I used to love those "cute" little chipmunks - especially when I was a child..........they were just SO "cute. :) Hmmm.......being an adult and knowing the damage they cause has changed my view a bit and I understand what a nuisance they can be, but here are some pictures.....showing that they still are rather "cute"...............
He looks similar to his cousin, the squirrel.
They run and dig much and can damage driveways, decks and house foundations. We had never had them before and at first thought they were, as I said, "cute".......Then we found out how all of their tunneling threatens our house, deck, driveway, etc, so we decided that we were here first.............and they had to GO.
They weren't too fond of the idea and we even had trouble getting pictures since they are so fast and like to hide........and be out VERY early in the morning.
After research, I found that the "best" way to get "rid" of them (ok, I am admittedly rather squeamish about it) is the bucket method.
So, anyway, here's the idea - a 5 gallon bucket, half full of water.....and a trail of nuts, sunflower seeds or something leading them up the board to the bucket. I used a plastic lid on the water to put the seeds/nuts so they would be attractive to the rodent. Yeah, it's a rodent........that makes me feel better..........
Goooood.....he's checking things out......We'll get him yet..........
He ate some of the nuts and then ran away..........oh, we didn't get him. :(
Maybe, he'll come back..............................
He's back........maybe this time will be successful on "The Chipmunk Hunt". He's pretty wary though... we'll see.............. No, he's NOT THAT cute.............he is a RODENT!..........
Ok, now he's interested.........that's right, get up on the nice board........see those yummy seeds...........climb right up there................
He ate all of the nuts.........and went up the board...........he's ready to go in.........that's right....see all of those nuts down on top of that water? Go and get them..........
Oh.........he is just too smart and ran away at the last minute.........will I ever catch that chipmunk?
Finally, he comes, AFTER I replenished the seeds and nuts............and I didn't see him go in, he just disappeared, but I went out to check.......and he was IN THE BUCKET! I got him! But rather than being happy................I cried...........and felt so very guilty.
I called my husband and he laughed at my tears........hmmm....well, they are sort of cute............kind of....................then he picked up the bucket with the drowned chipmunk, that I now felt ever so guilty for killing..............and dumped it out back in the brush...........
A few minutes later, my husband came in to tell me that the chipmunk wasn't dead, he had scampered away when he hit ground..................I never knew that chipmunks played "possum".
Though the trap HAD worked, IF we waited longer, I didn't reset the trap...........just felt too guilty and emotionally spent from the trauma.........but I now know that we can't trust those guys to be really dead for a while..........he must have been holding his breath, or something.......
Here he is safe and sound............and taunting me that he escaped my trap. Sigh...............
Those tiny paws.......
Well, they ARE a little cute.........sort of............but what about the house, deck and driveway......oh, the dilemma.....................
When spring gets here, he will probably be back, reminding me that he WON. Hmmph...........maybe I'll set the trap again.................or maybe I'll just take some pictures.............
Thanks for visiting Gentle Joy Photography today. Have a nice day. :)
gentlejoyphotography.blogspot.com
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They run and dig much and can damage driveways, decks and house foundations. We had never had them before and at first thought they were, as I said, "cute".......Then we found out how all of their tunneling threatens our house, deck, driveway, etc, so we decided that we were here first.............and they had to GO.
They weren't too fond of the idea and we even had trouble getting pictures since they are so fast and like to hide........and be out VERY early in the morning.
After research, I found that the "best" way to get "rid" of them (ok, I am admittedly rather squeamish about it) is the bucket method.
Goooood.....he's checking things out......We'll get him yet..........
He ate some of the nuts and then ran away..........oh, we didn't get him. :(
Maybe, he'll come back..............................
He's back........maybe this time will be successful on "The Chipmunk Hunt". He's pretty wary though... we'll see.............. No, he's NOT THAT cute.............he is a RODENT!..........
Ok, now he's interested.........that's right, get up on the nice board........see those yummy seeds...........climb right up there................
He ate all of the nuts.........and went up the board...........he's ready to go in.........that's right....see all of those nuts down on top of that water? Go and get them..........
Oh.........he is just too smart and ran away at the last minute.........will I ever catch that chipmunk?
Finally, he comes, AFTER I replenished the seeds and nuts............and I didn't see him go in, he just disappeared, but I went out to check.......and he was IN THE BUCKET! I got him! But rather than being happy................I cried...........and felt so very guilty.
I called my husband and he laughed at my tears........hmmm....well, they are sort of cute............kind of....................then he picked up the bucket with the drowned chipmunk, that I now felt ever so guilty for killing..............and dumped it out back in the brush...........
A few minutes later, my husband came in to tell me that the chipmunk wasn't dead, he had scampered away when he hit ground..................I never knew that chipmunks played "possum".
Though the trap HAD worked, IF we waited longer, I didn't reset the trap...........just felt too guilty and emotionally spent from the trauma.........but I now know that we can't trust those guys to be really dead for a while..........he must have been holding his breath, or something.......
Here he is safe and sound............and taunting me that he escaped my trap. Sigh...............
Those tiny paws.......
Well, they ARE a little cute.........sort of............but what about the house, deck and driveway......oh, the dilemma.....................
When spring gets here, he will probably be back, reminding me that he WON. Hmmph...........maybe I'll set the trap again.................or maybe I'll just take some pictures.............
