You can purchase or make DIY chipmunk repellent to spray on your plants and property. The repellents are made with scents that rodents dislike, such as mint, garlic, and even coffee. Electronic repellents are another option to repel chipmunks and other rodents.
Chipmunks are tiny creatures that many people think are adorable. However, they can be a nuisance to property and homeowners.
They ruin flower beds by digging and eating your plants. They create deep burrows that can cause structural damage to your house, deck, driveway, and walkway.
Although chipmunks aren’t dangerous, if these critters are causing issues, then you may be seeking ways to get them off your property.
Removing wildlife should be done in a safe, humane way. Let’s look at some ways to safely and humanely repel chipmunks.
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Best chipmunk repellents
Chipmunks are rodents, so applying repellent will help eliminate chipmunks and other small rodents.
Chemical Repellants
Rodent repellents will not harm your plants. Some rodent repellents can be toxic to pets, so carefully read labels to ensure it claims to be non-toxic.
Other repellents are sticky and will get stuck on their fur. The chipmunks won’t like this and will leave, so it doesn’t happen again.
Other repellents have a pleasant scent but a foul taste. This type of repellent should be sprayed on flowers and other vegetation. The delightful fragrance will lure the chipmunk into chewing on the plant, and the foul taste will drive the chipmunk away.
Electronic Repellents
Electronic repellents are another option. You can purchase a repellent system to scare chipmunks away.
An ultrasonic animal repeller will create high-frequency noises that humans cannot hear but critters can. Unfortunately, though, many users have reported that this repeller is the least effective.
Mechanical Repellents
Another type of systematic repellent is motion censored sprinklers. Chipmunks will not enjoy a sudden blast of water and won’t be likely to return to an area where this happens.
Not only will this repellent device eliminate chipmunks, but it will also repel other pests such as raccoons.
Reflective tape or CDs can be hung around your home to scare away chipmunks. The reflective light and sudden movement will startle them and deter them.
Is there a scent that repels chipmunks?
There are plenty of scents that repel chipmunks. These scents can be used to create natural DIY repellents that work for general pest control.
One repellent you can make is with cayenne pepper. Mix flakes of cayenne pepper with water and put in a spray bottle. You can spray this mixture along the perimeter of your property or in the area where chipmunks have begun to visit.
Another mixture you can create uses garlic and hot peppers:
- Begin by pureeing the garlic and hot peppers.
- Separately mix hot water and liquid soap.
- Add the garlic and hot peppers to the hot, soapy water and let it cool.
- Strain the mixture and add castor oil.
- Pour this new mixture into a spray bottle and then apply on areas where you want to eliminate chipmunk activity.
Epsom Salt
Epsom salt can also be used to create a DIY repellent spray.
Mix one gallon of water with a teaspoon of Lysol and three ounces of epsom salt. This is another mixture that you can put in a spray bottle to spray around your property.
Essential Oils
Essential oils can be beneficial in repelling chipmunks. To deter chipmunks, spray essential oils with the scents of clove, lemon, peppermint, cinnamon, or eucalyptus.
Coffee
Coffee grounds may be an item you have in your pantry. Chipmunks and other rodents dislike the scent of coffee.
You can sprinkle some coffee grounds directly on the ground or mix them with your soil to create a natural and safe chipmunk repellent.
Dryer Sheets
Dryer sheets have strong scents that chipmunks don’t like.
You can place dryer sheets in chipmunk holes to make the chipmunk relocate. You can also place some dryer sheets in your garden, garage, shed, and wherever chipmunks may try to reside.
Soap
Irish spring soap gives off a citrus smell that chipmunks despise. You can use a cheese grater to grate the soap into small pieces. Sprinkle the soap chips around the area you wish to keep chipmunk-free.
Daffodils
Chipmunks are a nuisance because they will chew on plants. Use this to your advantage by planting a flower they don’t like—daffodils.
Chipmunks and other critters dislike the scent and taste of daffodils, making this flower a pretty and natural repellent.
Predators
Prey tend to avoid areas that reek of their predators. The scent of a predator is enough to make the prey think the predator is nearby, and therefore the prey will flee.
Homeowners can use this to their advantage when trying to repel wildlife. You can purchase predator urine or rodent repellent granules to spread around your property to scare off chipmunks.
Foxes and coyotes are examples of predators of chipmunks. You can buy fox urine or coyote urine to scare chipmunks away. This method will also keep other rodents away. The urine purchased can come in solid or liquid form. Either form is non-toxic to humans, pets, and plants.
Humans
Chipmunks also view humans as predators. Human scent will deter them. To help solve your chipmunk problem, spread human scent by scattering or burying hair clippings around your yard.
Remember that applying scents as critter repellent requires frequent reapplication and time to be effective. You may not see results right away. If it rains, the solution will need to be reapplied.
How to keep chipmunks away in the first place
Chipmunks like to be in enclosed spaces with coverings, so keeping your yard trimmed and tidy will make it less appealing.
If you have overgrown shrubs or piles of wood in your backyard, these could provide adequate hiding spaces for chipmunks. Cleaning up stacks of items and pruning your trees will help eliminate chipmunk activity.
If you have fruit trees or nut trees, be sure to pick up these food sources off the ground as they fall.
Chipmunks will use bird feeders as a food source. You can purchase pest-free feeders that make it difficult for pests to get to the bird seed.
Place your bird feeder away from fences, porches, and other structures that chipmunks can use to get to the bird feeder.
Owls are predators of chipmunks. You can place a fake owl on your property to scare chipmunks and other small animals. Move the owl every few days so that critters don’t realize it’s a trick.
