Chipmunks Can Be Summer Punks

Summer is a good time to see chipmunks scurrying around as they gather seeds, nuts, berries, and insects to cache away in their burrows. The eastern chipmunk (Taimias striatus), is a member of the squirrel family and is common throughout the eastern United States. It is a small, brown ground dwelling squirrel five to six inches long, with two pale and five black longitudinal stripes on its back, and two pale and two brown stripes on each side of the face. The rump is reddish brown; the tail is three to four inches long and hairy. Chipmunks normally weigh two to four ounces and are sometimes confused with the 13-lined ground squirrel. The 13-lined ground squirrel is yellowish, lacks the facial stripes, and the tail is not as bushy as the chipmunk's.

Most people enjoy watching chipmunks, because they are cute little mammals whose antics often make us laugh. They are also a part of the food chain in the wildlife community. Chipmunks prey upon various insects, and chipmunks themselves serve as prey for various predators. Moreover, their food habits influence the growth of various plants.

The Purdue University Web site states that chipmunks can also be very destructive pests when they become numerous around homes and gardens. **The burrowing activity of chipmunks can cause significant structural damage by undermining foundations, concrete patios, steps, retaining walls, and sidewalks.** They may also be destructive to gardens when they dig up and eat bulbs and seeds or attack garden fruits.

The burrows of chipmunks are often well-hidden near buildings (such as basements and garages), gardens, stumps, woodpiles or brush piles. The burrow entrance is usually about two inches in diameter. There are no obvious mounds around the burrow entrance because the chipmunk carries the dirt in its cheek pouches and scatters it on the ground away from the burrow to make the burrow entrance less conspicuous.

Chipmunks are most active during the early morning and late afternoon. Populations of chipmunks average between two and four animals per acre. However, populations as high as 10 chipmunks per acre are possible if sufficient food and cover are available. During the winter months, chipmunks enter a restless hibernation and are relatively inactive. Most chipmunks have emerged from hibernation by early spring.

CHIPMUNK CONTROL Wherever possible, chipmunks should be excluded from buildings. Hardware cloth, caulking, or other appropriate materials should be used to close openings where they may gain entry. Trapping and relocation is usually the practical method of eliminated chipmunks in most homeowner situations. Homeowners can also attract fewer chipmunks by keeping birdfeeders and birdseed to a minimum in their yards. For further advice and information on chipmunk management, don't hesitate to give us a call.