Chipmunk Trapping Tips

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How To Trap A Chipmunk - The chipmunk is a species that can often divide opinion greatly, because some people will view them as cute animals that do little harm, while others that have them in their garden will see a pest to eradicate. Although they are often commonly associated with the cute talking animals seen in a TV show, Chip and Dale, chipmunks can cause some significant damage if they get into a domestic garden. They may be much smaller than the average squirrels you would expect to see, but this doesn’t mean that they can’t do damage on an equal if not larger scale.


Type of Trap and Bait
You want a small cage trap, which you can buy at Home Depot or online. Usually about 12" or 14" long, and maybe 4 or 5 inches wide and tall. It has a trip pan near the back. You can bait it with peanut butter, seeds, and whole peanuts in the shell.



Choosing Your Trapping Method
The first thing that anyone looking to trap a chipmunk will need to do is decide whether they want to use a humane live trap or a lethal trap in order to catch the chipmunk. For those who are looking for a live trap, the only realistic option is that of a cage trap, and these can come in a variety which can catch one animal, or a repeater trap that can catch a number of chipmunks. Because chipmunks will usually be solitary animals outside of mating season, a single catch trap will usually be enough to deal with the problem you’re experiencing.

There are more options for those who are looking to catch chipmunks using lethal traps, although all of these will have the unpleasant problem of having to deal with the carcass afterwards. In terms of commercially produced traps, there are the ‘snap’ traps which are similar to those that would be used to catch a mouse. There is also an electrocution trap which will swiftly deal with the chipmunk once it makes its way into the trap. There are also some websites that would promote a homemade trap using a barrel filled with water, but this is particularly unpleasant as the chipmunk would drown and suffer greatly before it is finally dead. This is one option that should certainly be avoided, as there are much better solutions available.

Baiting And Locating The Trap
As mentioned above, the best bait for chipmunks will be sunflower seeds, but many people will also use fruit and other seeds to tempt the animal into the trap. Chipmunks also love nuts, so peanuts and peanut butter can also be successful, and some people even use popcorn.

In terms of locating the trap, it is common to place the trap in an area that has seen chipmunk activity. For those who are experiencing damage caused by chipmunks in the garden, placing the traps near the plants that are most attractive to the chipmunks will be a good idea. If the chipmunk has taken up residence in a tree in your garden, the placing the trap at the base of the tree will also be a good place to locate the trap.

Handling And Moving A Chipmunk
When you are handling any wild animal it is best to wear protective clothing such as canvas gloves and a thick jumper, and like other rodents the chipmunk has sharp teeth that can bite. Although they are not particularly noted for carrying many diseases, it is possible that some parasites or bacteria could be transmitted by such a bite.

Many states will have laws and regulations about trapping and relocating wild animals, and it is worth checking up on the local regulations in your area. Chipmunks are native to areas with deciduous woodland, although they have adapted well to surviving in many other habitats. You should look to take the chipmunk at least five miles away from your property, and preferably release them into a habitat where they will be comfortable.

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