Chipmunks are small, quick and hard to stay mad at. But homeowners across Passaic County know what happens when a few of them set up shop near the house: tunnels under the patio, holes beside the front steps and bulbs dug up out of the garden. The good news is that chipmunks are fairly easy to discourage once you know what draws them in. Below, we'll explain how chipmunks live, how to tell their holes from other animals and the trick to keeping them away for good. If they're already tunneling around your foundation, our rodent exclusion service can find and seal the spots they use.
What Chipmunks Are
The eastern chipmunk is a small ground squirrel. It's reddish-brown, with dark and light stripes running down its back and stripes on its face, and it carries its tail upright when it runs. Chipmunks are active during the day, which is why you see them darting along walls and under bushes.
They eat seeds, nuts, berries, bulbs, insects and other small foods, and they carry food back to their burrows in stretchy cheek pouches. They store food underground and spend much of the winter in their burrows, waking up now and then to eat from those stores.
Why Chipmunks Move In Close To Your House
Chipmunks look for three things: food, cover and a good place to dig.
- Food. Bird feeders are a big draw, since seed spills onto the ground all day. Nut trees, berry bushes and bulb beds help too.
- Cover. Shrubs planted tight against the house, ground covers, woodpiles, rock walls and clutter give them protection from hawks and cats.
- Digging spots. Soil under patios, steps, walkways, retaining walls and along foundations is protected from above, which makes it a favorite place for burrows.
How To Tell It's A Chipmunk
A chipmunk burrow entrance is small and neat, with no pile of dirt beside it. Chipmunks carry the soil away as they dig, so the hole looks clean, often tucked against a wall, step or shrub.
That's different from other yard diggers. Groundhog burrows are much larger, with a big mound of soil at the entrance. Moles leave raised ridges and volcano-shaped mounds, which we cover in our post on the star-nosed mole vs. eastern mole. Voles leave narrow runways through the grass. If you see small clean holes plus a striped animal running along the patio edge, it's almost certainly a chipmunk.
Are Chipmunks A Problem?
A chipmunk or two in the yard isn't a big deal. The trouble comes from where they dig. Burrows under patios, steps, walkways and retaining walls remove soil, which can let stones settle or shift over time. They also dig up and eat bulbs, raid seed trays and bird feeders and sometimes nibble garden produce. Occasionally they find their way into garages, sheds or a home's lower level.
Chipmunks aren't aggressive, but like any wild animal they can bite if they're cornered or handled. Don't try to catch one by hand, and see a doctor if anyone is bitten.
The Trick: Take Away What They Want
Chasing chipmunks off rarely works on its own, because new ones move into a yard that still offers food and cover. The real trick is to make your yard a poor place to live.
- Fix the bird feeder. Move feeders away from the house, use a tray to catch spilled seed and clean up the ground underneath regularly. Bring feeders in for a while if activity is heavy.
- Create a gap near the foundation. Replace mulch and ground cover right against the house with a strip of gravel. Chipmunks don't like crossing open, rocky ground.
- Protect bulbs. Plant bulbs under a layer of hardware cloth or in wire baskets so chipmunks can't dig them out.
- Block digging spots. Install an L-shaped barrier of hardware cloth along the edge of patios, steps and foundation plantings, buried below ground and bent outward.
- Clear clutter. Move woodpiles away from the house and trim shrubs back so they aren't touching the foundation.
- Seal entry points. Close gaps around garage doors, sheds, crawl space vents and utility lines so chipmunks can't get inside.
Trapping and relocating wildlife is regulated in New Jersey, so exclusion and habitat changes are the better route for most homeowners.
When To Call A Professional
Call a pro if chipmunks are burrowing under your foundation, steps or patio, if they're getting into the garage or house or if your own efforts haven't made a difference. EcoFusion's NJ DEP-licensed technicians locate the burrows and entry points, install exclusion barriers and seal the gaps. Our home pest-proofing service can tighten up the rest of the house at the same time.
Chipmunks stick around because a yard gives them food and safe places to dig. Take those away, block the spots they favor and they'll move on. If they're already tunneling under the patio or steps of your Passaic County home, EcoFusion Pest Control can find the burrows and seal them out.