Ah, the sweet sound of chipmunks scurrying around your garage. This has been a common problem for homeowners with garages and sheds alike. Chipmunks are cute, but they can quickly become a nuisance when they start chewing wires, making nests in insulation, and generally wreaking havoc.
So what can you do to get rid of those pesky critters? Let’s take a look at some easy ways to get rid of chipmunks from your garage.
What You'll Learn Today
What’s the Problem With Having Chipmunks in Your Garage?
Chipmunks are attracted to dark and quiet places that offer plenty of food sources and shelter from predators. Garages offer all of this and more, making them an ideal spot for chipmunks looking for new homes.
If your garage is near woods or thick undergrowth, it’s even more likely that a chipmunk will move in since they can easily scurry between the two locations without being seen by potential predators.
There are several signs that may indicate you have a chipmunk infestation in your garage, including:
- Burrows on the ground
- Nests made from leaves
- Twigs, and other materials
- Gnawed wood
- Droppings
- Rustlings or squeaks coming from inside walls or behind furniture
- Food debris on the floor
- Holes chewed through cardboard boxes or plastic containers
If you notice any of these signs, it’s important to act quickly before the problem gets worse.
Chipmunks can cause all sorts of problems if they get into your garage, including contaminating food sources, carrying diseases and parasites, chewing through wires or pipes, chewing up insulation materials, attracting other pests like rats and mice, and even biting people or pets if they feel threatened.
Plus, they can reproduce quickly which means an infestation could go from one chipmunk to dozens within just weeks!
So it’s important not to ignore any signs of a chipmunk infestation in your garage.
How Do You Get Rid of Chipmunks Fast?
Just when you think your garage is safe from all critters, chipmunks sneak in, leaving behind their tell-tale signs of mischief.
You may have tried traditional methods such as traps, but if those weren’t effective, you may have to get creative. Here are some unconventional ways to get rid of chipmunks in the garage.
Remove Entry Points
The first step is to make sure that there are no entry points into your garage or shed where the chipmunks can come in.
Start by checking around windows and doors for any holes or cracks that may be allowing them access. If you find any, seal them up using caulk or expanding foam (or both!).
Make sure that all vents are also securely in place and that there are no gaps between the vent covers and the walls. This will help keep chipmunks out of your garage for good.
Here’s a video that can serve as a quick guide on how to keep these rodents (and others) out of the garage for good:
Catch and Release
Once you have taken steps to remove entry points into your garage, it’s time to set traps for those pesky little critters!
Live traps work well because they don’t harm the animals and can be easily released back into the wild once you have caught them.
Place the trap near areas where you know chipmunks frequent like near food sources or along walls where they like to nest.
Be sure to check the traps every day until all of the chipmunks have been caught and released away from your home.
Try Repellents
If live trapping isn’t an option for you, then try using repellents instead! These products come in sprays, granules, and even sonic waves that can help keep chipmunks away from your home without harming them in any way.
Repellents should be applied around doors, windowsills, lower rooflines, eaves troughs or anywhere else where chipmunks might enter your home.
Reapplication every few weeks is recommended for best results as these products tend to wear off over time due to weather conditions or other factors.
Use Cat Litter or Predator Urine
If cats and dogs aren’t allowed in your garage (or you just don’t have a pet), an alternative option would be to sprinkle a bit of cat litter or predator urine around the perimeter.
Both options will send out a signal that other animals lurk here and that they should stay away. Not only that, but it’s also a good way to keep your garage smelling fresh!
Put Down Cayenne Pepper
Cayenne pepper is actually quite potent. The hot sensation can be an effective way to ward off pesky critters like chipmunks.
Sprinkle some around the perimeter of your garage and maybe even add some on top of shelves where chipmunks tend to hide. This will send them scurrying away!
Try Mothballs
An oldie but a goodie! Mothballs are another great deterrent for small animals like chipmunks because they contain naphthalene, which is toxic for these creatures.
Place mothballs around the perimeter or wherever you notice activity and soon enough those pesky critters will find somewhere else to go!
Use Juicy Fruit Gum
Believe it or not, juicy fruit gum can be used as a deterrent against chipmunks. All you need to do is place a few pieces near common entry points and wait for the little critters to come sniffing around—it won’t be long before they realize this isn’t something they want to chew on!
Put Down Coffee Grounds
Another unconventional method is using coffee grounds around areas where you notice activity from chipmunks.
The pungent smell of coffee is unpleasant for them so this could be an effective way to keep them away without having to resort to more drastic measures like traps or poisons.
Peppermint Oil Can Repel Chipmunks
Strong smells like peppermint oil can act as repellents for small animals such as chipmunks because it irritates their sensitive noses.
You can either put some drops in strategic places around the garage or spray some diluted peppermint oil throughout the area—either way should do the trick!
Irish Spring Soap to Repel Chipmunks
It might sound strange but Irish spring soap can actually work wonders when it comes to getting rid of unwanted visitors in your garage such as chipmunks.
All you need is one bar of soap per corner and leave it there—the strong scent should do its job soon enough!
Give Other Essential Oils a Try
If peppermint oil doesn’t seem to be doing the trick, then give other essential oils a try such as tea tree oil or lavender oil both known for being natural repellents against small animals like chipmunks.
Place a few drops at key spots and say goodbye to pesky critter problems in no time!
Try an Ultrasonic Device
Last but not least, if all else fails you could always resort to getting an ultrasonic device that emits high-pitched sounds that humans cannot hear but rodents sure do—they don’t like them one bit so it could just be what finally drives those pesky critters away from your garage once and for all!
Preventing Chipmunks from Returning in the Future
Here are a few tips to help prevent chipmunks from returning to your garage (or coming inside in the first place).
Put Down a Gravel Barrier – but Skip the Plants
Chipmunks love digging around in soft soil, so one way to deter them is by putting down a gravel barrier around the area where they’re likely to enter your yard.
Just make sure that there are no plants near the edge of the gravel—the chipmunk may be tempted to dig up any roots or bulbs that it finds.
Clean Up Spilled Seed and Other Debris
Let’s face it—chipmunks are attracted to food sources. That’s why it’s important to clean up any spilled seed or debris around your bird feeder as quickly as possible.
The less food available, the less likely chipmunks will be to stay in your yard for too long!
Use Barricades
If you want an extra layer of protection against unwanted visitors, try using barricades such as fencing or netting around the area where chipmunks are likely to enter your garage.
What Scent Will Keep Chipmunks Away?
We already mentioned that peppermint is one of the most effective scents when it comes to keeping chipmunks away, but it’s not your only option.
Chipmunks aren’t fond of citrus scents either, so if you’re looking for an all-natural solution, try using orange peels or lemon rinds as a deterrent.
Simply scatter these around your garden and watch as the chipmunks scamper away in search of more pleasant smells!
Oranges are particularly effective because their bright color attracts chipmunks while their smell drives them away.
If neither of those options appeal to you, aluminum foil could be another option. Chipmunks don’t like stepping on aluminum foil because its texture feels unpleasant under their feet.
Lay down sheets of aluminum foil around your garden or yard and then replace them when they become wet or dirty. This will help keep the area free from pesky chipmunk intruders!
Final Thoughts
Chipmunk invasions are nothing new; however, with a little bit of patience and some DIY methods outlined above you can get rid of those pesky critters from your garage once and for all!
Put these tips into action today so you can enjoy peace and quiet in your own home again!
After all, who needs chirping noises coming from their garage? Not us! Good luck on getting rid of those pesky chipmunks!
