Chipmunks and Squirrels

Chipmunks and squirrels are especially creative when it comes to getting what they want.

These furry rodents are regulars at many backyard birdfeeders and will also attack a variety of garden targets such as young seedlings, berries, fruits, and vegetables. They even have been known to decapitate flowers such as tulips—seemingly just for fun. Chipmunks are particularly good at unearthing bulbs, eating freshly planted seeds, and munching on maturing root crops.

• These rodents are smart. Given time, they will find a way to get to their desired target. As with birds, you need to vary your approach every so often to keep them off balance. Exclusion tricks that work well are placing baffles on fruit tree trunks or bird feeder poles.
• Try using birdfeeders that are designed to fend off squirrels.
• Some gardeners have had success spraying animal repellents such as cayenne pepper mix, predator urine, mothballs on or around plants. Others have had short-term success using ultrasonic noisemakers or setting up separate squirrel feeding stations to lure them away from the garden.
• Trapping is the surest way to remove problem critters. Live traps are very effective in trapping a particularly pesky squirrel or chipmunk. However, don't expect to control a whole population of these furry friends with trapping. There's always more where they came from. For more information, read Animal Trapping Techniques.

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