Worried about little chipmunks munching on your favorite flowers and vegetables? Follow our Clever Hacks to Keep Chipmunks Out of Garden!
Chipmunks might not really look like any gardener’s worst nightmare but just wait until they dig up holes all over your garden. These small and nimble creatures can reach into tighter places and can wreak havoc on your yard! Here are some Clever Hacks to Keep Chipmunks Out of Garden!
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Clever Hacks to Keep Chipmunks Out of Garden
1. Build a Fence
You can choose to build a physical barrier as simple as a fence. Make sure the mesh is finer than standard chicken wire and ensure it is buried in the ground around the perimeter of the garden to prevent them from burrowing.
Check out some awesome fence ideas here
2. Place a Blood Meal
Rodents and chipmunks are thrown off by the scent of a blood meal because it indicates the presence of a predator.
3. Plant Herbs
Sage is a powerful smelling, aromatic herb that squirrels simply do not like. Other herbs that can repel rodents are Basil, Lavender, and Rosemary.
4. Place Rubber Snakes
All dollar and novelty stores sell rubber snakes. Chipmunks, mice, and voles, are terrified of snakes. You may use them to cause a bit of alarm to the rodents and keep them away.
5. Use Human or Dog hair
The presence of a human or dog hair can make the chipmunks aware that a dog or a human is nearby because of the scent. They may like our fruits and vegetables but they definitely want to stay away from us.
6. Install Plastic Predators
You can buy plastic replicas of owls and coyotes to places in and around the garden. One replica should be enough to do the trick of scaring the squirrels away, depending on the size of your garden.
7. Use Hot sauce and Garlic
Powerful smelling spices such as garlic and hot sauce also repel rodents. To make a spray, mash 8-10 garlic cloves, add a cup of hot sauce with a pint of vinegar and let it sit in the sun for a few days. Then, spray this mix around the plants with a hand spray bottle.
8. Coffee Grounds
Humans love coffee, but most animals do not like the smell or the taste of it while it benefits the plants as it is an excellent compost. Sprinkle used coffee grounds between your plants as a barrier. Most rodents stay close to the ground and they’ll avoid it.
9. Sprinkle Baby Powder
Many gardeners have also shared their success stories of deterring chipmunks with a generous sprinkling of baby powder. This can stop the chipmunks from chomping the younger plants and seedlings as they cannot stand the taste or smell of it.
10. Add Epsom Salt
Just spread Epsom salt over plants. It not only helps you keep the rodents, including squirrels and rabbits away, but also helps your plant grow.
Check out some amazing uses of Epsom Salt in the garden here
11. Add Some Spice
Sprinkling chili powder, cayenne, or other hot, strong spices around your garden is a non-toxic way to discourage chipmunks from spending time here.
12. Place Irish Spring Soap
Place some grated Irish Spring soap around your plants. The chipmunks can’t bear the smell of it and will stay away.
13. Spray Peppermint Oil
The sweet scent of peppermint oil is naturally unpleasant to a squirrel. You can try spraying your plants and flowers with water and then sprinkle on peppermint oil to banish them from hanging around your garden.
Here’s how you can use Peppermint Oil to get rid of mice at home
14. Use Lemon Juice
You can use lemon juice and spread it in different areas of your garden to deter squirrels.
15. Animal Urine
You can opt to buy a spray product that is made from the urine of predator animals like cats, and red foxes. The smell of the urine is enough to convince chipmunks that they’re in danger and they will run away.
16. Put Aluminum Foil to Rescue
If squirrels in your garden are taking refuge in the trees, you can wrap the bottom of the tree trunks with aluminum foil. It is a safe technique as it does not have any harmful effects on trees or squirrels. The aluminum foil will simply prevent them from climbing.
Have a look at some great uses of Aluminum Foil in the garden here
17. Use a Trap
You can only resolve your rodent issue if you’re only dealing with a few critters. Use a live trap specially designed for catching chipmunks and then release the little creatures far from your house.
18. Let Your Pets Out
You can choose to even allow your cat or dog to chase the chipmunks on occasion and it can make the squirrels avoid your garden in favor of more predator-free areas.
19. Use Mothballs
Place a handful of mothballs in and around the garden as they are natural squirrel repellent. Also, it could be used to repel moles and other smaller creatures that can wreak havoc on gardens.
20. Spray Apple Cider Vinegar
The strong smell of pure apple cider vinegar helps to keep squirrels at bay. It is readily available at almost any store and can be sprayed directly around plants and flower pots without causing any harm.
Check out our article on Apple Cider Vinegar uses in the garden here
21. Install Motion Sensor Sprinklers
Chipmunks tend to get extremely scared with motion-sensor sprinklers that begin to work as soon as they sense motion in your garden. This not only protects the plants from tiny pests but also waters your plants in an effortless way.
22. Jalapeño Pepper-Vinegar Spray
Jalapeño pepper is also known to cause irritation to the squirrels and when mixed with vinegar, it produces such a pungent smell that it is guaranteed to make them run away.
23. Place Ultrasonic Devices
When squirrels are causing a nuisance in the garden, nothing works better than an ultrasonic repellent device. It creates an ultrasonic wave that is not audible to the human ear but can highly irritate the squirrels, driving them away.
24. Keep Trash Cans Sealed
Squirrels find their way to leftover food in the trash bins kept outside. You can prevent them from finding the dustbins by keeping the trash bin sealed.
25. Install Strobe Lights
You can use a strobe light to deter squirrels away as the regular flashes of these huge lights irritate the pest while being harmless. The squirrels will definitely not come near to any such places where these lights are installed.
26. Use Vaseline
If you are annoyed by chipmunks robbing the birdfeeder, then you can grease the pole using petroleum jelly/vaseline. It prevents them from climbing as they slip down. It is also incredibly difficult for them to get it off their coat, so once they get it on, they’ll avoid the area completely.
Thanks you were a great help.