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Upa Creek, Mo

I believe they are eating all my new plant growth. Each day I come home from work all the new leaves and buds are ripped off my plants. I doubt rabbits can get past chicken wire. Any advice on dealing with them (chipmunks)? I have rat traps baited with peanut butter out now.

Thanks

5/8/2012 8:48:41 PM

South Hero, VT

Try suspending some netting over a plan to rule out birds. I was surprised to find out birds like grackles and crows will snip tops off small plants.

See if you can borrow a game camera or security camera to catch the critters in the act so you can know what you're dealing with.

5/8/2012 9:42:15 PM

Baker City Oregon

I had starlings end my season early last year.

5/9/2012 12:59:02 AM

East Jordan, MI

I agree it could be birds, especailly since whatever it is is leaving the pieces behind. But the traps should catch a ground squirrel if it is one of them.

5/9/2012 6:22:42 AM

Englehart, Ontario

I have good success with chipmunks and squirrels using a small live trap. I put a very thin wedge of apple with a smear of peanut butter. I tie with small wire the apple to the part that trips the door. When i didn't do that, they are so light footed that they kept stealing my bait. My success rate is pretty good with this method. The most fun part is when i tell my mother that i drop them off at her house.

5/9/2012 6:26:54 AM

Upa Creek, Mo

Thanks for the replies. I checked the traps this morning and the peanut butter was completly removed from one and it wasn't triggered. I'll try the tie down method Whiz.

I'll keep an eye out for birds too. We had heavy rain on Monday so I didn't pull the cold frame and just opened it. If it was a bird, it would have had to hop in there and start pecking.

5/9/2012 9:14:12 AM

Burt NY

small havahart trap with bird seed in it

5/9/2012 10:01:36 AM

Menomonie, WI (mail@gr8pumpkin.net)

Son of a...sounds like a patch elephant to me..No tracks, No Evidence, able to steal peanut butter from a live trap..

5/9/2012 1:47:03 PM

churchville, ny

Luke - get a 1 or 2 gal. bucket - fill about 2 inches from top with water - put a wooden board as a ramp to top - put a few pumpkin seeds on ramp and in water - chipmunks will fall in and drown - I've tried it - it works!

5/9/2012 4:29:00 PM

Upa Creek, Mo

Thanks for the additional input. One trap was set off sometime today, but caught nothing. Plants haven't been touched yet today, so it's a start.

5/9/2012 5:59:36 PM

South Hero, VT

Make sure you get right size trap. The little sob's will squirm right thru the mesh if the trap is too big.

Don't forget: every rodent in the area, big and small, is going to be going for the bait. Stokes gardening supply sells a trap that screws on the end of a soda bottle--mice go in, but can't out.

Rat zappers kill everything small enough to fit in the trap.

5/9/2012 8:39:34 PM

Goodwood, Ontario, Canada

I have a little black box that emits sound frequencies to drive away pests. It's kinda annoying and I don't know how effective it is because I don't get chipmunks in my gardens. They stay up in the trees eating pine cones.

5/10/2012 7:21:20 AM

Wisconsin

swaintech has the best advice. I live in the woods and deal with chipmunks digging and chewing on everything. Take a 5 gallon bucket fill half with water. Sprinkle sunflower seeds or bird seed on top of water. Run a board as a ramp up to the bucket and sprinkle some seeds on it....they get to the top of the ramp and dive into the bucket thinking they have hit the mother load....best chipmunk trap on earth! I have caught as many as 7 chipmunks and 4 mice in ONE DAY using this method in my garden!

5/10/2012 10:44:41 AM

South Hero, VT

The bucket trap isn't considered a "live" trap, is it?

LMAO

I gotta try that for the voles that nibble my pumpkins.

5/12/2012 6:23:11 PM

Western PA

Small havahart trap with a few sunflower seeds. Pumpkin Bucks method works well also.
Chipmunks cant resist sunflower seeds. I was drying my giant sunflower heads in my garage last fall and they were coming in and eating them and filling their cheeks full.

5/13/2012 7:36:58 PM

Upa Creek, Mo

Thanks for the additional replies. I got a squirrel in the rat trap this morning, which means he climbed the chicken wire to get in.

5/13/2012 8:50:42 PM