The best ways to get rid of chipmunks and keep them out of your yard include preventative methods like planting plants as a natural deterrent and setting up small physical barriers. If chipmunks have already burrowed, spraying your plants with pepper or sprinkling mothballs in your yard can help give these rodents the boot.

They look cute and tiny, but chipmunks can do significant damage to your home. These chubby-cheeked critters do a whole lot more than munch on your hard-earned garden. They tunnel deep underground, and if left unattended, the tunnels can threaten the integrity of your home’s foundation.

But sending these cute creatures to their deaths can feel a little heartless. That’s exactly why

Jerry

, the

super app

for finding auto and

home

insurance, has put together this handy guide to preventing and getting rid of chipmunks. Here’s how to tell those four-legged little guys that your yard is not an all-you-can-eat buffet.

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How to identify a chipmunk invasion

Chipmunks don’t just scamper into your yard willy-nilly: they’re looking for food or shelter. And if your yard offers both, you could end up with a full-blown infestation on your hands.

By knowing what lures these little guys in, you can better spot a chipmunk infestation.

What they like to eat

If you have a yard, chances are, there’s something in it that a chipmunk will find irresistible. Although their tastes are pretty diverse, here are some of the common things they like to munch on:

Flowering bulbs

Feed from bird feeders

Nuts and seeds from trees

Leftover human food

Grains

Pet food

If your garden looks a little chewed up, you could have a chipmunk culprit on your hands. Chipmunks have an acute sense of smell and are naturally curious—just one whiff of something tasty could send them flocking to your yard.

Where they like to live

Another thing you should know about chipmunks: they’re not the bravest of creatures. Meaning, they’ll dart off at the slightest movement.

Their skittish nature makes them hard to spot with the naked eye, but just because you don’t spot an actual chipmunk doesn’t mean that they aren’t there.

Chipmunks burrow underground and dig tunnels that can reach up to 30 feet in length. They’re the most vulnerable at the holes’ openings, so chipmunks tend to dig in areas that are covered either by plants or other things in your yard.

They’re small enough to scamper between the holes in garden walls and beneath piles of woods—other areas they’re attracted to because they feel safe and protected from predators.

Low-growing shrubs planted near your home’s foundation are practically a welcome mat for chipmunks. Oh, and if you’ve got a bird feeder near your home, you might as well invite them in for a cup of tea. The covered area coupled with the food sourced from the bird feeder is as close as it gets to chipmunk Shangri-La.

Key Takeaway Keep a keen eye out for tunnels, chewed-on vegetation, and for chipmunk footprints—they have four toes in front and five in the rear.

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How to get rid of chipmunks

Generally, chipmunks hibernate underground in the winter and emerge in early spring, hungry for something to eat. As much as there is that they like, there’s also a lengthy list of things that will make those little guys run for the hills.

Use human hair clippings

Ok, this one sounds a little weird, but hear us out. Like we mentioned earlier, chipmunks are pretty cowardly, so the scent of human hair alone may be enough to scare them off completely.

As an added bonus, the nitrogen in the hair makes for an excellent fertilizer for your plants! Just ask your local barber or a hairdresser friend (if you have one) for some extra clippings—we promise you won't be the first or the only person who’s asked!

Spice up your plants

Not everyone likes their food on the spicy side, chipmunks included. Grab your favorite household hot sauce, put it in a spray bottle, and lightly spray the base of your plants. The spiciness will make your garden completely inedible to chipmunks.

However, check what kind of pepper is in your hot sauce, as cayenne is toxic to bees.

…or go the garlic route

Chipmunks aren’t fans of garlic, either! The addition of garlic plants to a garden has been proven to ward off chipmunks.

Sprinkle mothballs

Mothballs are not just for bugs! They contain a chemical called naphthalene, which chipmunks and squirrels find completely intolerable (but it’s harmless to humans).

Try ultrasonic vibrations

No, you don’t need to develop superpowers to use ultrasonic vibrations to deter chipmunks. These

yard stakes

cost around $30 and emit ultrasonic sound pulses that help drive chipmunks and other rodents away.

They typically cover areas up to 1,200 square feet, so you may need to purchase several depending on the size of your yard.

However this method is not recommended for pet owners, as the ultrasonic pulses can be harmful to outdoor pets.

Use repellant spray

Although they’re not the same creatures, anything marketed as squirrel repellent is also effective against chipmunks. You can

purchase a bottle online

or make your own by mixing 1 teaspoon of Lysol, 3 oz Epsom salt, and a gallon of water.

To use, spray the base of your plants, along your home’s foundation, and anywhere else that looks particularly inviting to a chipmunk.

MORE:

How to get rid of moles and other rodents

Set up catch-and-release traps

As a last resort, set up some

catch-and-release traps

near chipmunk burrow openings. Check your local city ordinances beforehand, though, as chipmunk relocation is not always legal.

Pro Tip If it’s legal for you to set traps, bait them with peanut butter—it’s basically irresistible to chipmunks.

How to prevent chipmunks

The most effective way to prevent chipmunks is to stop them right in their tiny little tracks before they get into your yard or garden. Here’s how:

Plant with mesh hardware cloth

Laying

a mesh hardware cloth

over your flowering bulbs will not allow chipmunks to get to them, but your plants will still be able to grow through the gaps in the mesh. If chipmunks don’t have a food supply, they’re unlikely to set up shop in your yard.

Install L-shaped barriers

Setting up

fence netting

in an

L-shape

along anywhere your home meets the ground (like along its foundation, patio, porch, deck, etc.) will prevent chipmunks and other underground rodents from burrowing.

Plant daffodils and allium

While garlic plants deter chipmunks, flowers like daffodils and alliums are of no interest to a chipmunk. They’re not only pretty but will also make your garden look less like an open refrigerator full of tasty snacks, and more like a dull selection of stale crackers.

Squirrel-proof your bird feeder

You should take all of the proper precautions to squirrel-proof your bird feeder and make sure it’s at least 15 feet away from your home.

Pro Tip Thistle seeds are unappetizing for squirrels and chipmunks, but birds still like them.

Keep a clean yard

This is perhaps the number one thing you can do to keep chipmunks out of your yard: clean up! Leaving seeds, food, and garbage in your yard is equivalent to rolling out the red carpet for these little guys to enter.

Tidy up fallen seeds from trees and from your bird feeder

If you have an outdoor dining setup, make sure to pick up food scraps after each meal

Move pet food inside if you’ve got an outdoor cat or dog

Find home insurance the easy way

Even if you take all the right steps to prevent a chipmunk infestation, you’ll still need to protect the rest of your home with a

home insurance

policy. (Note that home insurance does not cover damage caused by a chipmunk infestation.)

Your home is one of your largest financial assets, after all, and

Jerry

can help you find coverage to protect your investment.

What began as an app solely for car insurance, Jerry has now become the

top-rated insurance app

in the United States. In just a couple of minutes, Jerry can compare home insurance quotes from dozens of premium providers to find you a deal with all of the coverage you need to protect your home from ails as small as chipmunks to as large as the entire dwelling.

“It was my first time buying insurance. I expected the worst, to be honest. And then I found
Jerry
. It’s an amazing app that’s super easy to use. It saved me so much time and energy.” —Simon M.

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