Chipmunk Control Services

Chipmunks

Chipmunks, while small and seemingly harmless, can cause a surprising amount of damage when they infest residential or commercial properties. Their burrowing habits, feeding behavior, and nesting tendencies can lead to structural, landscape, and health-related issues. Here are some of the ways these rodents may be considered harmful:

• Structural Damage: Chipmunks are prolific diggers, creating extensive burrow systems that can compromise property integrity. Their tunnels can weaken foundations, sidewalks, retaining walls, and patios by eroding the soil beneath these structures. Over time, this can lead to cracking or settling. When chipmunks dig near paved surfaces, the soil displacement can cause uneven or sunken spots. Chipmunks often burrow along the base of these areas for shelter, loosening soil and reducing structural stability.
• Landscape and Garden Destruction: Chipmunks feed on a wide variety of plant material, making them a major nuisance in gardens and landscaped areas. They dig up and eat flower bulbs, seeds, and newly planted seedlings, which can destroy plantings before they have a chance to grow. Chipmunks frequently raid vegetable gardens, berry patches, and fruit trees, chewing through produce. Their burrow entrances and soil mounds can create unsightly holes and weaken turf structure.
• Damage to Stored Food and Property: When chipmunks find their way indoors — usually into attics, crawlspaces, or garages — they can cause additional problems. Like all rodents, chipmunks have continuously growing teeth and must gnaw to keep them short. They may chew on wood, insulation, and even electrical wiring, potentially creating fire hazards. Chipmunks that nest indoors can contaminate stored food or belongings with feces and urine.
• Health Concerns: Although chipmunks are not known for transmitting serious diseases to humans, they can still pose health risks. They can carry fleas, ticks, and mites that may spread to humans or pets. Accumulated waste in nesting areas can produce unpleasant odors and promote mold or bacteria growth. Like other rodents, their dander and nesting materials can contribute to indoor air quality issues.
• Ecosystem and Wildlife Imbalance: An overpopulation of chipmunks can disrupt the local ecosystem balance. Large chipmunk populations can outcompete ground-nesting birds and other small animals for food. Their presence can also attract snakes, foxes, and other predators closer to homes and buildings.

While a single chipmunk may seem cute and harmless, an infestation can lead to costly damage, health risks, and ongoing maintenance issues. Their burrowing undermines structures, their feeding harms gardens and landscaping, and their indoor nesting can create sanitation problems. For these reasons, chipmunks are best managed quickly and professionally before they become a serious pest problem.

Learn more: Do Chipmunks Bite? || What Do Chipmunk Droppings Look Like? || What Do Chipmunks Eat?

Chipmunk Removal

Getting rid of chipmunks is important primarily because of the range of structural, ecological, and health-related problems they can cause. While these rodents may seem harmless or even cute, their behavior and biology make them potential pests when they interact with human environments:

Structural Damage to Property

Chipmunks are burrowing rodents. They dig extensive tunnels in yards, gardens, and under structures such as sheds, decks, or porches. These tunnels can:

• Destabilize foundations or retaining walls over time.
• Cause soil erosion around landscaping and plants.
• Damage lawns, driveways, and walkways due to collapsing burrows.

They also seek shelter in attics or basements when outdoor conditions are harsh. While they don’t typically chew through wood as aggressively as rats or squirrels, they can still damage insulation, wiring, and stored items if they gain entry.

Damage to Gardens and Crops

Chipmunks are omnivorous, but they feed heavily on seeds, bulbs, fruits, and young plants. This can lead to:

• Destroyed flower beds and vegetable gardens.
• Loss of fruit crops in orchards.
• Competition with desirable wildlife, such as birds or pollinators, for seeds and plants.

Their habit of storing food in caches can also result in uneaten seeds sprouting in unwanted areas, disrupting landscaping plans.

Potential Disease Transmission

Chipmunks are carriers of certain diseases and parasites that can affect humans, pets, and livestock:

• Tick-borne illnesses: Chipmunks can host ticks carrying Lyme disease or other pathogens.
• Salmonella and Leptospirosis: Exposure to chipmunk droppings can lead to bacterial infections.
• Parasites: Mites, fleas, and lice from chipmunks can infest homes and pets.

Although the risk is lower than with some other rodents, it is still a significant consideration, particularly in areas where chipmunks are abundant.

Impact on Other Wildlife

Chipmunks are prolific breeders and can quickly reach high population densities. This can:

• Increase competition for food among other small wildlife species.
• Attract predators like snakes or raccoons closer to human dwellings.
• Lead to imbalanced local ecosystems if their numbers become excessive.

