COBB COUNTY EXTENSION

PESKY CRITTERS

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Rodent:  Squirrels and Chipmunks

Laurene Hall

Horticulture Program Assistant

How many squirrels have you seen today? Squirrels have become common city dwellers. With their intelligence, curiosity, and ability to adapt to different habitats, they've made themselves right at home. Unfortunately, this often brings them into conflict with homeowners.  Use this chart to help you identify tree squirrels native to the Metro Atlanta area.

Damage

Squirrels may occasionally do damage by chewing bark of ornamental trees and shrubbery planted in yards. In residential areas, squirrels travel and gnaw on power-lines, thereby shorting out transformers.  Occasionally, squirrels damage lawns by creating burrows in searching of and hoarding nuts.  Squirrels will also partake of food intended for birds in birdfeeders. In gardens, squirrels will eat planted seeds, mature fruits, or grains such as corn.  In homes, squirrels may take residence in attics for shelter thereby shredding up insulation and gnawing on wood.

Prevention and Control

Prevent squirrels from climbing isolated trees and power line poles by encircling them with a 2-foot-wide collar of metal 6 feet off the ground. On wires, install 2-foot sections of lightweight 2-to-3 inch diameter plastic pipe.  The pipe will rotate on the wire and cause traveling squirrels to tumble.

Close openings to attics and other parts of buildings but make sure not to lock squirrels inside.  They may cause a great deal of damage in their efforts to chew out.  Place traps inside as a pre-caution after openings are closed.  Trim tree limbs 6 to 8 feet away from buildings to prevent squirrels from jumping onto roofs.

Ropel is a taste repellent that can be applied to seeds, bulbs, flowers, trees, shrubs, poles, fences, sidings, and outdoor furniture.  Always heed cautions and follow label instructions when using this chemical. Currently, there are no registered toxicants or fumigants for squirrels.

A variety of traps will catch squirrels, including leg-hold traps and cage traps. 

Where firearms are permitted, shooting is effective.  Currently, the Georgia Department of Natural Resources has conserved the populations of both the fox squirrel and the gray squirrel through regulated hunting seasons extending from mid-August through the end of February.  In the Metro Atlanta area, firearm usage, sale, and transfer is restricted.

CHIPMUNKS

Yet another likely culprit for damage to home lawns and gardens is the chipmunk.  The chipmunk is a small, brownish, ground-dwelling squirrel that typically weighs about 3 oz.  His face has two tan and two brownish stripes on each side. His body is about five to six inches long with two tan and five blackish longitudinal stripes on its back.  He is distinguished from a squirrel by his long, hairy (but not bushy) tail that is three to four inches in length.

Chipmunks typically inhabit mature woodland, but will inhabit areas in and around suburban or rural homes. They are solitary creatures that are most active during the early morning and late afternoon.  Their sharp “chuck, chuck, chuck” call can be heard as he forages for food throughout your yard.  This sound can occur as an alarm to other chipmunks, warning that a potential danger.  He also uses this call as a defense to scare intruders from his territory.

He often takes shelter in a complex burrow system of tunnels.  Occasionally, these burrows are near objects or buildings such as stumps, wood piles, basements, and garages.  The burrow entrance is usually about 2 inches (5 cm) in diameter.  There are no obvious mounds of dirt around the entrance because the chipmunk carries the dirt in its cheek pouches and scatters it away form the burrow, making the burrow entrance less conspicuous.  In most cases, the chipmunk’s main tunnel is 20 to 30 feet (6 m to 9m) in length, but complex burrow systems occur where cover is sparse.  Burrow systems normally include a nesting chamber, one or two food storage chambers, various side pockets connected to the main tunnel and separate escape tunnels.

With the onset of cold weather, chipmunks enter a restless hibernation and are relatively inactive from late fall through the winter months.  During this time, chipmunks rely on the cache of food they have brought to their burrow.  Some individuals become active on warm, sunny days during the winter.  Most chipmunks emerge from hibernation in early March.

Although chipmunks are mostly ground-dwelling rodents, they will readily climb trees as apart of their daily activities. The diet of chipmunks consists primarily of grains, nuts, berries, seeds, mushrooms, and insects.  Chipmunks often collect and store more food than they could possibly consume all winter. By storing and scattering seeds, they promote the growth of various plants.

Damage and Identification

When chipmunks are present in large numbers they can cause structural damage by burrowing under patios, stairs, retention walls, or foundations.  They may also consume flower bulbs, seeds, birdseed, and pet food that is not stored in rodent-proof storage containers. If you see a hole in your yard about the size of a silver dollar that goes straight down, you have discovered a chipmunk den.

Prevention and Control

In Georgia, chipmunks are considered protected animals. It is necessary to obtain a permit prior to killing protected animals in Georgia. Chipmunks should be excluded from buildings wherever possible.  Use hardware cloth with ¼-inch mesh, caulking, or other appropriate materials to close openings where they could gain entry.  Hardware cloth may also be used to exclude chipmunks from flowerbeds.  Seeds and bulbs can be covered by ¼ inch hardware cloth and the cloth itself should be covered with soil.  The cloth should extend at least 1 foot past each margin of the planting.  Exclusion is less expensive in the long run than trapping, where high populations of chipmunks exist.

Chipmunks can be trapped and relocated to places where they will not cause problems.  Live-catch wire-mesh traps or common rat snap traps can be used to catch chipmunks.  Lure chipmunks to traps by baiting them with foods that they like.  There are a number of places that will trap chipmunks for you or borrow traps with a deposit.  There are no toxic baits registered for controlling chipmunks.  Fumigants are generally ineffective because of the difficulty in locating the openings to chipmunk burrows and the complexity of burrow layouts.

Poisoning a chipmunk is illegal and his tendency to store food makes it a bad idea. The likely result may be that the chipmunk will simply store the poison rather than eat it. There are currently no federally registered repellants for controlling rodent damage to seeds.  Taste repellents containing, bitrex or thiram can be used to protect flower bulbs, seeds, and foliage not intended for human consumption.  Multiple applications are required.  Repellents can be expensive and usually do not provide 100% reduction in damage to horticultural plantings.

If all else fails, learn to love these cute and pesky critters!!

Sources:

Home and Garden Tips:  Control Nuisance Wildlife

The University of Georgia Cooperative Extension Service in Dekalb County

Georgia Wildlife Web

The Georgia Museum of Natural History

Georgia Department of Natural Resources

The University of Georgia and Ft. Valley State University, the U.S. Department of Agriculture and counties of the state cooperating. The Cooperative Extension Service offers educational programs, assistance and materials to all people without regard to race, color, national origin, age, sex or disability.

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