Chipmunks in St. Louis
Chipmunks are small, ground-dwelling members of the squirrel family known for their burrowing habits and love of nuts. Found throughout the United States, chipmunks are a common problem for homeowners. Chipmunks have pouches inside of their cheeks in which they store food when foraging. Although they don’t enter homes as often as mice and rats, chipmunks occasionally burrow underneath homes. Chipmunks destroy gardens and fruit trees by gnawing on strawberries, plums, apples, and other fruits for their flesh and seeds.
Chipmunk Habitat
Chipmunks are most comfortable in areas with plenty of ground cover, living in open deciduous forests and at the edges of woodlands. Their favorite habitats include logs, trees, stumps, shrubs, and rocks. Chipmunks can also be found in bushy areas and in rocky areas like walls near houses and other buildings. In urban settings, they often dig up and eat newly planted garden seeds and flower bulbs. They commonly dig unsightly burrows in lawns and flower beds in which they nest. Occasionally, they take up residence in attics or other sites that are a distance above the ground.
Chipmunk Behaviors, Threats, or Dangers
Chipmunks pose no real threat to people, but they can disrupt the garden and occasionally enter the home. Costly damage may result when chipmunks excavate burrows beside building foundations and beneath poured cement porches, patios, and walkways. Furthermore, chipmunks will nest beneath residences, sometimes gaining access into living spaces, basements, and crawl spaces through gaps and cracks in structures. Chipmunks cause structural damage to decks, patios, foundational walls, retention walls, and slabs. If you are having an issue with chipmunks, it is best to consult a professional wildlife control company for removal.
