If chipmunks have started causing trouble in your garden or yard, you’re probably desperate to know what actually drives them away. Figuring out what keeps them at bay can help you protect your plants and crops without hurting the animals.
Chipmunks really can’t stand strong smells like cayenne pepper, garlic, peppermint, and coffee grounds, so you can use those to protect your space.
Besides strong smells, chipmunks get spooked by loud noises or sudden sprays of water. Motion-activated sprinklers or even ultrasonic devices can help keep them away.
If you clean up fallen seeds and cover vulnerable plants with chicken wire, you make your garden less appealing to them.
Strong Scents and Repellents Chipmunks Hate
Some smells just drive chipmunks nuts—in a bad way. Their sensitive noses pick up on sharp odors, so using natural oils, spices, and strong household items can help you keep your plants safe and chipmunks far away.
Garlic, Onion, and Allium Odors
Chipmunks really dislike the strong odors of garlic, onions, and other allium plants. These smells are just too much for them.
Try crushing garlic cloves or onion pieces and scattering them where chipmunks like to dig or hide.
You can also mix garlic with pepper and water to create a spray that keeps them away. Many commercial repellents use garlic because it’s natural and safe for your garden.
If you grow garlic or onions near your vulnerable plants, you get a natural barrier that chipmunks usually avoid.
Peppermint Oil and Mint Plants
Peppermint oil is a popular chipmunk repellent. The sharp scent irritates them, but it won’t hurt them.
Dilute peppermint essential oil with water and spray it around your garden or anywhere chipmunks sneak in.
Fresh mint plants can help too. Chipmunks find the smell too strong and won’t cross it.
Try planting mint around your garden edges or near flower beds to keep chipmunks out.
Peppermint is eco-friendly and works even better if you mix it with other strong oils like eucalyptus or spearmint.
Vinegar and Apple Cider Vinegar
Vinegar and apple cider vinegar have strong, acidic smells that chipmunks avoid. These scents overwhelm their noses and make the area unpleasant.
Mix equal parts vinegar and water and spray it on the ground, near burrows, or along fences.
You’ll need to reapply after it rains since the scent fades. Vinegar is a cheap and safe option if you’re not into harsh chemicals.
You can also leave small containers of vinegar near chipmunk hotspots to keep them away.
Pepper, Cayenne, and Red Pepper Flakes
Pepper and cayenne have capsaicin, which really irritates rodents’ noses and skin. Sprinkle red pepper flakes or cayenne powder around your garden or at the base of plants.
Commercial sprays like Bonide Hot Pepper Wax Animal Spray Repellent also work because they contain capsaicin.
Be careful—pepper sprays and powders can irritate your own skin or eyes too. But they create a spicy barrier that chipmunks don’t want to cross.
You can mix pepper with garlic or vinegar sprays to make them even more effective against chipmunks and other pests.
Natural Deterrents and Other Effective Methods
You’ve got a few other tricks for keeping chipmunks out of your yard. Some methods rely on smells they hate, but others use barriers or predator scents that make chipmunks nervous.
Cedar Mulch and Cedar Oil
Chipmunks don’t like the smell of cedar at all. If you use cedar mulch in your garden beds, you get a nice look and a scent barrier they’ll avoid.
Spread a 2-3 inch layer of cedar mulch around flower beds, trees, and veggie patches to stop chipmunks from digging.
Cedar oil works too. Just put some on cotton balls or cloth sachets and drop them near chipmunk entry points, garden borders, or bird feeders.
Cedar oil’s sharp scent overwhelms chipmunks’ noses and keeps them away. Refresh the oil every few weeks so the smell stays strong.
This method is natural, safe for plants, and honestly pretty easy to keep up with.
Coffee Grounds and Everyday Household Items
Used coffee grounds can help you keep chipmunks away naturally. Their strong, bitter smell makes chipmunks turn up their noses.
Scatter coffee grounds around your garden beds, near plants, or in spots where chipmunks dig.
Household items like garlic cloves, cayenne pepper, and crushed onions also help. These release strong odors that chipmunks just can’t stand.
Remember to reapply these smells often, especially after rain. You can even plant marigolds around your yard—their scent repels chipmunks and other pests too.
Predator Scents Like Coyote Urine and Ammonia
Predator scents, like coyote urine, really freak chipmunks out. You can buy sprays or pellets and place them around your garden edges, tree bases, or near chipmunk holes.
The smell warns them that danger is close, so they stay away.
Ammonia works as well since it smells a bit like urine, but use it carefully. Soak rags with diluted ammonia and put them in sealed containers with holes near chipmunk areas.
Don’t let ammonia touch your plants or soil directly. This method doesn’t hurt chipmunks, but you’ll need to refresh it regularly to keep it working.
Visual and Physical Barriers
Sometimes, smells just don’t cut it. Setting up physical barriers can really help keep your plants safe.
Try using hardware cloth or mesh wire to cover your garden beds. If you bury the mesh a few inches underground, you’ll block chipmunks from digging in.
Motion-activated lights and sprinklers can work wonders too. The lights will startle chipmunks at night.
Sprinklers spray water whenever chipmunks get too close during the day. Both options mess with their routines and make your yard feel a lot less welcoming.
If you want to be extra careful, toss in some wind chimes or put sachets of strong-smelling herbs like rosemary or peppermint near your plants. These add noise and scents that nudge chipmunks away.
