My aunt may be losing the battle, but she’s determined to win the war! Her nemesis? The cute, furry little chipmunks that make my niece and nephew laugh.
The little critters shinny up the narrow metal pole that holds her bird feeders and help themselves to the choicest seeds. They scamper along the tree limbs to munch from the feeder hanging from the crab apple tree. They scurry back and forth across the patio and up onto the picnic table driving her crazy. They’ve dug so many holes in her garden that in some places the soil looks like swiss cheese! But the last straw came when they ate every last one of the petunias she had just planted around the patio!
My aunt isn’t the only one having trouble with chipmunks this summer. The exploding chipmunk population is the result of a dry spring, said biologist Gary Ludwig of the Ohio Division of Wildlife. “When it’s wet and rainy, they really feel the effects,” he said. “Their underground burrows, where they give
birth, will often collapse, causing many to die. But when it’s dry, like it has been this year, then you take away those conditions.”
If left unchecked, the cute little buggers are both prolific and destructive. Chipmunks typically live up to three years. Females can have two to three litters a year, producing two to five young each time. It doesn’t take long for the tiny rodents to become a real problem. Chipmunks cost one homeowner thousands of dollars when they chewed through the electrical system for his hot tub, then undermined his patio with their tunnels, forcing him to rebrick the entire patio.
If they can find a way into your house (they can squeeze through amazingly small spaces), chipmunks sometimes will move in. One homeowner returned from a two-week vacation to find her kitchen overrun with the critters. They made themselves at home and were feasting on hamster food!
But it is their tunneling that is so destructive and presents a serious problem for homeowners. Chipmunks live in a warren of tunnels and rooms they dig underground. They like to dig in the loose soils under patios, porches, stairs, retention walls and foundations. In large numbers they can perforate the soil with their tunnels, undermining the structures.
If your yard is overrun with chipmunks, call the wildlife removal professionals at Stern Environmental Group. We’ll take care of your problem so you don’t have to worry. Click on the post title to visit our website and learn more about our wildlife control services. You’ll sleep well tonight when you get “Stern” with your pests.