How to Get rid of Chipmunks | Top 7 Best Chipmunk Traps & Usage Guides
Chipmunks are rodents mostly found in North America, except Siberian chipmunk, which is found in Asia. Chipmunks feed on grains and vegetables and also eat nuts, seeds, bird eggs, etc.,
They make permanent homes in the form of burrows in the ground and move around your garden by digging it and eating away all your plants.
Damage caused by Chipmunks
Chipmunks might look cute and don’t possess any serious harm to humans but they can cause severe damage to plants, lawns, gardens, and vegetables by feeding on them.
They also eat away birds’ eggs, nuts, and seeds so you need to be careful where you plant them in your garden as they are more likely to dig up your farm or yard if you have planted their favorite food.
Also, chipmunk or any rodent infestation might cause you some economic damage as they destroy your property.
Chipmunks might also cause harm to humans by biting them. Although it happens in rare conditions, if you have been bit, you should consult a doctor immediately as their saliva contains rabies virus.
How to get rid of Chipmunks?
The following are some of the best Chipmunk Traps available in the markets to get rid of Chipmunk:
- Havahart 0745 one-door Chipmunk Trap
- Gingabu Chipmunk Trap
- Faicuk Humane Trap
- Harris Humane Chipmunk and Mouse Trap
- Ebung Chipmunk and Electric Mouse Trap
- Intruder Rodents Trap
- PAWMATE Rolling Mouse Trap
How do Chipmunk traps work?
Chipmunk traps are very easy to use and work quite efficiently as most of them don’t cause any harm to the trapped chipmunk or rodent inside the trap.
In order for the trap to work, you would need to place the bait near the door of the trap and let its smell attract the chipmunks.
Once the chipmunk sees it and gets attracted by the bait, it would get closer to the trap and press the sensitive pedal which would trigger the trap door, auto lock it, and trap the chipmunk inside.
Top 7 Best Chipmunk Traps
The following are some of the best Traps available in the markets to get rid of Chipmunk:
1. Havahart 0745 one-door Chipmunk Trap
This hamane trap is not only suitable for trapping chipmunks, but also can be used to trap squirrels, voles, and weasels etc. As it is made up of steel and rust-resistant wire mesh, it lasts longer as compared to other traps.
Havahart 0745 one-door Chipmunk Trap is designed for a successful trap, leaving an almost negligible chance of escape as it includes one metal door and smooth internal edges that ensure that the trapped animal is not harmed.
Pros:
- Effective against various animals
- Durable as it made up of rust-resistant steel
- Animals can’t escape easily
- Does not harm the trapped animals
Cons:
- Does not come with a manual
- Difficult to trap intelligent animals as they are much cautious
- Need to keep the open door for days in order to trap animals
2. Gingabu Chipmunk Trap
This chipmunk trap weighs 12.5 pounds and is made up of heavy-duty, galvanized steel so that creatures can’t chew through the mesh and escape.
Gingabu Chipmunk Trap is excellent against skunks, groundhogs, armadillos, possums, rabbits, weasels, and other similar-size animals also. Its collapsible design and easy to fold feature save space, and the highly sensitive trigger assures that the single door shuts down instantly.
Pros:
- Easy to use
- Does not make use of any toxic substance
- Works on the basic catch and release method
- Makes use of sensitive pedals to trigger the door
- Portable due to its collapsible design
- Reusable trap
Cons:
- Pedal is way too sensitive
- The trap can break easily
3. Faicuk Humane Trap
This chipmunk trap does not make use of any toxic substance as it is made up of galvanized steel along with a rust and corrosion-free mesh.
Faicuk Humane Trap can effectively trap chipmunks, rats, and other rodents as it makes use of a sensitive trigger that shuts the door as soon as the pedal is touched. Once the animal is trapped in the cage, you can easily take it somewhere far from your place and leave it.
Pros:
- Easy to use
- Does not make use of any toxic substance
- Made up of galvanized steel
- Makes use of sensitive pedals to trigger the door
- Effective against various rodents
- Rust and Corrosion-free
Cons:
- Ineffective against Squirrels
- Need to check the manual while setting up the trap
4. Harris Humane Chipmunk and Mouse Trap
This trap does not contain any mesh as it is made up of transparent plastic, making it lightweight and highly portable. It is easy to use as it makes use of the simple catch and release method to trap chipmunks, mice, and other rodents.
Harris Humane Chipmunk and Mouse Trap comes with an affordable price range and makes sure the trapped animal is not harmed and you can keep a check on it through the transparent plastic.
Pros:
- Easy to use
- Made up of transparent plastic
- Effective against various rodents
- Works on catch and release mechanism
- Does not harm the trapped animal
- Allows you to keep a check on the trapped animal
- Budget-friendly
Cons:
- Not durable
5. Ebung Chipmunk and Electric Mouse Trap
This electric chipmunk trap is effective in getting rid of chipmunks, mice, and other rodents immediately with the help of advanced detection technology.
This zapper generates an electric shock of 7,000 Volts as soon as the animal enters the trap which results in its death and the LED indicators helps in confirming the same.
Ebung Chipmunk and Electric Mouse Trap does not make use of any chemicals and is completely reusable. However, you would need to place the bait in the form of cereal or grains to attract the chipmunk in to the trap.
Pros:
- Does not include any chemical
- Makes use of advanced detection technology and LED indicator
- Reusable trap
- Effective against various rodents
Cons:
- Does not make use of catch and release mechanism
- Not water-resistant
- Requires A/C Power or 4-D batteries to function
- Need to add bait
- Inhumane way to trap animals
6. Intruder Rodents Trap
This chipmunk trap makes use of bait and a cantilever trigger mechanism to get rid of chipmunks and other rodents. It works by applying pressure on the head of the trapped animals with the help of the spring when it moves towards the bait, which results in its instant death.
