Veggies And Plants Chipmunks Will Eat From The Garden

Chipmunks are cute animals, but they can become a frustrating nuisance when they start to eat your plants and vegetables. What plants and veggies will these animals eat and specifically search for in your garden?

The list of plants and vegetables these animals will eat is long and extensive. These pests will eat seeds, berries, root vegetables, lettuce, fruits, bulbs, broccoli, and more.

This article will explore all the plants and vegetables that Chipmunks will eat in your garden and how to help prevent them from eating them should they become a nuisance, so keep reading!

But first, it’s essential to understand the signs that chipmunks have invaded your garden.

Signs of Chipmunk Feeding

Chipmunks primarily target bulbs, seeds, and fruits, but they may also eat leaves and flowers.

Some common signs of chipmunk feeding include:

Nibbled plants with small teeth marks
Clipped flowers, leaves, or stems
Partially eaten fruits and vegetables
Scattered seeds or partially dug-up bulbs

Chipmunks are attracted to plants and vegetables that provide them with essential nutrients for their growth and well-being.

For example, fruits and vegetables are rich in vitamins and minerals, such as; magnesium, vitamins A, C, and E, Zinc, etc.

While seeds and bulbs contain crucial sources of protein and carbohydrates.

Identifying Chipmunk Burrows

Chipmunks create burrows to live in, store food, and raise their young. Identifying chipmunk burrows in your garden can help you pinpoint the areas where they may be causing damage.

Some common characteristics of chipmunk burrows include:

Small holes (approximately 2 inches in diameter)
Burrows built near rocks, walls, or fences
Piles of excavated soil near the entrance
Absence of visible tracks or trails leading to the burrow

Monitoring and recognizing chipmunk activity in your garden will help you take adequate measures to deter their feeding and prevent damage to your vegetables and plants.

Veggies Chipmunks Eat And Why

Leafy Greens

Chipmunks are omnivores that are attracted to leafy garden greens, such as lettuce. But they’re more likely to go after lettuce seeds than a full-grown plant.

These leafy greens provide essential nutrients for chipmunks, including vitamins A and C and fiber.

Other popular leafy greens for chipmunks include spinach, kale, and collard greens.

Root Vegetables

Root vegetables, such as carrots, sweet potatoes, and regular potatoes, are also part of a chipmunk’s diet. Not only do these vegetables provide essential nutrients, but they also offer sustenance during the colder months when food is scarce.

The root vegetables absorb nutrients from the soil, making them the healthiest foods in the garden in the autumn. Many of them are rich in vitamins, antioxidants, etc.

Fruiting Vegetables

Fruiting vegetables such as; tomatoes, eggplants, bell peppers, etc., are some of their favorite things to eat.

Like other veggies, fruiting vegetables contain antioxidants and phytochemicals that provide a well-balanced diet.

Nutrients such as vitamins A and C and fiber in these veggies can be vital for chipmunks’ overall health. They can also aid in diseases and certain illnesses.

Other Garden Plants Chipmunks Will Eat

Most chipmunks prefer fruits and vegetables because of their taste and nutritional value. However, they are also attracted to some flowering plants, shrubs, and bushes.

Flowering Plants

Like other animals, these rodents are attracted to certain plants because of their colorful appearance, seeds, and other edible parts.

Below are some of the flowering plants these pests are attracted to.

Marigolds
Dahlia
Pansies
Tulips (bulbs)
Sunflower plants
Crocus Bulbs

Shrubs and Bushes

Shrubs and bushes provide essential cover and hiding spots for chipmunks and serve as a food source.

Below are some of the shrubs and bushes that chipmunks love to eat and hide in.

Blueberry Bushes: Chipmunks love the sweet, nutritious berries produced by blueberry bushes and may strip the plant of its fruit.
Juniper: This evergreen shrub offers the little critters a place to hide and a food source as they consume the berries that juniper bushes produce.
Mock Orange: Chipmunks are attracted to the fragrant flowers of this shrub and may nibble on the petals and leaves for nutrition.

While chipmunks are drawn to these plants for their taste and nutritional content, it is important to consider implementing protective measures in your garden to deter them from causing damage.

How To Stop Chipmunks From Eating Your Plants And Veggies

There are more plants and vegetables that Chipmunks will eat than there are plants and veggies that they won’t, making gardening and growing your own food extremely challenging.

Trying to only grow a garden full of plants and vegetables that Chipmunks won’t eat is nearly impossible. Furthermore, it will prevent you from growing your favorite plants and foods.

So, the best way to try and keep your garden the way you want is to prevent Chipmunks from getting to your plants and vegetables from the very beginning.

You can use multiple methods to help prevent Chipmunks from entering your garden and eating your plants and veggies.

Some of these approaches are easier to implement than others, and they all have varying levels of success, but they are worth the try.

#1 Add Some Spice To Your Garden

Adding spice to your garden is an excellent, non-toxic way of preventing Chipmunks from entering and eating your plants.

Chipmunks do not like spicy things, including the smell of spice, so this method tends to work well.

You can sprinkle some chili powder, cayenne pepper, or other hot spices around your garden to help prevent Chipmunks from entering.

Focus the spice around the base of your garden fence and at the base of every plant for the best results.

Trap And Relocate The Chipmunks

If you have a large population of chipmunks trying to enter your garden and eat your plants, or if they have already entered and now know there is food in your garden, you must trap and relocate the Chipmunks.

This humane method of removing the chipmunks from your property will help protect your plants.

You can set up the traps close to the plants the chipmunks are targeting and bait them with something they cannot refuse, like peanut or almond butter.

Once you have trapped the chipmunks, you will need to relocate them within one day and ensure they are far enough away from your home so that they won’t return.

You can speak to a local pest control business to find out where to release the Chipmunk safely.

Use A Mock Predator In Your Garden

Chipmunks are prey animals, meaning they have natural predators that you can use to your advantage to keep the chipmunks out of your yard and far away from your plants.

For example, you can put a mock or decoy predator statue in your garden to prevent Chipmunks from entering.

Some statues you can use are owls, hawks, and eagles. You can go one step further and purchase a motion-activated mock predator to scare off the chipmunks.

Place this predator somewhere highly visible in your garden so the chipmunks will instantly notice it.

Final Word

Chipmunks are cute creatures that many find fascinating to watch. Still, they can become a nuisance when they start going after your plants and vegetable garden.

The list of plants and vegetables these animals will eat is long, so preventing them from entering your garden is the better option when compared to only planting plants they won’t eat.

Good luck preventing Chipmunks from eating your plants!

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