Chipmunks might seem like cute little animals which don’t mean any harm to you but they are actually quite a pest to deal with. There are quite a lot of different reasons for which you might want to get rid of this particular rodent. They will eat the seeds that you leave for your chickens, they can attack the chickens themselves, eat their eggs and even their small hatchlings. They are going to dig holes in the garden, hence causing a range of different issues. They are also capable of loosening the foundations of certain structures and buildings, hence causing significant health hazards to you and to your entire family. All in all, there are quite a lot of good reasons for which you might want to get rid of them. What is more, chipmunks are known to reproduce quite fast and that’s definitely something that you want to take into account. This week they might two or three, a month later they are likely to be an entire dozen. So, pay attention and make sure that you are considerate enough to take care of them on time – this is something particularly important and you need to make sure that you are on point.
Now, once we’ve went through the main reasons of why you should consider getting rid of this pest, you should know that there are two approaches – humane and lethal. The following will show you how to catch a chipmunk with 2 humane and 3 lethal traps, so let’s have a look.
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The Humane Ways to Capture a Chipmunk
There are quite a few different methods for you to use if you want to capture the chipmunk and keep it alive. Let’s go ahead and take a look at two of the ways to capture a chipmunk alive.
How to use the bucket trap?
The bucket trap has to be the most common and convenient way of capturing rodents in a humane manner. Keep in mind, after all, that chipmunks are rodents. They might be cute but they are a menace to deal with so this is definitely something that you want to take into account when it comes to it. So, now, the bucket trap is one which is going to require your personal involvement as it can’t really be automated.
The first thing that you need to do is to gather all the materials. For the trap you will need a regular bucket, a stick of some sort – this is going to be your trigger, as well as fishing cord – any other lacing would also work but fishing cord is best because it’s almost invisible and yet it is particularly sturdy and reliable – it’s not going to break.
Next, you have to locate the trapping spot. The best way to do this is to take a look at their habitat and habits in general. The best way to determine your trap placement is to see where they are mostly active. These are attics or sheds along walls or fences, underneath structures or near brushes as well below the trees and others of this kind.
After you’ve located the ideal place to put the bucket, you need to set up the trigger and place the ramp. Make sure that the cord is laced properly so that you can release the bucket on top of the chipmunk. Place your bait and just wait – it’s not going to be much if you have managed to identify the right trap placement space.
How to use the box traps?
Box traps are also convenient and they are far more reliable than a handmade chipmunk trap. As chipmunks are capable of becoming a huge problem for homeowners, there are specifically manufactured traps that you can take advantage of. In order to get them to work, you have to follow the following.
You need to identify the best trapping spot. The idea is the same as above. Prepare your box trap as it is provided in the instructions given by the manufacturer. The best thing about these is that they can be put on a tree where the chipmunks are most active. Of course, there are ground traps as well.
3 Lethal Ways to Catch a Chipmunk
As we mentioned above, there are humane and then there are lethal ways to get rid of a chipmunk. Of course, you should know that this is effectively going to kill the animal so be prepared for it. A lot of people tend to dislike the damages caused by chipmunks but they can’t really go that far to actually kill them. If you aren’t like them, below are three effective ways to kill those little menaces before they have laid their grubby little paws on your garden.
- Snap traps
A very common method used to kill all sorts of rodents. Just place a tasty looking seed on the side and wait for the snap to release and break the neck of the chipmunk.
- Electrocution traps
These are usually factory made and they resemble the box trap that we described above. The only difference is that when the chipmunk gets trapped in the box, it’s going to get electrocuted.
- Poison
You can mix peanut butter with common rodent poison and set it up as bait. As soon as the chipmunk consumes it, it is done for it. It won’t be long until it dies. The problem is that you have to find the remains and get rid of them as they can create issues.
Conclusion
As you can see, the ways that you can use to get rid of chipmunks are various and different. Whether you will get rid of them humanely or you will kill them is entirely up to you. However, it’s important to understand that, regardless of what you choose, you need to make sure that you handle this menace before it has become too late. This is going to save you a lot of trouble.