How To Keep Chipmunks Out Of Garden Spaces: Secrets You Need To Know!

Many homeowners wish they knew how to keep chipmunks out of garden areas for good since these cute little critters can become nuisances eventually.

While a few may be tolerable at the start, chipmunks can often reproduce quickly when they have easy sources of food, water, and shelter.

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In this article, we will be looking into the various ways we can get rid of chipmunks in garden areas, as well as stop chipmunks from eating plants that we grow. Read on as we list several ways we can scare away chipmunks humanely and for good.

How To Keep Chipmunks Out of Garden Areas Using Phsycial Measures

To deter chipmunks from garden, you might want to first check with your local wildlife, place a fence, use Epsom Salt, even use sprinklers. Some states, regions, and countries may have specific chipmunks on their list of protected animals. It would be prudent to get informed first before you start your project in repelling chipmunks from your garden.

– Fences

Physical barriers can keep chipmunks off your garden spaces, as long as they are properly installed. Use fine mesh fencing materials and make sure that your fence is buried in the ground along the perimeter of your garden. In case the chipmunks burrow under the fence, bury the fence at least a foot deep.

If you have a specific area that you wish to protect from chipmunks, you can use wire cloth to enclose the area. Make sure that your wire cloth is fine enough to stop chipmunks from going through the holes and gaps, and use similar techniques to fencing.

Place statues of their natural predators, such as owls, eagles, and snakes. Chipmunks are terrified of these predators who consider them their favorite snacks. Make sure that you move them frequently so that the chipmunks do not get used to the presence of these decoys in the same place.

You can use traps if your garden has a low chipmunk population. You can use live traps specially designed to catch chipmunks humanely. You can release them into remote areas far from your house so that they will not return.

– Owl Nests

It is critical to note that if you have owls in your area and you want to attract them as a natural predator for chipmunks, encourage their presence by placing nests around your garden. While the nests might not instantly attract owls, you will feel better that you did something to attract them to your garden.

– Epsom Salt

Many gardeners have reported success rates in using Epsom salts to deter chipmunks. Alone or mixed with other ingredients containing scents offensive to chipmunks, Epsom salts have been noted to keep chipmunks out without harming your garden. Keep in mind that Epsom salts actually help is actually made up of magnesium, sulfur, and oxygen, which are highly beneficial for plant growth.

– Aluminum Foil

Wrap the bottom of the tree trunks with aluminum foil if you notice chipmunks are climbing up trees to seek refuge. The texture of the aluminum foil will discourage them from going up trees to escape and make them less prone to visit your garden as a shelter.

You may even petroleum jelly, if you notice that your bird feeder is often disturbed by hungry chipmunks, apply petroleum jelly to the pole. The petroleum jelly acts as grease to keep the chipmunks from clambering up the pole. Not only will the chipmunks slide down, but the petroleum jelly sticks to their coat making them uncomfortable enough to return.

– Pets

If you have pets, allowing them to freely roam in your garden can scare off chipmunks. Chipmunks often avoid animals that are larger than they are as they can be perceived as possible threats and predators.

– Sprinklers

Install sprinklers with motion-activated sensors to scare off chipmunks from your garden. The sudden sound and sensation of water scare off many pests. Not only will the sprinklers discourage chipmunks, but they also provide your plants and lawn with some hydration.

– Ultrasonic Devices

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Ultrasonic devices are very effective in deterring unwanted visitors like chipmunks from gardens and other outdoor spaces.

You can install ultrasonic devices that emit sounds that are not audible to human ears in areas where chipmunks are often spotted. These devices can often cover large areas, and all you will need to do is plug them in and adjust the setting to the kind of animal you wish to repel.

– Sealed Garbage Bins

Many times, chipmunks are drawn to the garbage bin because that is where a lot of food can be found for them to scavenge.

Discourage this behavior by making sure that your garbage bins are tightly closed and sealed.

– Strobe Lights

You can install strobe lights with motion-activated sensors that turn on when anything approaches their vicinity. Strobe lights are very effective in scaring away many unwanted garden visitors. You can use this method along with the ultrasonic device, although many ultrasonic devices have strobe light functions included.

– Wise Gardening Choices

Make your garden unattractive to chipmunks by making sure that any pet bowls, bird seeds, or water sources are not available or within reach of the chipmunks. If you notice that chipmunks love to eat tulip bulbs, plant daffodils instead. Chipmunks do not like the taste of daffodils and will leave garden beds with daffodils alone.

How To Keep Chipmunks out of the Garden Using Scents

The sense of smell is often very strong in many rodents, as they use this scent to indicate possible sources of food, water, and threat. By utilizing fragrance and odor as deterrents, you can easily discourage chipmunks from visiting your garden.

– Blood Meal

Blood meal is an effective deterrent for many animals, chipmunks included. The smell of blood on the ground can cause many animals with a heightened sense of smell to assume that there is a predator around. A blood meal is also an amazing soil amendment that increases nitrogen for better plant foliage production.

