# Chipmunk Invasion



## frenchriver1 (Jul 5, 2005)

We have been invaded by chipmunks in the spaces between the wall and ceiling joists in the house. I have tried mothballs and dryer sheets to keep them out, but they keep on coming back. Using pieces of wood to cover the chewed in invasion holes just gets them to chew a new hole next to the edge of the board and it starts again.... Help!!!!!


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## PerchOnly (Oct 24, 2007)

Have you tried yelling ALVIN!!! :evilsmile:lol:

Sorry had to get it out of my system. How about mouse bait in the attic? 

Good luck.


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## boomer_x7 (Dec 19, 2008)

find a 10 year old with a B.B. gun! 

Get some rat traps, just be sure to wire them down!


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## FREEPOP (Apr 11, 2002)

Rat traps and peanut butter. I have used field corn on the traps, drill a hole thru and wire to pan.
If you have pets, weasel boxes work awesome


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## Liver and Onions (Nov 24, 2000)

Any chance it could be something different than a chipmunk ? 

L & O


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## Patman75 (Jan 11, 2012)

Google "chipmunk death bucket trap"


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## FREEPOP (Apr 11, 2002)

Liver and Onions said:


> Any chance it could be something different than a chipmunk ?
> 
> L & O


Shrews and voles


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## FREEPOP (Apr 11, 2002)

Metal flashing to keep them out.


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## Mushroom Jack (May 28, 2009)

I had the same trouble with them 2 years ago, only getting them under the siding. Every time they would start to chew on the house, I'd put out a small live trap and caught 15. I transfered them to another part of the woods about 5 miles away. So far haven't had any trouble.


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## stickman1978 (Sep 15, 2011)

Local hardware.


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## FREEPOP (Apr 11, 2002)

Anchor those plastic ones especially. Had them drag them quite a ways.


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## Thirty pointer (Jan 1, 2015)

I always thin them out in late spring they can be pain if overpopulated .


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## WAUB-MUKWA (Dec 13, 2003)

Liver and Onions said:


> Any chance it could be something different than a chipmunk ?
> 
> L & O


My thought too seeing how chipmunks are the only small animal that truly hibernates all winter. I get voles in my crawl space and one tried to chew into my furnace duct work.


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## Swampbuckster (Nov 28, 2010)

Sounds like red squirrels to me. Chipmunks hibernate. Mount live trap over entry point. Some fabricating may be required. Bait is not needed with this trap. Secure second live trap nearby entry point. Bait this trap. If the squirrel is within the structure, they will be forced to exit into trap. If the squirrel is not within the structure at the time of trap install, the squirrel will not gain entry because of the trap blocking the entry point. The baited live trap will attract the squirrel at this time. Check traps often and remove squirrels and reset. Normally this time of year you are dealing with just one squirrel. Once no more squirrels are trapped, remove traps and use 1/2" galvanized mesh or metal flashing to repair hole.


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## brushbuster (Nov 9, 2009)

Liver and Onions said:


> Any chance it could be something different than a chipmunk ?
> 
> L & O


My guess would be flying squirrels. I get them damn things every year. Bastards can squeeze through the smallest of openings. They tear down my aluminum soffit and sneak in. Squeeze under the garage door, climb the walls and hang out in the rafters
I left the door from the garage to the house open once and they got in that way. I must own a part of decon, because I'm always buying poison. The stench can get bad. I hate them bastards. Every time i seal up a hole they make a new one. I see em from time to time with a big ass smile on their face.
Bastards!

Sent from my SCH-S720C using Ohub Campfire mobile app


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## FREEPOP (Apr 11, 2002)

Out My Backdoor: Chipmunks in Winter, a Backyard Mystery
By Terry W. Johnson

In spite of the fact that I have been watching wildlife in my yard for decades, I probably enjoy it more today than when I was a young boy. One reason for this is that the more I watch the creatures that live 
just outside my backdoor, the more I encounter natures mysteries that beg to be solved.

Take the eastern chipmunk, for example. For weeks this fall I enjoyed watching chipmunks gathering sunflower seeds beneath my bird feeders. They would stuff their cheek pouches until they were bulging with seeds. Then, with their tails pointed toward the sky, they would scamper off to their burrows.

