Discover in this article a practical and simple guide for the control and prevention of various common health problems. Find out how to prevent disease, maintain good hygiene and improve your quality of life by following these simple steps. Do not miss it!
Squirrels seem like harmless creatures. In fact, if you don’t find and remove them in time, they can cause significant damage to your property. They will eat your plants, gnaw at your wiring, dig deep holes, and can also infect you with dangerous diseases (Tularemia, Encephalitis, Toxoplasmosis, etc.).
If you try to catch them with your bare hands, you risk being bitten, so knowing how to get rid of chipmunks in the garage correctly is essential. In this article, I’ve detailed the basic steps for identifying signs of rodent infestation and methods for cleaning up the area.
How to get rid of chipmunks in the garage?
When you find a chipmunk in your garage, determine what attracts these pests to your area. Make the room uninviting to keep chipmunks out of the garage: use kitty litter, DIY cayenne pepper spray, and mothballs. Set up live traps to catch animals without harming them.
WHAT ATTRACTS SQUIRRELS TO THE GARAGE?
Attracting the attention of these rodents is not difficult at all. Like any other living thing, they can come to you for food, water, and shelter. If all this is on a site within easy reach, with a high degree of probability, they will settle there for a long time. So let’s take a closer look at things you can have indoors and outdoors that can trigger chipmunks:
- Fruitful plants. If you grow shrubs, trees, and other vegetation that produce sweet fruits, seeds, and nuts, you can be sure that they will attract wild animals.
- Insects Chipmunks are omnivorous creatures; therefore, they don’t mind feasting on protein-rich insect larvae. If your garage has a bug problem, rodents can make it worse.
- Trash. Usually these animals prefer fresh food. But with no other options, they can feast on leftover human food, which you may accidentally leave or dump in the garage or toss in a loosely-sealed trash bin.
- Water. All animals need regular access to water. Are your pipes leaking or rainwater collecting in your basement? Be prepared for pest infestation.
- Shelter. Often owners use garages as a storage room for unnecessary things. Garbage heaps are a breeding ground for chipmunks. Although they generally prefer to live outdoors, they can occasionally be seen in chimneys, vents, near heaters, and other heating devices.
Basically, all you need to do to attract chipmunks is give your house a little neglect. All of the above factors make your garage an ideal environment for a wide variety of pests.
SIGNS OF A CHIPMUNK INFESTATION
Seeing a chipmunk in my garage is not enough to call the situation an infestation. However, it is a warning sign to take seriously and look for other signs:
Rodent tracks on the floor and other flat surfaces in the garage;
- Gnawed wires, seals, furniture and other soft objects
- Holes in the grass in the area adjacent to the garage
- Fruits, bitten vegetables, scattered shells of nuts and seeds
- rodent droppings
- Ruined bird feeders
Chipmunks are by nature solitary creatures; They do not live in large families. However, if all the favorable conditions for life exist in your garage or in the local area, you will most likely encounter more rodents. They are active in the morning and at night, so at this time you can see creatures running or hear the characteristic squeak (or hiss) that they emit.
Although experts generally rate chipmunks a low threat with minimal economic loss to large farms, they can cause significant damage to small farms and individuals. Do not let the situation take its course and hope that the problem will resolve itself. When you spot the first signs of rodents, you should take steps to repel them and protect your home from their reappearance.
HOW TO GET RID OF CHIPMUNKS IN YOUR GARAGE
You can use several methods to get rid of chipmunks living in your garage. I am a supporter of a humanitarian approach to the eviction of unwanted neighbors. Therefore, I have outlined ways to get rid of chipmunks without killing them or causing them serious harm.
STEP 1: REMOVE ALL THINGS THAT ATTRACT RODENTS
Learn about the factors listed in the first section that can cause wild animals to appear in your garage and yard, and get rid of them:
- It is important to block rodents’ access to food and water and collect all fallen vegetables, fruits and nuts if fruiting plants grow near the house.
- If you have a bird feeder installed, remove it or regularly pick up any seeds that fall from the floor.
- Check all garage storage bins for holes and cracks; make sure the lids fit snugly so small pests can’t get inside.
- If necessary, replace the old cracked trash can with a new one with a secure lid.
- Repair leaky pipes and cracks in walls and foundations.
- If there are piles of junk in the garage (for example, a pile of wooden pallets), you need to remove them.
- All ventilation openings should be closed with fine metal mesh to prevent re-entry of rodents.
Remember that chipmunks are quite shy creatures. They are not comfortable in open spaces, so you should do everything you can to make sure they have nowhere to hide in your garage.
STEP 2: USE REPELLENTS
Making your garage and its surroundings unattractive to chipmunks is easy. To create the most repellents, you will probably find the necessary ingredients in your kitchen.
CAYENNE PEPPER
The powerful smell and taste of cayenne pepper repels many pests, including squirrels, as it strongly irritates the mucous membranes of the eyes and respiratory tract. You can make an effective spray using it. Mix a tablespoon of spices with a glass of plain water and pour this mixture into a spray bottle.
Try to treat all the crevices and out-of-the-way places in your garage with this remedy. You can also sprinkle dry cayenne pepper around the room or use a dry spray if you have one. If you wish, you can buy fresh peppers, cut them into several pieces and spread them in secluded places in the garage. The stronger the smell, the faster the pests will move away from your area.
