If you’re hoping to see chipmunks in your yard, you’ll want to offer them food and shelter they actually like. Chipmunks go for seeds, nuts, fruits, and anywhere they can hide or feel safe. Give them these, and you’ll probably notice them popping up around your place.
Try planting nut trees like oaks or hickories, or even fruit trees—apple and cherry work. If you don’t want to wait for trees to grow, you can just leave out snacks like pumpkin seeds, raisins, or a dab of nut butter.
Tossing down some piles of leaves or a bit of brush gives them a cozy spot to hang out. It’s simple, but chipmunks appreciate a good hiding place.
Chipmunks act shy, but they’re curious too. If you set up a welcoming space with the right treats and good hiding spots, you’ll probably catch these little guys enjoying your garden.
If you’re curious for more ideas, you can look up ways to make your yard more chipmunk-friendly.
What Attracts Chipmunks to Your Yard?
Chipmunks show up where they can easily find food, water, and shelter. They want safe places to hide and a steady snack supply—think seeds, nuts, and fruit.
If you set up these basics, your yard becomes a chipmunk hotspot.
Favorite Foods That Chipmunks Seek
Chipmunks really love nuts—walnuts, hickory, beeches, oaks, and black walnuts top their list. You can plant nut trees or buy young ones from the nursery if you don’t want to wait forever.
Fruit trees are a hit too. Cherries, apples, pears, and plums all work.
If you have flowers like sunflowers, black-eyed Susans, or coneflowers, chipmunks will nibble the seeds. You can just leave the seed heads on the plants during winter and they’ll find them.
They’ll even eat pumpkin seeds, raisins, oatmeal, or a bit of nut butter if you put some out in shallow bowls.
Shelter and Nesting Preferences
Chipmunks look for warm, hidden spots. They’ll burrow into piles of leaves and branches.
Just leave a stack of dead leaves in a quiet corner and you’ve made a chipmunk shelter.
A fallen tree trunk or some dead wood is perfect for them to hide and nest in. They use knots and holes to make nests and hunt insects.
Evergreen trees like pines, firs, and cedars give chipmunks year-round cover. If you want to help, you could even arrange some branches into a little teepee and cover it with leaves.
Try not to mess with these areas too much, so chipmunks can settle in and feel safe.
Water Sources and Entry Points
Chipmunks need water, just like any animal. Set out a shallow bowl of fresh water at ground level and they’ll show up.
If you change the water often or use a little fountain, you’ll keep mosquitoes away too.
Bird feeders attract chipmunks as well. They’ll climb up to grab sunflower seeds or snack on what spills to the ground.
Make sure there are easy ways for chipmunks to get in and out—small gaps by fences or between plants work. They need to feel like they can escape if they get startled.
A natural yard with plenty of hiding spots makes chipmunks feel safe enough to stick around.
Want more ideas? Check out this guide on attracting chipmunks.
Prevention Strategies to Deter Chipmunks
If you need to protect your garden or home from chipmunks, there are a few things you can do. You can use repellents, put up barriers, or try safe ways to move chipmunks out if you really need to.
Each method helps keep chipmunks away without harming your plants or property.
Types of Chipmunk Repellent
Repellents can make chipmunks think twice about visiting your garden. You can try natural stuff like predator urine—fox or coyote urine creates a scent barrier.
Spices like cayenne pepper or chili powder can work too, since they irritate chipmunks’ noses.
Blood meal sprinkled around plants can keep chipmunks and squirrels away. Taste repellents with capsaicin protect seeds and bulbs, but you’ll have to reapply them after it rains.
If you go with commercial repellents, you’ll usually find ingredients like Thiram or Bitrex. Always read the label and check local rules to keep pets and kids safe.
Physical Barriers and Exclusion Measures
Physical barriers work really well. Use hardware cloth with holes no bigger than ¼ inch to cover garden beds or protect bulbs underground.
Bury the cloth at least a foot past the plant edges so chipmunks can’t dig underneath.
Install L-shaped footers under fences or along your home’s foundation to block burrowing.
You can cover exhaust vents and downspouts with sturdy screens to keep chipmunks out.
If you have cats, a catio can protect your outdoor area and keep chipmunks away from your pets.
Clear out debris, woodpiles, and thick vegetation near your house to cut down on chipmunk hiding places.
Safe Removal Methods and Professional Help
If chipmunks have already gotten inside or started causing damage, try using live-catch traps. Peanut butter or seeds usually work well as bait.
Check these traps every day so you can release or relocate the animals in a humane way.
You might also try snap traps that are about the size you’d use for rats. Just set them with care so you don’t accidentally harm other wildlife.
If you find removal too challenging or just don’t want to deal with it, you can reach out to a professional pest control service. They know how to handle chipmunk removal safely and can offer tips for keeping them away for good.
Don’t use toxic chemicals indoors or anywhere near your pets. Safe removal matters—for your home and for the chipmunks, honestly.
Learn more about chipmunk repellent and removal at Humane World for Animals.
