You may enjoy watching chipmunks scurrying around when you visit your favorite park or hike on your favorite trail. While chipmunks are adorable with their furry tails, huge eyes, and stuffed cheeks, they can quickly become not-so-cute when you suspect them of causing damage. So, what does chipmunk damage look like?
Chipmunk damage can be identified by their holes or burrows in your yard. If you have uprooted flowers and other damage to your garden, a chipmunk is behind it. These rodents will damage your home structure and steal food from bird feeders. If they enter your home, they will be heard scurrying in walls or ceilings.
The damage caused by chipmunks should be identified as soon as possible, as they will continue with their destructive habits until there is nothing left to destroy.
Can Chipmunks Cause Significant Damage?
Although chipmunks are small creatures, they are capable of causing significant damage. Although they will mainly focus on destroying your landscaping goals and garden work, they are also capable of causing damage and making a huge mess in and under your home.
It could be easy to mistake the damages caused by chipmunks for squirrels, but if you know how the damages look caused by them, you’ll never blame squirrels again! Keep in mind that chipmunks like safe spaces in and around your home.
You may notice damage on your porches, gutters, retention walls, deck, and similar hidden spaces. Chipmunks also reproduce quickly, meaning they and their families can make your crawlspaces or basement their new homes!
Let’s look at how you can identify the damages caused by chipmunks.
Damages Caused By Chipmunks
Chipmunks can cause damage to different areas in and around your home, and once they have made their way in, your home could also be in danger.
These rodents can cause the following damage:
Garden And Landscaping Damage
If you spend all your free time working in your garden to make it look like the perfect picture, having a pesky chipmunk that constantly damages it could discourage you and leave you feeling hopeless.
Although many animals will frequent gardens, few are as destructive as squirrels. Chipmunks will dig up your planted seeds, consume those already sprouting, and even eat young plants.
If you have planted any grain or vegetables, chipmunks will damage them. More often than not, chipmunks will cause only damage to the fruits and vegetables in your garden without actually eating them.
If you see a lot of dug-up bulbs, flowers, or even entire plants, along with dirt scattered next to these scenes, you can be sure it’s damage caused by a chipmunk.
Lawn Damage
As mentioned above, chipmunks can easily damage or destroy your beautiful landscaping tactics and gardening efforts.
If you have been working on maintaining and beautifying your lawn and keeping it as green as possible, they will make it hard to keep it that way.
Chipmunks live in burrows, and they will create these burrows to get from one point of your garden to another. You may notice these burrows or holes next to your vegetables or damaged plants.
A chipmunk burrow is usually between two and three inches in diameter, and unlike a mole’s hole, they do not have mounds of dirt next to them.
They will be flat on the ground, with “plunge holes.” these will be holes that directly lead to several tunnels going straight down from the surface of your lawn.
If you notice these holes in your lawn, it’s the proud work of a destructive chipmunk or even many of them!
Foundation And Structure Damage
While some other animals could cause more damage under your home’s foundation and to its structure, such as squirrels, chipmunks can also damage these areas.
When a chipmunk creates burrows close to your foundation and home’s structure, the burrows can be huge and extend much farther than under your plants.
Chipmunks will have two burrow types, the first type being a shallow and single tunnel. The primary purpose of such a tunnel is to be used for travel when they forage for food and escape from danger.
While these tunnels won’t necessarily cause any damage to your structure, they could lead to soil erosion under your home’s foundation.
As the soil weakens, other problems may arise, such as your patios or foundation cracking or moving.
The second type of burrows will be for hibernation or habitation purposes, which will be much larger and more challenging to get rid of.
Although both burrows can only cause significant damage in the rarest cases, it remains possible. If you notice these damages, you need to take action immediately.
Birdfeeder Damage
If you suspect a chipmunk can be behind your ruined birdfeeders, your suspicion may be correct. If you have one or several birdfeeders hanging in your trees, it will be a huge attraction for chipmunks.
While many may think it’s adorable when chipmunks stuff their cheeks will seed, you’ll rethink this thought when you notice the seeds from your birdfeeders constantly disappearing.
Chipmunks will climb and sit on birdfeeders and take all their seeds. They may break birdfeeders in an attempt to get to all the seeds as quickly as possible. If you see piled seeds or scattered shells around your birdfeeders, it is most definitely the work of a chipmunk!
Home Damage
Although chipmunks won’t pose any real danger to you, as they aren’t known to attack humans or pets, they could carry diseases like any other rodent.
If you find one in your home, you will likely find mites, lice, and ticks. Sick or deceased chipmunks should never be touched without gloves or other protection, as they could spread disease.
Additionally, you may notice opened food, droppings, or chew marks in your home if a chipmunk has found its way in.
You may also hear scurrying in your ceilings, under your floors, or even in your walls!
If you suspect you have a chipmunk guest or infestation in your yard, call a professional immediately.
Final Word
Chipmunks may appear cute and harmless on your daily walk, but once you have experienced their wrath, you’ll never think of them the same.
The rodents don’t make great garden or house guests, and once you know how to identify the damages caused by them, you’re one step closer to kicking them out!
Related Articles
- How Can I Get Rid of Chipmunks Under My Foundation?
- Why Do I Have Chipmunks In My Yard?
- Where Do Chipmunks Go In The Winter?
- 13 Things To Do To Prevent Squirrel Damage To Trees
Sources
https://todayshomeowner.com/pest-control/guides/can-chipmunks-damage-house/
https://www.humanesociety.org/resources/what-do-about-chipmunks