Chipmunk Facts

In cartoons, chipmunks are usually pretty cute, but in real life, they are just another rodent. While they can seem tiny and adorable, chipmunks can have a negative impact on your yard. Learn more about them and how they could cause damage to your garden.

Chipmunks are very small, only growing to be between 2 and 6 inches in length and weighing less than a pound. They will live for a few years and the females will have two litters each year- one in the spring and one in the late summer - with 2-7 babies in each litter. The babies will leave the burrow after about 6 weeks and become independent quickly thereafter.

Here are some additional facts about chipmunks:

Chipmunks Are Solitary

Even though people often think of chipmunks as social creatures (think Alvin, Theodore, and Simon; or Chip and Dale), they are actually solitary. They usually only come together for mating or raising their young. They are also very territorial.

Chipmunks Live Underground

While chipmunks are excellent climbers, they live primarily in underground burrows. They build their burrows strategically, even carrying dirt away in their cheeks to camouflage the entrances. Their burrows can be expansive, with multiple "rooms" and up to 30 feet long. They tend to choose to make their homes in areas with plenty of ground cover, such as trees, shrubs, rocks and even fence lines or under houses.

As the chipmunks tunnel, they can wreak havoc on your gardens, eating away roots and killing plants. They can cause significant destruction of vegetation, even to the point of wiping out entire garden systems.

Additionally, when chipmunks burrow near or under structures, they can compromise the integrity of foundations, porches, and patios. As these foundations weaken, cracking, shifting and other damage can begin to form, causing both danger and huge financial outlay.

"While these furry critters may seem harmless and even endearing, their propensity for destruction is often underestimated." – Sam Wasson, Today's Homeowner

Chipmunks Spread Both Seeds and Disease

Chipmunks can be helpful in the wild by spreading nuts and seeds, leaving new vegetation to grow. They can, however, also spread diseases that can severely impact both humans and pets. These diseases include Lyme disease, salmonellosis, tapeworms, and even the plague. A bite is not required for the transfer of the disease; it can happen through contact with chipmunk waste or fleas spread from the chipmunks to your pet.

Chipmunks Are Foragers And Hoarders

In order to make it through the winter, chipmunks will forage for food to store. They have pouches inside their cheeks that allow them to store food while they forage, increasing efficiency. They are able to gather more than 160 acorns in one day, which is especially incredible given their tiny size.

Because chipmunks don't hibernate the same way as other animals, like bears, they need to have stores of food to eat throughout the winter. They enter periods of deep sleep with lowered body temperatures and slower heart rates, much like hibernation, but with the need to emerge every few days to eat. They will use different chambers in their burrow for food storage and eating, defecating and urinating.

Don’t Underestimate Chipmunks

Chipmunks are still a rodent, and a destructive one at that. If you find yourself with one of these animals causing grief in your lawn, garden, or even under your home, make sure to take steps to get rid of the problem before it becomes even worse.

Virginia Pest Pro can even help with rodents - give us a call today!

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