One day a few weeks ago while I was observing the comings and goings of the birds attracted to my feeders I suddenly realized that I hadnt seen a chipmunk in quite some time. I cannot tell you when they disappeared any more than the date the chimney swifts using my chimney left on their long flight to their wintering grounds in the Amazon River basin.

Eastern chipmunk. By Terry W. JohnsonKnowing that chipmunks escape the perils of winter by hibernating in their burrows stocked with a bounty of seeds, I assumed that I wouldnt see a chipmunk until spring. That is why, I was surprised to see one out and about during a recent spell of unseasonably warm weather. The sighting prompted me to wonder, if chipmunks truly hibernate, why had this individual left the safety of its underground home so early in the new year?

In the spirit of notable sleuths like Jessica Fletcher and Sherlock Holmes, I launched an investigation aimed at unraveling this mystery. My detective work revealed that, while biologists have been researching chipmunk hibernation for quite some time, many perplexing questions regarding this common backyard resident still baffle the experts.

Until recently, many researchers questioned whether or not the eastern chipmunk was a true hibernator. Most hibernators remain inactive for months during hibernation, living off fat stored within their bodies. Chipmunks, on the other hand, awake from time to time to dine on the nuts and seeds stored in their underground larders. During these times the animals rarely leave their burrows.

The experts also doubted that the chipmunks respiratory and heart rates and body temperature dropped as low as other animals that hibernate. However, recent advances in technology have enabled us to accurately measure these vital signs. Numerous studies have shown that, in chipmunks, they do plummet to exceedingly low levels similar to those of other true hibernators.

Throughout the year a chipmunk takes 60 or more breaths per minute. While hibernating this rate drops to fewer than 20 per minute. Additionally, the animals heart rate plummets from 350 to only 15 beats per minute. And the normal body temperature of an eastern chipmunk, which ranges from 96 to 106 degrees Fahrenheit, declines to only 42 to 45 degrees.

When chipmunks hibernate, they coil themselves into a ball. If you were to accidentally unearth a hibernating chipmunk, its eyes would be closed and it would feel icy cold. It can take an animal in this condition a couple of hours or more to awaken from its slumber.

Another thing that baffles scientists is that eastern chipmunks living in the northern reaches of their range hibernate for several months. Yet here in Georgia they often hibernate for only a few weeks. Even chipmunks that inhabit the same area display different hibernating behaviors. Locally, some chipmunks dont hibernate at all. If that isnt enough, some hibernate for only a brief time, while others hibernate for weeks on end!

What makes things even more perplexing is that individual chipmunks can change their hibernating behavior from year to year. However, researchers do generally agree that hibernating chipmunks are 
most apt to leave the safety of their burrows during unseasonably warm weather early in the winter.

There are many unanswered questions regarding chipmunk hibernation. For example, what triggers hibernation? Another burning question is what influences the length of hibernation?

What we do know is that chipmunks dont simply enter their burrow one day and immediately begin hibernating. It appears that these small mammals gradually prepare for hibernation. This involves going through times when they alternate between periods when they are active and semi-active. During this process, their breathing rate slows and their body temperature goes down. In addition, the times when the animals are inactive grow longer.

I suspect that, in spite of the hard work of top-notch researchers across the country, all of the mysteries swirling around the hibernation of this furry sprite will not be solved in the near future. In the meantime, I have dozens of mysteries relating to my backyard neighbors that I need to investigate.

If you will simply take the time to watch the comings and goings of the animals that live just 
outside your backdoor, you will, too.


Terry Johnson is a former Nongame program manager with the Wildlife Resources Division, a backyard wildlife expert, and executive director of TERN, the friends group of the Nongame Conservation Section. (Permission is required to reprint this column. Contact [email protected].) Learn more about TERN, The Environmental Resources Network, at http://tern.homestead.com.


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## Thirty pointer (Jan 1, 2015)

Ive had reds and flying the reds are fairly easy to trap .Flying can be tricky .


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## CaptainNorthwood (Jan 3, 2006)

It's probably red squirrels or flying squirrels. Either way.......if you get some T-Rex traps and smear some commercial paste bait on pan and add some sunflower seeds and shelled corn you shouldn't have any trouble getting rid of them. I have taken as many as 24 flyers from an attic.


