rid of chipmunks is to look towards preventative measures, rather than trapping and releasing or other approaches. The trick is to put as many physical barriers between the animal and your land as you can, whilst at the same time removing the things that are drawing the animal in closer, in the first place. That seems like a tough feat, but once you have the know-how, it’s actually not overly difficult. Using fences and other preventative measures sure work better than the alternatives.

Using Fences to Keep Chipmunks Out
When you use fences, you must remember that these creatures can burrow and dig, and that means that the fence MUST offer protection underground, as well as on the top of it. Chipmunks can burrow up to three or four feet deep, so when installing fence panels, use mesh wire or other durable materials to add extra protection beneath it. It does involve a little extra work - digging a trench around the fence, essentially, and then adding the mesh wire or metal hardware cloth. It’s well worth the effort you’ll put in though. Fencing that offers the below-ground protection will keep out a variety of nuisance wildlife, chipmunks being just one of them.

When building fences, you must remember to build them high enough to work for other creatures too. What's the point in building a fence that only keeps out chipmunks when you also have problems with other nuisance wildlife? At the same time, make sure you’re keeping the fences away from trees and low-hanging branches. These offer walkways to the animal that make it very easy to get closer to your land and, therefore, your home.

Other Preventative Measures
Of course, just one method of nuisance wildlife control rarely works when you use just that alone. You will need to work with a strategy that integrates a number of methods. This sounds like a lot of hard work but, in reality, it could just mean a few extra tweaks here and there. You know what they say — spend a few minutes now and you'll be saving yourself a truck load of hard work later ... or something like that.

Having a good clear out of your land is a smart choice whenever you have any nuisance wildlife concerns. Nine times out of ten, the state of the land is probably what attracted them in the first place. Low-lying shrubs offer protection. Chipmunks need a source of protection around the entrances of their burrows so that they can scamper beneath it away from predators. If you have nothing in your yard that could act as a burrow-entrance covering, the chipmunks will be less inclined to build their burrow under your land. And, for the record, these burrows can be incredibly extensive, and expansive too — up to 30 feet in length and 3 to 5 wide wide in each channel or passageway too. That’s quite some burrow!

Once you’ve cleaned up any garden debris, make sure you don’t have any food lying around. You might not even think you have left food around somewhere, but the animal invasion suggests otherwise. Food could come in the form of garbage bags that are thrown out into the backyard, not placed in a sensible dumpster with a lid, as well as the goodies you put in the feeder for the birds. Cat and dog food left out is a common culprit, as well as not cleaning the BBQ and eating area when you’re finished with dinner parties. Even fruits and fallen berries can act as an attractive food source to these wild scavengers, and the more you have of those around, the more you can expect these creatures to come a’flocking.

There are liquid and granular repellents that are said to keep chipmunks at bay, but these can come with very varied results. They can also be quite expensive too, especially when you take into consideration that they might not work at all. The granular-style repellents can be used to create a barrier, of sorts, between the animal and flower beds, fruit and vegetable gardens, and various other areas of your garden or land that come under attack.

The spray repellents for chipmunks are designed for more specific spaces, such as the bird feeders we discussed earlier on, ornaments, and even bulbs and plants that you’re trying to grow.

As a general rule, chipmunk repellents tend to be something that tastes bad to the animal. You will find that peppery ingredients make up the bulk of them. It has been reported that chipmunks, as well as other wild animals, have a particular disliking to spicy or peppery foods, so these repellents as well as various pepper-based homemade remedies can all be tried. You must remember that these repellents for chipmunks rarely work, and this is definitely the case when it's the only method of nuisance wildlife control you're relying on.

The best way to attack a chipmunk problem is with multiple layers of defense, and if you incorporate the tips we’ve suggested today, you’ll know How to Remove Chipmunks in Attic, House, Walls, or Basement in no time at all. If you do keep failing, give the professionals a call. You might just find that one simple change or modification could make all the difference.

Read my How to Remove Chipmunks in Attic, House, Walls, or Basement guide.
For more information, you may want to click on one of these guides that I wrote:
How To Guide: Who should I hire? - What questions to ask, to look for, who NOT to hire.
How To Guide: do it yourself! - Advice on saving money by doing wildlife removal yourself.
Guide: How much does wildlife removal cost? - Analysis of wildlife control prices.