Yesterday I found a chipmunk trapped in my yard waste bin. It had somehow unlatched the top and fallen in, so I tipped it over to let it escape.
This morning I found that something went around and dug out every single plug I planted last week. There were 50 side oats grama plugs that I'd grown from seed. A lot of them were still in tact so I popped them back in the ground, but some were tattered large chunks of root ripped off.
I'm used to squirrels digging on the side of holes where the soil is loosened, but they don't usually attack the plants like this. So it wasn't necessarily the chipmunk I saved, but likely one of the many that live on my property.
I also have 100 little blue stem plugs I was going to plant this weekend, as well as some other native grasses that are ready to transplant. I don't have the capacity to grow them all in pots till they're bigger. I sprinkled some blood meal around the side oats grama to hopefully deter them, because in my experience adding fences makes the chipmunks even more likely to dig. Are there any other precautions I could take to prevent the chipmunks from ruining this whole project?
by s3ntia
11 Comments
I had city rats in my fabric pots combined with asshole squirrels that would dig around and dig up and kill my seedlings
I ordered online a 10lb bulk bag of cayenne pepper and routinely re-applied it at the base of my plants after it rained/got discolored by the sun and it did great work for letting my plants establish themselves.
Bet that would work for chipmunks too.
Chipmunks are pea-brained little weirdos. I’m sure he didn’t mean any harm.
I’ve heard they really love bulbs so that might be why he was digging them up, searching for freshly planted tulips or something.
Best bet is exclusion. Some netting, a milk crate, a wire wastebasket or similar to keep them away until the plants establish in a few weeks.
ETA: I missed the 100+ plugs detail. That’s a bit much for the milk crate method, but if you keep an eye on them, eventually they should get tired of not finding food at the bottom of the holes. You might have to replant a few.
Maybe divert their attention with a peanut feeder or black oil sunflower seeds?
Squirrels and chipmunks can be attracted to freshly dug soil, because there’s a chance another critter may have buried a hidden treat there. Easy calories. They also like nice, loose soil to bury their own treasures, as it takes less effort. They like easy rewards. So make it less easy. I second the suggestion of a generous application of cayenne pepper. Once the pepper gets wet it will lose efficacy, so keep reapplying until the plants get established.
Rat traps work great for chipmunks. Just hide them from overhead view so birds don’t see the peanut you use for bait.
Used coffee grounds works great for me for preventing this
Skunks are always digging up everything I plant, I just stick it back in and that usually works. They don’t want the plant they want insects.
Face it: he’s just a jerk.
Just remember, “we do this for the wildlife”. 🙂
https://preview.redd.it/undwbl5j2x6f1.png?width=1200&format=png&auto=webp&s=22a79c37ef77b05fd817ca701af8073f00fd0f7b
They have been a nightmare for me this year. I have yet to find anything that deters them from digging everything up. The only thing that seemed to disperse them was to use castor oil in the 10 or so burrows all around my house on the lawn. They are still in the beds but at least they aren’t sleeping 5 feet from my new seedlings or veggies. I’m hoping for some hawks and foxes to show up and help out. Good luck.
Ughhhhhh!
I have found that putting small rocks around the base of freshly planted things helps deter the squirrels. It basically hides some of the disturbed dirt and makes it a bit harder for them to dig in. It’s laborious but not as much as the netting I was rigging before. And it’s easy to undo once the plants are established.
Oh hey, your chipmunk met my squirrels!