Although they rarely get into homes, they will cause damage if they do and, even if they don't get inside, they can become an issue if they become too numerous on your property. If you are hearing scratching, scampering, thumping noises coming from your attic or wall voids in the nighttime hours, chances are you have mice, rats or flying squirrels.
But if you are hearing those noises in the daytime, especially in the morning or late afternoon, you may have a chipmunk. Though these adorable little critters will simply run away if you approach them outside, they can bite or scratch to defend themselves if you corner them inside your home, or handle them directly. As rodents, chipmunks will chew on items such as insulation, sheetrock, stored items, wood and even wires which can be a fire hazard.
They leave urine and feces everywhere they go and can carry parasites into a home such as lice, mites, ticks, fleas or worms. If they squeezed in through a hole in your walls or roof area, they can chew that hole larger, or chew new holes to come and go. This will not only damage your home, but also damage your wallet as heat will escape out into the cold. Chipmunks are omnivores, which means they eat both plants and other animals. A chipmunk's diet consists primarily of seeds, nuts, fruits and buds, but they also commonly eat shoots, grass, fungi, insects, small frogs, worms, and birds' eggs.
If chipmunks get into your garden they can feed on cultivated grains and vegetables. For your pet chipmunk to stay happy and healthy, a full and varied diet of cereals, fruits, nuts and vegetables is essential, as is sufficient hydration.
Access to fresh clean drinking water from a drinking bottle with a stainless steel spout will provide the necessary hydration for your chipmunk. You can also give unsalted nuts such as pine nuts.
Small amounts of washed, chopped fruit and vegetables such as apples, pears, bananas, oranges, carrots, sweet potatoes, bean sprouts, and tomatoes are also welcomed by these small animals and add extra variety to their diet.
If you choose to offer fruits such as peaches and plums, it's important to take time to remove the stones before providing them to your chipmunk as these are poisonous.
We also advise that while pellets manufactured for rats and mice can be given to chipmunks, a seed-based rodent diet is not suitable for a chipmunk.
Wearing down and keeping teeth to the correct length and shape is important as are regular opportunities to chew and gnaw. Of course, what they eat in the wild is relative to where they live, what season it is and what is plentiful in nature. Chipmunks feed off of nuts and seeds, which are generally the best choices when feeding your chipmunk.
The type of nuts depends on the location. For instance, chipmunks in the south may feed on pecans and peanuts, whereas chipmunks in other areas may only have acorns, or oak nuts, and hickories available. Fruits and vegetables also make up the chipmunk's diet. Chipmunks often seek out strawberries, blackberries and other berries that grow close to the ground. Vegetables and grains in the chipmunk's diet consist of the same vegetables many humans eat, including squash and corn. In the wild, chipmunks choose vegetables easy to reach, wreaking havoc on garden growers.
In the wild, chipmunks practice survival of the fittest and eat other living creatures.
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