Annoyance and Nuisance

Beyond tangible damage, chipmunks can be a persistent nuisance:

• Noisy digging or scurrying in attics or under decks.
• Droppings in gardens, patios, or storage areas.
• Chewing on outdoor wiring or structures.

While chipmunks play a role in ecosystems, such as dispersing seeds, their presence around human structures and cultivated areas creates a tangible risk of property damage, health concerns, and nuisance behaviors. For homeowners, gardeners, and business owners, proactive control or exclusion measures are essential to prevent these problems from escalating.

Learn more: How To Get Rid Of Chipmunks

Chipmunk Control

Hiring our professionals to deal with chipmunks offers several advantages that go far beyond what most homeowners or business owners can achieve with DIY methods. Chipmunks may seem harmless, but once they begin nesting around structures or burrowing under foundations, the damage can be significant—and the longer they stay, the harder they are to remove. Here’s why our professional pest control is the smarter, safer, and more effective choice:

• Accurate Inspection and Identification: Chipmunks are often mistaken for squirrels, ground squirrels, or other small rodents. Our professionals are trained to properly identify chipmunks, locate burrow entrances, and determine the size and scope of the infestation. This precision ensures that control efforts are targeted and effective, rather than wasting time and money on the wrong approach.
• Safe and Humane Removal: Our professionals use humane trapping and exclusion techniques that comply with state and local wildlife regulations. DIY attempts—especially using poisons or makeshift traps—can lead to unnecessary suffering, non-target animal deaths, or legal issues. Our licensed pest control experts know how to remove chipmunks responsibly while preventing their return.
• Long-Term Prevention Strategies: Eliminating chipmunks isn’t enough—you also need to stop them from coming back. Our pest control professionals identify and address the conditions attracting chipmunks in the first place, such as food sources, nesting sites, and entry points. We can install exclusion barriers, recommend landscape modifications, and provide tailored prevention plans that deliver long-term results.
• Protection from Structural and Landscape Damage: Chipmunks burrow under patios, foundations, retaining walls, and sidewalks, which can compromise structural integrity over time. They also dig up gardens and uproot plants in search of food. Our professionals can locate and address all active burrows, stabilize affected areas, and prevent further damage before it becomes costly to repair.
• Expertise in Integrated Pest Management (IPM): Our professionals don’t just rely on traps or chemicals—we use a comprehensive Integrated Pest Management approach. This means combining multiple control methods, such as habitat modification, exclusion, trapping, and monitoring, for the most efficient and eco-friendly outcome.
• Guaranteed Results and Peace of Mind: We provide service guarantees and ongoing maintenance plans, ensuring that if chipmunks reappear, we return to resolve the issue at no extra cost. That level of assurance simply isn’t possible with DIY control methods.
• Health and Safety Considerations: Chipmunks can carry fleas, ticks, and other parasites that pose health risks to people and pets. Their droppings can also contribute to sanitation concerns around homes and businesses. Our professionals handle removal and cleanup safely, minimizing any potential exposure.

Our professional pest control for chipmunks delivers precision, compliance, safety, and long-term protection—something traps and repellents alone can’t achieve. It’s an investment in protecting your property, your landscaping, and your peace of mind.

Chipmunk Exterminators

Hiring our local exterminators instead of a national company to handle chipmunks offers several concrete advantages:

Deep Knowledge of Local Wildlife and Behavior

Our local exterminators are intimately familiar with the habits, seasonal patterns, and preferred nesting areas of chipmunks in the region. This means:

• Targeted strategies: We know where chipmunks are likely to burrow and forage, so we can address the source rather than just treating symptoms.
• Species-specific expertise: There are often local subspecies or behavior patterns that national companies overlook.
• Seasonal timing: Our local professionals know when chipmunks are most active and when interventions will be most effective (e.g., before they store food for winter or breed in spring).

Faster Response and Accessibility

Our local exterminators can usually respond much more quickly than a national chain:

• Shorter wait times for inspection and treatment.
• On-site troubleshooting: If chipmunks return, we can re-visit more quickly to make any necessary adjustments.
• Personal accountability: You can communicate directly with the person handling the problem, rather than going through national corporate call centers or generic customer service.

Customized, Property-Specific Solutions

Chipmunks’ behavior varies based on your yard layout, landscaping, structures, and surrounding ecosystem. Our local experts:

• Tailor our trapping, exclusion, and deterrent methods to your property’s exact needs.
• Assess vulnerabilities in your landscaping, foundation, or outbuildings.
• Provide long-term prevention strategies that are practical for your specific home or business.

National chains often use standardized protocols that do not fully address your unique situation, which can result in repeated infestations.

