![]() But note that if it is a lawn or garden area, no more plants will grow in this place. To prevent the chipmunk from digging a hole in the same place again, you can fill the hole with gravel or cement the hole at all. But since these pests easily dig the ground, it’s best to cover the former entrance with something heavy, like a rock. You can pound the underground passages with earth. One way to get rid of chipmunks is to backfill their burrows. Method 1: Fill in the holeīecause these rodents dig a hole from top to bottom and don’t leave soil at the entrance to the burrow, it is harder for them to find a hole in the ground afterward. If you find signs of chipmunks, follow one of the methods I describe below. Check more enclosed areas, such as under stairs, near decorative rocks, and other items. Inspect your garden and make sure there are no holes 2-3 inches in the ground. You can be proactive and check your yard for burrows. Don’t wait for the rodent to start destroying your garden. If you have a chipmunk in your yard, you should use humane methods to get them to leave your property. When a female chipmunk gives birth, the cubs stay with it for only a month and a half and then leave to dig their burrows. If a chipmunk realizes that it is in danger, it starts making distinctive sounds that other chipmunks should recognize.Įven after mating, these rodents never stay together. Only danger can make them fuse for a while. Rodents can sometimes be near each other, but that does not mean they live together. There are no exceptions: One burrow is one chipmunk. If you see a burrow in your yard, you might think that at least a dozen rodents live there. Externally, the chipmunk’s burrow can be recognized by its flat opening. They build additional tunnels and burrows where they store their grain, breed, and hibernate for the winter.Ī burrow can be up to three feet deep and thirty feet long. These pests, like humans, eventually seek to make their dwellings more spacious. When the chipmunk starts digging a hole, it first makes a tunnel parallel to the surface of the ground, and at the end of the tunnel, it equips a burrow. This rodent digs the hole from top to bottom, so you won’t find a slide of the earth around the hole. ![]() The entrance to a chipmunk burrow is different from, for example, a mole hole or an ant one. In fact, it is a whole system of tunnels. The tiny size of the chipmunk makes you think that its burrow is also a small hole in the ground. Inspect the yard regularly to make sure a chipmunk has not dug new burrows.Make sure pests can’t get into your home.Take preventative measures to keep rodents away from your yard.Learn techniques that help control them.Check your yard for holes in the ground.More complex burrows can have alternate/escape entrances. A plunge hole refers to an opening that leads straight down. Some might be plugged up temporarily or decommissioned permanently. To get outside, there are several entrances. ![]() In his report, Elliot noted that he did not find a designated “bathroom” area in the burrow, so the chipmunks probably do their business outside. The chipmunks tend to excavate these into the dense layer of hardpan, which doesn’t absorb water well, so sometimes water can collect at the bottom of these drainages. Centrally located is the nest chamber, which is lined with crunched up dry leaves – cozy! Narrow tunnels extend downward in places to draw water away from the burrow. Side pockets are used to hoard food like nuts and seeds, collect empty shells, and sometimes as extra space to turn around when space gets tight. CHIPMUNK HOLES SERIESThe burrow consists of a series of tunnels of varying widths, and may follow alongside large tree roots. I have not included measurements, since those depend on so many environmental factors and would over-complicate this image. It was a lot to process – my illustration is an example of a simple burrow layout. He carefully excavated chipmunk burrows and described their structures, contents, and the chipmunks’ behaviors inside and around the burrows. My primary reference was a study called “Social Behavior and Foraging Ecology of the Eastern Chipmunk (Tamias striatus) in the Adirondack Mountains,” by Lang Elliot, and published by the Smithsonian Institution in 1978. CHIPMUNK HOLES UPDATEBut I noticed it gets lots of hits on my website, so why not update it? This new image, which is entirely digital (Photoshop), maps out a typical burrow of an eastern chipmunk. I’m fascinated with the practical organization of their burrow systems, which can become quite complex over many years.īack when I was at RISD I made a gouache illustration of a chipmunk burrow, which I don’t care for now – I can do much better. My research has extended underground, even. While creating my chipmunk character this winter, I have learned a whole lot about their natural history and behavior. ![]()
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