– Herbs

Some plants with pungent scents can easily deter chipmunks. Herbs, such as basil, lavender, sage, and rosemary. can repel them. Meanwhile, plants like marigolds, daffodils, onions, grape hyacinths, common camas, the glory of the snow, and spring snowflake easily discourage chipmunk visits.

The strong scents of garlic, pepper, cinnamon, peppermint, eucalyptus, and citrus fruits also have a powerful repelling effect on chipmunks. Use one or a combination of these scents with some vinegar in a spray bottle.

Allow this mixture to sit for a few days under the sun to ferment and spray around the plants and the perimeter of your garden. You may need to reapply this mixture frequently, especially after a heavy downpour.

– Dryer Sheets

Scented dryer sheets have had reported high success rates in keeping chipmunks away from gardens. You can place dryer sheets around the areas where you suspect or have seen chipmunk activities.

– Coffee Grounds

The smell and texture of coffee grounds are offensive to many animals, such as chipmunks. Simply sprinkle used coffee grounds between plants and around the perimeter of your garden. Coffee grounds are a wonderful way to add slight acidity to your soil as an amendment and as a compost material.

Experienced gardeners claim that by sprinkling baby powder generously on their plants, they have successfully stopped chipmunks from eating their edible plants. The unfamiliar scent of baby powder seems to repel chipmunks from venturing near gardens with generous applications of the powder.

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Strongly-fragranced soaps quickly scare off chipmunks, with many homeowners claiming that the most effective type is Irish Spring. Simply grate your strongly-scented soaps near your plants, as well as along the perimeter of your garden. You may have to reapply after heavy rains.

– Soapy Water

Some homeowners have successfully used this method to keep chipmunks off their properties. Using a soap and water solution, carefully spray around your plants, as well as along your garden perimeter. The stronger the scent of the dishwashing soap, the better especially if it has citrus fragrances.

– Citrus Fruits

Citrus fruits, such as lemons, limes, and grapefruits, are offensive to many animals like chipmunks. Squeeze out some lemon juice and spray them on different areas of your garden. You can even opt to just cut lemon slices instead of using juice.

The strong pungent scent of pure apple cider vinegar is enough to keep chipmunks away. You can easily purchase apple cider vinegar and use them at pure or diluted strengths. Spray around your plants, as well as along the perimeter of your garden.

– Animal Urine

The strong scent of urine can scare chipmunks away, especially if they identify the urine scent as that of their natural predators. There are commercial products available that use the urinary excretions of cats, foxes, and coyotes. You can use these to spray around areas where you suspect chipmunks have nested.

Frequently Asked Questions

– What Are the Diets of Chipmunks?

Chipmunks subsist mainly on nuts, bugs, insects, vegetables, and seeds. While these can be found in the wild, they are often easily found in gardens where there are plant beds and bird feeders. Chipmunks are solitary animals, although they can quickly thrive in an area where their basic necessities are abundant.

Thus, if your garden is full of edible plants, fruit-bearing trees, and seed-producing flowers, it can easily attract chipmunks. A garden with a large population of chipmunks can be a cause of worry for many homeowners as they can easily damage plants and properties.

– What Are the Signs That My Garden Has Chipmunks?

Chipmunks can eventually leave telltale signs of their presence. They may be insignificant at first if the chipmunk population is still few, but you will be able to detect the early signs if you are vigilant enough.

Some of the most obvious signs your garden has chipmunks are when you see holes in the ground in your yard, trees, woodpiles, and other covered areas: uprooted bulbs, seedlings, and plants in your garden.

Rodent footprints and trails along your walkways, lead to holes in the ground. Disturbed, upturned, or damaged bird feeders with or without spilled seeds nearby. Opened garbage bags with litter strewn around. Loud chattering and chirping in your area throughout the day.

Chipmunks might not look like the scariest creatures, but they can really wreak havoc in many gardens. These small, agile, and alert rodents can jump into high and tight places to escape and hide, and catching them can be pretty tricky. The damage they cost can make every homeowner determined to keeping chipmunks out of garden for good.

Conclusion

Chipmunks are cute when they are not wreaking havoc in your garden. When chipmunk infestation seems imminent, you may need to prepare all the tools you will need to keep chipmunks out of garden spaces.

Here is a review of the methods for repelling chipmunks:

• You can use physical barriers, such as fences, wire cloth coverings, traps, petroleum jelly, and aluminum foil, to discourage chipmunk activities.
• Make sure that your garden area is free from pet bowls and water sources and that your garbage bin is tightly sealed.
• You can use decoys of natural predators, ultrasonic devices, and strobe lights to scare chipmunks away.
• Use scents, such as blood meal, citrus fruits, spices, soaps, dryer sheets, baby powder, coffee grounds, apple cider vinegar, and animal urine, to drive chipmunks away from your garden.

It is best to use more than one method to successfully keep chipmunks away from your garden spaces. Now that you know the techniques, you will have a better garden area to look forward to!

Source: https://gardencourte.com
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