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Chipmunk — species photo
Daniel Brady · NH-Licensed Pesticide Applicator · License #782664

How to Get Rid of Chipmunks

DIY-friendly
Chipmunks are drawn to yards with ground cover, rock walls, and spilled birdseed near the foundation, so the real fix is habitat modification: keep a plant-free gravel border against the house, seal foundation gaps and crawl-space vents with ¼-inch hardware cloth, protect bulbs with buried mesh, and clean up spilled seed under feeders. Repellents give inconsistent results and aren't a standalone fix. If a local population is stubborn, live or snap trapping can reduce numbers, but relocation is legally constrained in New Hampshire, so exclusion and habitat cleanup deliver the more durable result. Chipmunks pose minimal health risk to people — this is a property and garden nuisance, not a safety concern.

At a glance

  • Difficulty: Beginner
  • Time: A weekend for habitat cleanup and sealing; ongoing upkeep in gardens
  • Cost: Low — hardware cloth, gravel, bulb cages
  • Success: Good with consistent habitat modification; harder in yards bordering open woods with continuous immigration
The honest answer

Can you DIY Chipmunk?

The verdict on Chipmunk DIY

DIY-friendlyBeginner

A genuinely DIY-friendly nuisance — habitat changes do most of the work.

Eastern chipmunks are primarily a garden and foundation-burrowing nuisance with minimal direct health relevance — NH DHHS notes small rodents are almost never found infected with rabies. Removing ground cover and food sources near the house, combined with sealing foundation gaps, resolves most homeowner complaints without ever needing a trap or a pro.

The playbook

The 5 DIY methods — honestly graded

Every approach graded for this species, in IPM order — prevention first, chemistry late. Pick a method to see how it works, the steps, and what it actually takes.

Prevention / Exclusion

Works well

The most effective lever — chipmunks avoid open ground, so removing cover near the foundation does most of the work.

Chipmunks rely on ground cover, brush, and rock walls for protection from predators as they move between burrows and food sources. Removing that cover near the house, and sealing physical gaps, denies both the habitat and the entry points.

Best for: Long-term reduction of chipmunk activity near the house and gardens

  1. Open up the ground near your foundation

    Maintain a plant-free gravel border against the foundation — chipmunks avoid crossing open ground where they're exposed to predators.

  2. Seal gaps and protect plantings

    Cover crawl-space and weep vents with ¼-inch hardware cloth, seal foundation gaps, and protect bulbs with buried wire mesh cages.

Tools & materials

¼-inch hardware clothGravelBulb cagesExterior sealant
Before you start
Continuous immigration from wooded lots next door means some activity may persist even with good exclusion.
Reality check

Why DIY falls short here

Not scare tactics — the specific, proportionate reasons a home attempt can stall for this species.

Open landscape with abundant cover

Yards bordering woods or brush see continuous immigration from adjacent populations, so DIY control needs to be ongoing, not one-and-done.

Extensive burrow systems

Sealing a single visible entrance rarely resolves an established colony — chipmunks maintain multiple connected tunnel openings.

Bird feeders

A nearby, reliable seed source sustains a chipmunk population indefinitely, undercutting any exclusion or trapping effort nearby.

Straight talk

How risky is it, really?

An honest read — most nuisance species are genuinely low risk, and we say so.

Low risk

Chipmunks are a cosmetic and garden nuisance with minimal direct health relevance to people. The real cost is burrowing and bulb/seedling loss, not disease — this is one of the lowest-risk species in the hub.

  • Burrow undermining of walkways or retaining wallsOccasional

    Structural nuisance from tunneling near hardscaping, not a safety hazard

    UNH Cooperative Extension

  • Bulb and seedling lossCommon

    A garden-only cost — chipmunks dig up and eat bulbs and seeds

    UNH Cooperative Extension

  • Disease transmission to peopleRare

    Minimal direct health relevance; small rodents are almost never found rabies-infected in NH

    NH DHHS

When to call a pro

Chipmunk Burrowing Getting Out of Hand?

When burrowing threatens a foundation or hardscaping, Anchor Pest Services offers exclusion and habitat guidance across southern and central New Hampshire. Family-owned since 2017, NH license #782664.

Call a pro when…

  • Burrowing that's undermining a foundation, patio, or retaining wall
  • A large, persistent population despite your own habitat cleanup
  • You want trapping done within current NH Fish & Game rules without researching them yourself

General Pest Control

Most chipmunk situations are entirely DIY. Consider a pro if burrowing is undermining a foundation, patio, or retaining wall, or if a large yard bordering woods has an ongoing population you can't keep pace with alone.

Get a Free inspection(603) 785-0118

Keep them out

  • Keep a gravel, plant-free border against the foundation
  • Seal crawl-space and weep vents with ¼-inch hardware cloth
  • Clean up spilled birdseed regularly
New Hampshire context

Chipmunks in New Hampshire

In New Hampshire, chipmunks are most active in spring and fall as they cache food ahead of a period of winter dormancy in their burrows, though they don't fully hibernate and can be seen on mild winter days. Habitat cleanup done before spring planting and again in fall keeps pace with the seasons they're most active.

Peak season

Spring and fall, with reduced activity (not full hibernation) in winter

Before you treat

Make sure it's a Chipmunk

Two quick detours worth taking — confirm the ID, then learn what drew it in so it doesn't come back.

Not sure it's this?

Identify Chipmunk in the Pest Library

Why is it here?

What actually attracts Chipmunk

Common questions

Frequently asked

Sources & further reading(3)
  1. [1]
    NH DHHS — Rabies and Animal Bites

    Small rodents almost never found rabies-infected

    govverified 2026-07-13
  2. [2]
    UNH Cooperative Extension — Nuisance Wildlife Around the Home

    NH-specific chipmunk habitat and exclusion guidance

    extensionverified 2026-07-13
  3. [3]
    NH Fish & Game — Nuisance Wildlife / Wildlife Control Operators

    Trapping licensing and relocation constraints

    govverified 2026-07-13

Written & reviewed by

Verified

Daniel Brady

NH-Licensed Pesticide Applicator · License #782664 (NHDAMF, RSA 430)

Daniel Brady is the New Hampshire–licensed applicator behind Anchor Pest Services, a family-owned pest control company serving the Manchester area since 2017.

Verify license

Last updated July 2026

More in Wildlife & Birds

Other species you can tackle

Same category — the dot shows each one's DIY verdict at a glance (green = friendly, amber = doable with care, red = call a pro).

Professional Pest Control

Chipmunk Burrowing Getting Out of Hand?

When burrowing threatens a foundation or hardscaping, Anchor Pest Services offers exclusion and habitat guidance across southern and central New Hampshire. Family-owned since 2017, NH license #782664.

Get a Free inspection(603) 785-0118
  • Humane exclusion and habitat guidance
  • NH-licensed technicians (#782664)
  • Free inspection — same-day service across southern NH

NH License #782664 · No obligation · We answer in person

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