Chipmunk Insanity!
Last month I wrote about a surge in the rabbit population. It seems Chip, Dale and Theodore’s gang are making a power play on Thumper’s neighborhood. Suddenly there seem to be chipmunks everywhere! And even though some say chipmunks are cute, these little rascals can wreak havoc in the landscape as well as in the home. And they are not the little darlings you may think they are. They are omnivores – they eat plants and animals, including small frogs, worms, bird eggs and baby birds. A woman in one of my gardening lectures described the horror of watching a chipmunk, with a small frog in its teeth, dragging the victim into its hole. Not pretty. (photo above from National Geographic)
So how do we win the crusade against these fast darting vermin in the rodent family? Here are some tactics:
1) Repellants. Plantskydd is been my weapon of choice. In my experience, I have found no other product that compares to it. It comes in two forms – liquid or granular. I use the granular for chipmunks. Blood is one of the key ingredients. When chipmunks smell this, it suggests predatory activity, stimulating a fear-based response. They quickly exit the scene, not wanting to be the ‘guest of honor’. Plus Plantskydd is effective for a long time – thanks to the tenacity of its 100% natural, vegetable oil binder in sticking to plants — even under severe snow or rainfall conditions: up to 6 months in winter, 3-4 months in summer. Plantskydd is OMRI listed, safe for all plants including edibles. It’s available at many garden centers as well as online at Plantskydd.com. You can save 10% when purchasing online at Plantskydd by using this special promo code: PyoursSpring2016. Orders over $55 receive free shipping.
2) Trapping. You can opt for live traps or ‘not-so-live’ traps. Havahart.com sells many different humane animal traps. Baiting the trap with peanut butter and oatmeal dollops is a common choice. But before you transport the jailbird to another site to release it, make sure this is legal. Many states will not allow transfer of captured wildlife off your property. And if it is legal, you will need to drive farther than you might think – more than 10 miles is commonly recommended.
Lethal traps. This is more the course of action if you have a high chipmunk population. Rather than go into the morbid means of execution, you can google devices on the internet. Mouse traps are popular.
3) Poisons. DON’T USE THESE! Using poison will slowly kill the chipmunk, making it an easier target for predators to kill, in turn poisoning the hunter (such as owls, hawks, foxes, cats and dogs).
4) Mothballs. These do not work on chipmunks; moths yes. And the vapors from these small balls of chemical pesticide and deodorant can be dangerous to humans and pets.
5) Decoys. Some folks swear by owl decoys – especially ones with solar or battery powered rotating heads. There are even decoys with eyes that brightly light up. No comment.