Environmentally Sensitive Practices

Because our local exterminators understand the regional ecosystem:

• We recommend methods that are safe for native plants, pets, and beneficial wildlife.
• We are more familiar with state and municipal regulations regarding trapping, exclusion, or relocation.

National companies often use blanket chemical treatments that have the potential to harm the surrounding environment.

Accountability and Reputation

Our local team relies heavily on our reputation within the community, so we are incentivized to deliver high-quality, lasting results. We have a personal stake in solving your problem completely, rather than moving on to the next job the way a large corporate chain often would.

Ongoing Support and Monitoring

Chipmunks can be persistent, and exclusion often requires follow-up:

• Our local professionals conduct seasonal inspections to prevent re-infestation.
• We advise on property modifications that help deter chipmunks long-term.

Hiring our local exterminators ensures faster response, property-specific expertise, cost-effective and environmentally responsible treatments, and reliable follow-up. National chains often rely on generic methods that frequently miss the root of the chipmunk problem, which can lead to recurring infestations and higher long-term costs.

What Do Chipmunks Look Like?

Chipmunks are small, rodent-like mammals known for their distinct and charming appearance. They belong to the squirrel family, Sciuridae, and are primarily found in North America. Here is what chipmunks look like:

• Size and Shape: Chipmunks are relatively small creatures, with an average length of 5 to 6 inches (12.7 to 15.2 cm) and a weight ranging from 1 to 5 ounces (28 to 142 grams). They have a slender, cylindrical body and short, sturdy legs.
• Fur and Coloration: Their fur is soft and dense, typically consisting of three longitudinal stripes running along their back. The central stripe is dark, often black, flanked by two light stripes, usually white or light gray. These stripes extend from the head down to the tail. In addition, chipmunks have alternating light and dark stripes on their face, which can resemble a mask.
• Head and Facial Features: Chipmunks have a small, rounded head with bright, round eyes, which can range in color from dark brown to amber. Their cheeks have pouches that can be used to carry food, which is a distinctive feature that sets them apart from similar rodents. They also possess short, rounded ears.
• Tail: Their tail is relatively short, measuring about 3 to 4 inches (7.6 to 10.2 cm) in length and is often bushy and similar in color to their body.
• Limbs: Chipmunks have sharp, curved claws on their feet, which are adapted for digging and climbing. Their front paws are especially dexterous, making them excellent at handling and manipulating objects.
• Distinguishing Features: One key characteristic that distinguishes chipmunks from other ground squirrels is their size and the presence of stripes on their body. These stripes, along with their facial markings and cheek pouches, are distinctive features of chipmunks.

Chipmunks are small, striped rodents with a unique and captivating appearance. Their distinct markings, cheek pouches, and bushy tails make them easily recognizable and endearing to many people.

Where Are Chipmunks Found?

Chipmunks are native to North America and can be found in various habitats across the continent. To provide a comprehensive overview of where you might find chipmunks, here are some key locations and types of environments where they are commonly encountered:

• Woodlands: Chipmunks are often found in deciduous and mixed woodlands. They prefer areas with plenty of trees and underbrush, where they can find both cover and a variety of nuts, seeds, and insects for food.
• Forests: Many species of chipmunks inhabit forests, including coniferous forests. They are known to thrive in areas with abundant vegetation and leaf litter.
• Parks and Gardens: Chipmunks are quite adaptable and can be found in urban and suburban areas, including parks and gardens. These environments often provide a mix of vegetation and food sources.
• Fields and Meadows: In more rural areas, chipmunks may be found in fields, meadows, and grassy clearings. They seek out these areas for foraging and burrow in the surrounding soil.
• Rocky Areas: Some chipmunk species, like the Eastern chipmunk, are known to inhabit rocky outcrops and hilly terrain, where they create burrows and forage among the rocks.
• Canyons and Cliffs: In certain regions, chipmunks are adapted to living in canyons and cliffs, making use of crevices and natural shelters for their nests.
• Residential Areas: Chipmunks may venture into suburban and rural residential areas, particularly if there are gardens, bird feeders, or other food sources available.
• Camping Sites and Recreation Areas: Chipmunks are often seen in campgrounds, picnic areas, and other outdoor recreation spots, where they are attracted to the presence of food scraps and crumbs.
• High Elevations: In mountainous regions, chipmunks can be found at higher elevations, including alpine and subalpine zones, where they adapt to the colder climate.
• Wetlands: Some chipmunk species, such as the Siskiyou chipmunk, are associated with wetland habitats, such as marshes and riverbanks.

The specific type of chipmunk and the availability of suitable habitat can vary by region. Chipmunks are known for their adaptability, and they can thrive in a range of environments, from dense forests to open fields. However, they are most commonly associated with wooded areas where they can easily find food and shelter.