Anyone who has had their home or yard occupied by a colony of chipmunks knows the mess, destruction and nuisance they cause.
Getting rid of a chipmunk infestation doesn’t have to be difficult if you’re armed with the right tools. In this article, I will discuss four types of chipmunk traps that can help you drive chipmunks off your property quickly and effectively.
All of these traps require bait. Fruits, berries, nuts, and seeds can all attract a chipmunk to your trap. Peanut butter is also known to attract small blights and some species are known to have a predilection for dog and cat food. It may take a bit of experimentation to find the right bait for your particular family of chipmunks.
Chipmunk Trap #1: The Water Bucket Trap (The Inexpensive Option)
The water trap bucket is an old fashioned and inexpensive method of getting rid of chipmunks. All you need is a one-gallon bucket of water, a short wooden board, and some bait.
Fill the bucket with water and lean the board against it before adding the bait to the water and the board.
Attracted to the bait, the chipmunk will climb up the board and try to grab the food in the bucket of water. The squirrel then falls into the water and drowns.
Pumpkin seeds are a great bait for this squirrel trap because they will float to the top of the water. If you’re having a hard time getting the seeds to balance on the wood, try holding them in place with some peanut butter.
Chipmunk Trap #2: The Cage Trap (The Humane Option)
Unlike the other traps, the cage trap captures the live chipmunk, allowing you to release trapped chipmunks into the wild (preferably at least 2 miles away from your home).
It consists of a metal cage with a hinged door that closes when the squirrel enters.
There are a number of suppliers of caged chipmunk traps, but one of the main manufacturers is a company called Havahart, which specializes in building humane traps for all types of pests.
Chipmunk Trap #3: The Spring-Loaded Trap (The Traditional Option)
Spring traps use the same mechanism seen in the traditional mousetrap, though they are slightly larger to accommodate the size of the chipmunk.
When the squirrel tries to place the bait in the spring-loaded trap, it activates a metal bar that slams into the squirrel’s head and spine, killing it instantly.
Chipmunk Trap #4: The Electric Trap (The Clean Option)
Several electric chipmunk traps have come onto the market over the past decade and have proven very successful at getting rid of chipmunks without the mess, blood, and gore that other traps can cause.
They consist of a box that the squirrel enters after being attracted by the bait. A bolt of electricity is then passed through the chipmunk, electrocuting and killing it instantly.