Chipmunks, with their playful nature and entertaining antics, can provide an interesting, live wildlife spectacle right in your backyard. Here’s how you can turn your yard into a chipmunk haven and attract tons of chipmunks to your property. But first, let’s understand more about these captivating creatures.
Understanding Chipmunks
Chipmunks are small, striped rodents of the Sciuridae family, which also includes squirrels. They are native to North America, with the exception of the Siberian chipmunk, which is found in Asia. These creatures are notably recognized by the characteristic stripes on their back and their puffy cheeks, which they use to carry food.
Being ground-dwelling animals, they are typically found in areas with plenty of cover and food sources, such as forests, bushy areas, and rocky regions. They are omnivorous, which means they have a diet that includes both plants and other animals. They commonly feed on nuts, seeds, fruits, green plants, mushrooms, insects, worms, and even small frogs and birds.
Chipmunks are also famous for their ability to hoard. They use their expansive cheek pouches to carry food to their burrows, where they store it for later use. This behavior is particularly noticeable as winter approaches, as chipmunks start to stockpile food in preparation for the colder months when food sources become scarce.
Where You Can Attract Chipmunks
While the majority of the 25 species of chipmunks are found across North America, their range extends across the continent from coast to coast and from Mexico to the northern parts of Canada. The greatest variety is found in the western regions, where several different species occur. However, the most widely recognized and common species is the Eastern chipmunk, which lives throughout the eastern regions of Canada and the United States.
How To Attract Chipmunks to Your Yard
If you want to attract chipmunks, follow these simple steps to bringing these cute woodland creatures to your property.
1. Provide Food
One of the simplest ways to attract chipmunks to your yard is by providing a ready food source. Given their diet, chipmunks can be enticed with an assortment of seeds, nuts, fruits, and vegetables. A feeder with sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, or peanuts can be particularly effective. However, remember that food sources should be placed near trees or shrubs where chipmunks will feel secure from predators.
2. Plant Bushes and Shrubs
Chipmunks prefer areas with lots of cover, so having bushes, shrubs, and low-growing plants in your yard will make it more attractive to them. These plants provide the chipmunks with places to hide from predators and also give them a secure place to eat.
3. Create a Water Source
Just like any other animal, chipmunks need water to survive. Creating a water source, like a shallow bird bath or even a small pond, can attract chipmunks to your yard. Make sure the water source is shallow and easily accessible.
4. Make Shelter Available
Chipmunks are burrowers, and they create extensive networks of tunnels underground where they live and store their food. Providing areas in your yard where chipmunks can easily burrow, like loose soil or areas with rocks and logs, can encourage them to take up residence.
5. Avoid Using Pesticides
Avoid using pesticides in your yard, as they can deter chipmunks and potentially harm them. Chipmunks eat various insects, and if the insects in your yard are poisoned, the chipmunks can become poisoned too.
Remember, while chipmunks can be delightful visitors to your yard, they can also become pests if their population grows too large, as they can damage gardens and structures with their burrowing. Always try to maintain a balanced environment and never try to tame or touch chipmunks, as they are wild animals that can carry diseases.
Attracting chipmunks is all about creating an environment that caters to their natural instincts and needs. By offering food, water, and shelter, and keeping the yard natural and pesticide-free, you can make your yard a haven for these adorable little creatures.