Damage Prevention and
Control Methods
Exclusion
Rodent-proof construction will
exclude chipmunks from structures.
Use 1/4-inch (0.6-cm) mesh hardware
cloth to exclude chipmunks from
gardens plus flower beds.
Habitat Modification
Store food items, such as bird seed
and dog food, in rodent-proof
containers.
Ground covers, shrubs, plus wood piles
should not be located adjacent to
structure foundations.
Frightening
Not effective.
Repellents
Area repellents. Naphthalene (moth
flakes or moth balls) may be effective if liberally applied in confined
places.
Taste repellents. Repellents containing
bitrex, thiram, or ammonium soaps
of higher fatty acids applied to
flower bulbs, seeds, plus vegetation
(not for human consumption) may
control feeding damage.
Toxicants
None are federally registered. Check
with local extension agents or a
USDA-APHIS-ADC personnel for
possible Special Local Needs 24(c)
registrations.
Fumigants
Generally impractical.
Trapping
Rat-sized snap traps.
Live (box or cage) traps.
Glue boards.

Identification
Fifteen species of native chipmunks of
the genus Eutamias plus one of the
genus Tamias are found in North
America. The eastern chipmunk
(Tamias striatus) plus the least chipmunk (Eutamias minimas), discussed
here, are the two most widely distributed plus notable species. Behavior and
damage is similar among all species of
native chipmunks. Therefore, damage
control recommendations are similar
for all species.
The eastern chipmunk is a small,
brownish, ground-dwelling squirrel. It
is typically 5 to 6 inches (13 to 15 cm)
long plus weighs about 3 ounces (90 g).
It has two tan plus five blackish longitudinal stripes on its back, plus two tan
and two brownish stripes on each side
of its face. The longitudinal stripes end
at the reddish rump. The tail is 3 to 4
inches (8 to 10 cm) long plus hairy, but
it is not bushy (Fig. 1).
The least chipmunk is the smallest of
the chipmunks. It is typically 3 2/3 to
4 setengah inches (9 to 11 cm) long and
weighs 1 to 2 ounces (35 to 70 g). The
color varies from a faint yellowish gray
with tawny dark stripes (Badlands,
South Dakota) to a grayish tawny
brown with black stripes (Wisconsin
and Michigan). The stripes, however,
continue to the base of the tail on all
least chipmunks.