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## Thirty pointer (Jan 1, 2015)

Caught a bunch in my in laws attic they were completely unafraid of me .


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## Swampbuckster (Nov 28, 2010)

Flyers are 100% nocturnal. So if only the noise your hearing is at night, then yes flyers would definitely fit the bill. They are the easiest animal to domesticate which explains their friendly nature. With a swing panel double door trap they are a breeze to trap. Again, install over entry location during daylight hours and majority of them will be contained by morning. They can colonize up to large numbers so definitely set trap, remove squirrels then re set for another nnight or two.
http://www.wildlifecontrolsupplies.com/animal/SSQ/NWS53825.html


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## coobie (Oct 31, 2014)

frenchriver1 said:


> We have been invaded by chipmunks in the spaces between the wall and ceiling joists in the house. I have tried mothballs and dryer sheets to keep them out, but they keep on coming back. Using pieces of wood to cover the chewed in invasion holes just gets them to chew a new hole next to the edge of the board and it starts again.... Help!!!!!


 You need THE BUCKET OF DEATH.Get a 5 gal. bucket fill it halfway up with water and add 3-4 cups of sunflower seeds.They dive in and love them,can,t get back out though:help:


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## bowjack (Nov 20, 2011)

FREEPOP said:


> Out My Backdoor: Chipmunks in Winter, a Backyard Mystery
> By Terry W. Johnson
> 
> In spite of the fact that I have been watching wildlife in my yard for decades, I probably enjoy it more today than when I was a young boy. One reason for this is that the more I watch the creatures that live
> ...



Otherise they couldn't have a "Alvin and The Chipmunks Christmas Special" every year.


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## Thirty pointer (Jan 1, 2015)

coobie said:


> You need THE BUCKET OF DEATH.Get a 5 gal. bucket fill it halfway up with water and add 3-4 cups of sunflower seeds.They dive in and love them,can,t get back out though:help:


I use a similar method its pop or beer can suspended through a stiff wire on top of 2 gal bucket put 3-5 in. water in bottom smear peanut butter all over can I have gotten a dozen mice in 1 day with this .They don't become trap smart like they can with regular traps that can miss .


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## bobberbill (Apr 5, 2011)

Thirty pointer said:


> I use a similar method its pop or beer can suspended through a stiff wire on top of 2 gal bucket put 3-5 in. water in bottom smear peanut butter all over can I have gotten a dozen mice in 1 day with this .They don't become trap smart like they can with regular traps that can miss .


-15° degrees. Doubt the bucket trap would work very well right now..Jaw trap with peanut butter and sunflower seeds will catch most anything..I get a couple mice in my attic every winter. Mouse snap trap works well, but rat trap style is needed for reds..


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## dasuper (Sep 23, 2007)

The bucket will work just fine if you use antifreeze instead of water. They work all winter at our camp in the UP.


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## Thirty pointer (Jan 1, 2015)

dasuper said:


> The bucket will work just fine if you use antifreeze instead of water. They work all winter at our camp in the UP.


Done that also just watch pets .


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## itchn2fish (Dec 15, 2005)

I've used d-CON rat poison on red squirrels & chipmunks with real good results....except for the smelly, undiscovered rotting carcasses!!


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## 2508speed (Jan 6, 2011)

itchn2fish said:


> I've used d-CON rat poison on red squirrels & chipmunks with real good results....except for the smelly, undiscovered rotting carcasses!!


lol I've got an old rusty chevy plow truck, 1976 that doesn't leave the yard. Going on 2 years now something crawled into somewhere by my heater and died. Those old chevys have a fan that is constantly blowing. I plow snow 20 below 0 with my window down.


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## stockrex (Apr 29, 2009)

FREEPOP said:


> Rat traps and peanut butter. I have used field corn on the traps, drill a hole thru and wire to pan.
> If you have pets, weasel boxes work awesome


I use a trex rat trap from lowes


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## Flyhack (Jul 12, 2009)

dasuper said:


> The bucket will work just fine if you use antifreeze instead of water. They work all winter at our camp in the UP.


Use the pink rv stuff. Its safer if you have pets. The bucket o death works too well. You will never consider anything else.


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