SAND FOR CATS
Squirrels, like many wild animals, have a keen sense of smell. They are also terrified of pets, so to scare them away, you can get a cat or dog or use their waste, such as kitty litter. If you don’t have a pet or don’t want one, borrow used kitty litter from friends or family and store it in your garage for a while.
Renew it periodically to keep the smell as strong as possible. When the last signs of rodents are gone, give the room a thorough cleaning.
COFFEE GRAINS
It is another product with a strong smell. You probably drink coffee regularly, so don’t throw the grounds away, but find other good uses. If you don’t feel like coffee, you can order ground coffee at any nearest coffee shop. Spread coffee grounds inside and outside your garage to keep pests out.
Keep in mind that the smell wears off pretty quickly, so you’ll need to reapply it regularly (I recommend doing it daily). Shouldn’t be a big problem for coffee fans.
PEPPERMINT OIL
Peppermint oil smells much better to most people than ground coffee. At the same time, it has an equally repulsive effect on rodents. If you have a bottle of this oil handy, dilute a teaspoon in a glass of water and treat all the cracks, entrances and exits of the garage. All essential oils fade fairly quickly, so you’ll need to reapply them regularly to maintain the effectiveness of the spray.
Be careful, as peppermint oil can be an allergen for people with high sensitivities.
MOTHBALLS
The naphthalene found in mothballs has an extremely strong and repulsive odor. Rodents don’t tolerate it and prefer to stay away. Use this method carefully because, in large amounts, this substance can be toxic to pets and even people. After getting rid of the squirrels, it is recommended to ventilate the room well.
LIQUID REPELLENTS AND ULTRASONIC DEVICES
In stores you can find professional pest control products. Among them are liquid concentrates that must be diluted with water and sprayed on infected premises. Choose non-toxic repellents to avoid harming the environment. Also, on the market, many ultrasonic devices are intended to repel rodents.
Experts still argue about its real effectiveness, so you can choose other proven methods for your tasks.
STEP 3: CATCH CHIPMUNKS
In addition to using a rodent deterrent, you can set up live traps in areas where squirrels may run during the day. It is humane to capture wild animals while they are still alive in cages or boxes. After catching the creature, take it to the wild and release it. Combine this approach with the other methods described and clean up your garage to get rid of pests for good.
A FEW WORDS ABOUT KILLING CHIPMUNKS
As I said, I am in favor of humane methods of dealing with chipmunks, as the pests are an integral part of the ecosystem. However, I will briefly cover some lethal methods so that my guide is as comprehensive as possible. He can use poisonous liquid repellants, mousetraps, fruit gums (they get stuck in the digestive tract and kill rodents), and even small-caliber guns to keep chipmunks out of the garage.
Please note that depending on your region, laws may prohibit lethal methods. In the United States, the killing of chipmunks is not prohibited at the state level; however, in some states there are acts that totally or partially prevent it (for example, by prohibiting the use of weapons).
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ON HOW TO GET RID OF CHIPMUNKS IN THE GARAGE
This section will give you more information on pest control in your garage. If something is not clear, ask your question in the comments section.
WHAT DO SQUIRRELS HATE THE MOST?
Like all wild animals, chipmunks cannot tolerate strong-smelling substances. These include cat urine (ammonia), peppermint, mothballs, coffee, cayenne pepper, etc. Pests stay away from dogs, cats, owls, and other predators, so it’s a good idea to use their fur or urine. Also, rodents do not like open spaces and empty rooms; They are always looking for a place to hide.
So keep your garage and garden in order. Also, pests often travel in search of food and water. Therefore, if they do not have access to them at home, they will quickly move elsewhere.
WHAT IS A HOME REMEDY TO GET RID OF CHIPMUNKS?
In general, any remedy with a strong, strong and persistent odor can be used as a home remedy. If you have cayenne pepper or chili peppers in your kitchen and mothballs are lying around in your cupboard, feel free to use them in the garage to repel rodents.
Even the neighbor’s cat can be a helper if you ask your neighbor to share a cat litter box with you. Additionally, you can plant marigolds, hyacinths, poison daffodils, and onions in flower beds or pots to deter pests.
WHAT SCENT WILL KEEP THE CHIPMUNKS AWAY?
There are many strong odors that rodents prefer to avoid: mint, cayenne pepper, mothballs, citrus, eucalyptus, etc. It’s because they irritate the mucous membranes of their noses and eyes and prevent chipmunks from fully assessing the situation to avoid predator encounters.
These two reasons will cause pests to leave your garage. Also, rodents run away when they smell cats, foxes, or coyotes. You can use their fur or urine pellets.
GET RID OF UNWANTED NEIGHBORS PERMANENTLY
Don’t be fooled by the cuteness of the chipmunks. These are real destroyers that can also bring serious diseases. Luckily, they are quite shy creatures, so you can scare them away with natural remedies that you can make yourself or use ready-made chemicals. And, of course, the key to eliminating rodents forever is order in and around the garage.
If you’ve had to deal with chipmunks, tell me which methods worked for you in the comments! Did you use DIY tools or do you prefer ready-made products? How do you feel about deadly pest control methods?