Are you wondering how to kill chipmunks? Chipmunks are those lovely beings that starred in the movie Alvin and the Chipmunks. But that is just deception. Of course, they are adorable like the squirrels.
But no, chipmunks belong to the family of squirrels but are entirely different mammals. Squirrels are mostly friendly and mind their own business until you irk them. You do not have many complaints about the squirrels, plus they bust your stress when you look at them.
They are photogenic!
Sure, chipmunks are photogenic, pleasant to look at, and lovely too. But chipmunks are a pest! They not just mess your trash cans, but are usually non-friendly; they bite! And a chipmunk bite can transmit a lot more than only skin infections.
They carry dangerous ticks and rabies on them. And those are still treatable and less severe when compared to what it can give you.In many cases and regions, there are instances of chipmunks carrying the plague! The bubonic plague is a threat that we should fear. It wiped more than 50 million human lives off the earth.
You don’t want to let that cute being in your backyard give you the deadliest disease there ever is. So, do not let that cuteness deceive you and get rid of those adorable creatures before they do something ugly! A tick infected chipmunk is a courier van for all kinds of viruses and parasites. So let’s lock and load to the battle of backyards!
Preventing the Pain of Hunt
It must be painful to kill an adorable creature. So, if you are not yet having a chipmunk problem, it is better to be cautious and not let them come at all. Preventing your ground form chipmunks save you from wondering how to kill chipmunks.
If you get rid of them, and new ones keep on coming, you need to take some measures to keep those little rodents away. These choose your home, especially if you have a garden and fruits they can munch on too!
Building a Fence
This idea is the first and foremost thing that occurs to mind. Yet, it is instrumental in preventing your residence from these rodents. You cannot just build a wooden fence around your garden and hope that chipmunks will not show up.
Chipmunks live under the ground in burrows, and they can dig underneath your wall if they want to come. The fence needs to be deep into the ground for at least eight to ten inches. This prevents the chipmunks from entering because they see it closed now!
Pets
If you have pets, and especially cats or dogs, consider your half work done. Chipmunks fear their presence and keep away at most times. But if they have entered with no knowledge of your pet, they are likely to be hunted down or scared away by your pooch. The only thing that is rare but annoying is the habit of cats playing with their hunt before killing them down.
If you have a very playful cat, it might end up bringing the chipmunk to you and rarely even inside the house to play with it. This dramatic situation would be a real nightmare as the mess made by both the cat and the rodent would be unimaginable. So, a dog is the most optimal prevention to keep away Alvin and co.
Fill the Holes!
Sometimes if your house has holes or cracks that can fit a chipmunk, they might enter the food search. While looking for the nuts, seeds, and fruits, they might make a real mess of all those things you have organized neatly.
No longer than a minute or two is needed for the chipmunk to turn your place upside down. You don’t want that! You don’t want them sneaking in through the small holes you ignored as they don’t matter. If you are looking for prevention, it is better that you fill all those creaks and gaps, no matter how small they are.
Keeping your Yard Healthy
Chipmunks mostly settle down at your compound because of your garden. They create burrows in the ground, and you should make sure that your land is not that empty or resourceful for them to build colonies.
It is an excellent choice to cut your fruits as soon as they ripen. They will attract chipmunks and a lot more rodents and birds. If you keep maintaining your yard regularly by picking all the fruits, keeping them trimmed and tidy, it might not attract any chipmunks. Even if the fruits drop down, be quick to pick them up.
Repellents
You can purchase repellents that are available in the market. Repellents make chipmunks go away without entering your ground, but it is not a 100% sure case. Sometimes the repellent might end up being a con, and Alvin enters jumping, dancing, and singing his songs over your fruits and seeds.
You must be sure if the product you are buying is genuine and authentic. Sometimes you might end up buying a genuine product but just not for the right animal! They all look the same, not a big issue. If you got the right product for a wrong animal, you could replace it. But these repellents are not how to kill chipmunks.
Killing the chipmunks
There are many ways to hunt or scare the chipmunks away from your grounds. Depending on the level of your expertise in handling such situations, the fate of these rodents depends. If you are a pro-level hunter, you can kill them silently without much suffering.
If you are in the middle, you can still manage to a silent kill sometimes, but mostly you will take time. If you are a beginner, then you must get ready to see some squealing and seizing. It would help if you were as hard as stone because it is for the greater good, and this is what demands to lead a healthy life.
Capture Traps!
You can buy traps that catch these little pests. There are a wide variety of traps that are available in the market. You can choose the right trap or traps. Rat traps are usually adequate to catch chipmunks, too, because of their tiny size.
The problem with these traps is not working, but the bait. It would be best if you looked into what chipmunks eat, the kind of seeds and fruits, and place them in the trap. The trap should not be so evident and hidden carefully.
Snap Traps!
You can also use snap traps that kill the rodents instantly, unlike capture traps. Capture traps just capture, and they are still alive. You need to carry them and leave them far away when you use capturing traps.
But if you are up to killing them, it is ideal to use snap traps. It would help if you baited them, and as soon as they put their foot upon the traps, the trap snaps and kills them instantly with minimal pain.
Drown Them
You can DIY a trap yourself, and it is not costly at all. The only problem is that it would be painful to watch as they drown in the water, better not watch. You need a bucket full of water, a wooden plank diagonally like a ladder for the rodent to climb. Take a few dry seeds as bait and place them on the plank.
You also pour some seeds in the bucket, making it look like it is filled with seeds but not water. When the chipmunk falls for the bait and climbs the ladder, it thinks it can eat the floating dry seeds and jump in the water only to drown and die gradually.
No Suffering!
If you do not want them suffering and you have some experience at aiming, you are a pro at hunting. You know how to kill chipmunks! And yes, you need a licensed gun too. The federal law does not protect the chipmunks, and it is perfectly legal to shoot them. They are a messy target because they move a lot.
You need to stabilize them with baits and lures. It would help if you kept them busy eating while you load, aim, and press the trigger. A single shot is enough for chipmunks to die, and it is painless. They are dead the very instant.
Choosing less painful methods is better for our conscious and also the sound moral thing to do. It is also illegal to use poison to kill chipmunks, as poisons are inhumane. There are also ways considered inhumane by animal rights.
It is better always to check the list not to commit a crime. The list above is legal and better options to get rid of chipmunks.