Intruder Rodents Trap is reusable and does not produce any odor as it is washable. However, in order for the trap to work effectively, you need to place it near the areas where chipmunks are seen frequently.
Pros:
- Makes use of bait and cantilever trigger mechanism
- Effective against various rodents
- Reusable and Washable
- Does not produce any odour
Cons:
- Cannot be used in the sun for a long period as it would weaken the metal bars
- Reusability of the product decreases over time
7. PAWMATE Rolling Mouse Trap
This trap is also known as Chipmunk Bucket Trap as it involves you placing the rolling log on the bucket in such a way that each end is on the bucket to make the log stable.
Afterwards, you need to place ramps on both sides of the bucket so that the chipmunks, mice, rats, or other rodents can climb it and fall in to the bucket.
Pros:
- Simple and easy to use
- Effective against various rodents
- Reusable and cost-efficient
- Can be used anywhere
Cons:
- Adding ramps to the bucket might be time-consuming
- Some of the logs might not work effectively
- Requires regular cleaning so that it does not attract scavenger animals
How it Works: Once the setup is done, you would need to place the bait in order to attract the chipmunks to get on the log and then fall in to the bucket. You can either place a bait that would result in the instant death of the chipmunk or you can just let them stay trapped inside the bucket and leave them somewhere away from your place.
How to Trap Chipmunks: Usage Guide
Before buying any chipmunk trap, you should first know how to use it so that you can determine if it is fit for your use or not:
- Choose a suitable trap: You can choose a single door trap or a double door trap according to its position and the number of chipmunks in the garden. You can choose a single door trap if you want the trap to be simple and want to place the bait easily. You can choose a double door trap to fool the animal as it would be able to see outside the trap from the other door. Also, it has a higher chance of catching the animal and works much more effectively.
- Set a position for traps: You need to choose the location of the trap carefully and opt for the place where chipmunks are seen frequently. You can place a two-door trap near the walls and fences of your lawn or garden as chipmunks prefer to travel along the walls.
- Select a place to set up bait: You can select a perfect place near the trap or in the trap to set the bait so that the chipmunks get attracted to it.
- Check the trap at regular intervals: Keep checking the trap at regular intervals to confirm whether you have trapped the chipmunk or not. If you have successfully trapped the chipmunk, then you can empty it by removing the top of the trap and setting them free far away from your place.
- Take out the chipmunk with precautions. If you have caught the chipmunk, then wear protective gear like gloves while holding it softly and then relocate it to a safe place, far away from your home. You would also need to wash your hands with disinfectant after relocating it so that you don’t transmit any diseases.
Buyer Guide to select the best Chipmunk Trap
Before buying any trap to get rid of Chipmunks, you should keep the following things in mind and make sure that the trap is suitable for your use:
- Choose the kind of trap: There are many kinds of chipmunk traps available in the market, but they are broadly classified in to Snap traps, Digital trap, and Humane traps. They are further divided in to spring-activated doors, electronic zappers, bucket traps, and spring-activated stun killing traps.
- Snap traps are usually small, reusable, and can be used and carried anywhere. They do not kill the trapped rodents instantaneously but you can catch them and relocate them away from your house.
- Electronic traps usually give an electric shock of 7,000 Volts to 8,000 Volts to the rodents which kills them instantaneously without causing much pain.
- Humane traps won’t kill the rodents but you can catch them and lure them in to trap. You can throw them away from your house afterwards and this type of trap is the most recommended and used by people.
- Choose a good-sized trap: You should choose the perfect sized trap to effectively trap the animal. For example, you can trap chipmunks and mice with the help of small-sized traps but that won’t work for a mouse and bigger rats. For them, you would need to get bigger sized traps so that you don’t cause any harm to them.
- Getting it for the correct price: While buying any trap, you should select the one which comes under your budget and works effectively. You can get a good chipmunk trap in a budget range of $40 to $50 and above.
- Choose a properly constructed trap: You should opt for stainless steel and galvanized steel traps. If you are choosing humane traps, you need to check if it is lightweight and at the same time, tough enough to withstand resist weather conditions.
- Choose an effective trap: You should check if the trap works effectively and shows instant results as you would need to get rid of chipmunks as soon as possible.
How to Make Your Own Chipmunk Trap at Home (DIY)?
There are many chipmunk traps available in the market but if you think they are too costly and are not budget-friendly, then you can make one by yourself with the help of the following things and the steps mentioned below:
You would need the following things to make a Chipmunk Trap at home:
- A 5 gallons bucket
- A bag of sunflower seeds
- A piece of wood for making a ramp (about 3 to 4 inches)
- Water
Once you have all these things, you should follow the steps mentioned below to make the trap:
- Fill the 2/3rd of the five-gallon bucket with water.
- Add sunflower seeds in the bucket in such a way that the seeds form a blanket on top of the water.
- You can also add some peanut butter above the water as an extra bait to attract the chipmunks.
- Place the wooden piece in a slanting position so that it can work as a ramp for the chipmunks, allowing it to climb the bucket.
- Just wait for the chipmunk to get attracted to the trap and fall into the bucket. Make sure that you take the chipmunk out of the bucket soon so that it doesn’t drown.
Conclusion:
Chipmunks are cute and adorable animals but they can severely damage your fields and they might also bite you in rare cases. Therefore, you should get rid of them as soon as possible with the help of the various chipmunk traps available in the market. Or, you can make your own trap at home which would result in the saving of money and effective trapping.