OK, it’s war

[susanm9006]

Two darling little chipmunks live on my property. One is no problem, he hangs out in the back yard and patio and keeps the cat entertained. But the second has decided that my garage is the primo spot for snacks and darts in every chance he gets. Problem is of course that he gets caught when I close the garage door and on one such overnight he chewed a hole in the rubber door gasket to make his exit. Can’t have that or I will have a garage full of mouse houseguests for the winter.

When I know he has followed me in (fast little buggers) I turn on the leaf blower and circle the room until he runs out the door. Now you would think either being stuck in the garage or chased by a leaf blower would be enough for the garage to lose its charm but no. So on to the humane animal trap. So far he has managed to empty it twice without triggering the door, probably user error in setting it but I am still trying. And I of course patched up the exit/entry he created under the door. He can’t chew through this reinforced rubber but has decided that it makes a perfect place to stash stolen sunflower seeds so every time I open or close the garage door it rains sunflower seeds out of one side of the gasket.

I was going to release him back to the yard if I ever caught him but have decided that I really need to drive him to a nearby forest for release.

 

[neely]

There was one year we had a family of chipmunks in and around our house. I honestly don't know what happened but they either left on their own or mother nature intervened. I see one or two occasionally but not like that one year. Good luck catching the little trespasser and releasing him into a wooded area.

 

[catapault]

Someone traps a nuisance cat, drives it off to the woods and lets it go. How do you feel about that?

 

[susanm9006]

That is quite a different situation, C catapault . A cat is a domestic creature, meant to be in a home with people and not used to fending for itself. The chipmunk can’t live in my garage and can’t be scared off so I have no other choice.

 

[catapault]

So you dump the chipmunk in a strange area where it does not know food sources, have a safe hidey hole, or where predators hunt. If it is a suitable-for-chipmunk site it will already have a population who are unlikely to welcome a stranger.

A snap trap and quickly killing it is kinder.

 

[susanm9006]

Sometimes choices aren’t perfect. Pesty the Chipmunk was captured and dropped off at a local heavily wooded park. It is acorn drop time and the area I let him out in was literally covered in acorns. It has been wonderful to be able to leave my garage door open for a few minutes and today I am making the last repairs to the areas he damaged. The trap will remain in the garage and set should any other creatures decide to move in.

 

[mani]

MOD NOTE:
This thread is about a troublesome chipmunk. Off topic posts have been moved to In My Opinion.