Thanks for visiting Gentle Joy Photography today. Have a nice day. :)
gentlejoyphotography.blogspot.com
Shared on..........
Sundays at Home
Sunday's Best
Snickerdoodle Link Party
Simple Saturdays
Saturday Sparks
Friday Photo Journal
Blogger's Pit Stop
Friday at the Fire Station
Family Friday Link Up
Friday Frivolity
Foodie Friday and Everything Else
Home and Garden Thursday
Wise Woman Link Up
Wednesday AIM Link Party
Wordless Wednesday
Tuesday Talk
Tuesdays with a Twist
Modest Mom
Art of Homemaking Monday
oh my goodness, they are so cute! I can feel your conflict between their cuteness and ruiny-ness-I feel the same way about squirrels. they ruin my plants, my pumpkins, they taunt the birds...yet they are so cute! not as cute as chipmunks though.
ReplyDelete:) It's a good thing they have that "cuteness" to keep us from just totally hunting them. :)
ReplyDeleteI totally get it. It's the house or them.
ReplyDeleteThat is true... and they can do the damage quickly and unnoticed... they need to go. :)
DeleteHee hee! We have the same problem here with squirrels! So destructive and yet so adorable! I can't bring myself to do anything other than tolerate them. Love your photos!
ReplyDeleteThank you.... squirrels are another problem....and no idea what to do w/ them...... so we run out to scare them now and then and they wait till we leave and come back. *sigh*. Thank you for visiting. :)
DeleteGreat photos! Thanks for joining us at Green Thumb Thursday. I just loved this post and chose it as my featured post this week. Please stop over and grab a featured button for your blog!
ReplyDeleteThanks!
Lisa M
Thank you..... and thank you for Green Thumb Thursday... great link up.... and so special to be featured!! Thank you for visiting. :)
DeleteWe had a similar situation with their cousins, the ground squirrels. They lost their cuteness really quick when they ate our garden. Hubby put chicken wire around the whole thing, they still got in. Hubby cemented the bottom and put containers inside with veggies. They still got in. I let him do the hunting after that and though I didn't want to see the corpses, I wasn't call them cute anymore :) Thanks for sharing the cute pictures and dialogue...
ReplyDeleteI don't see their "cuteness" anymore either... especially now as we are feeling a bit overrun w/ them in the backyard and they need to go! Thank you for visiting.
DeleteLOL great post, cool pictures. On a camping trip, once, my brothers set a bucket upside down with a stick to prop it up (like in the cartoons?). They tied a string to the stick and put a cheeto under the bucket towards the back so the chipmunk would have to go all the way in. They sat in wait and sure enough a little guy went in and was happily munching the cheeto when SNAP. My brothers pulled the string and the bucket fell. We let him go again, but maybe you could try that. Haha good luck!
ReplyDeleteGood idea! I have seen those in the cartoons... the problem is that then I would have to dispatch of the little guy myself. Not a fun thing for me. :) I couldn't believe how sad I felt over that silly chipmunk... and I have had a frustrated attitude toward them since... I don't want them here... I don't WANT to kill them.. the dilemma continues. :) Thank you for visiting.
DeleteOh my - he's gorgeous, and you've caught some gorgeous photos!
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing at http://image-in-ing.blogspot.com/2015/04/cat-on-ladder.html
Thank you... it took some waiting... but I was glad to get the photos. :) Thank you for visiting.
DeleteLol, I'm Sorry, but that chipmunk is to cute! :-) Thank you for sharing at the #PartyUnderTheBigTop
ReplyDeleteI have to (grudgingly) agree with you! :) He does look cute and clever... I'm so glad you visited.
DeleteI totally understand! We get mice from the field each year at harvest time, and though they aren't as cute as chipmunks, I still feel so guilty when we poison or trap them. My husband has to deal with it. Thanks for sharing the cute pictures!
ReplyDeleteI am glad to be understood in this... it is a dilemma... protect the property? kill the "cute" critter? What's a person to do? :) They can totally take over also.... and draw snakes (shudder)... so it has to be done, but I don't have to like it, I guess. :) Thank you for visiting.
DeleteOh goodness, what a dilemma, I wonder about a cage that is used for mice, they go in but cant get out? Then they could be carried away. Such cute little critters!!!
ReplyDeleteWell, they can't really be carried away... we tried that with an opossum and found out it is illegal to relocate critters and that no one else needs extras either... so we have to deal with them ourselves. I guess it is only fair, but not fun. :) Thank you for visiting.
DeleteWe have crazy squirrels around here. They are super cute I would have a hard time getting rid of them too.
ReplyDeleteWe also have a lot of squirrels... and they take my tomatoes. sigh. They are cute... but also a nuisance, but it is hard to get rid of the critters. :) We haven't found any way to successfully chase the squirrels off. Thank you for visiting. :)
DeleteAmazing! Thanks for sharing.
ReplyDeleteThank you - glad you visited. :)
Delete<3 chipmunks! so rare to see!
ReplyDeletehttp://kidcandoodle.com
I used to see them only at state parks once in a while and they seemed rare to me also... then.... I wish they were still rare to see here. :) Thank you for visiting.
DeleteOh my, what a dilemma! I wonder if you could just trap it in a dry bucket and then take it somewhere else? I understand your feeling guilty about the whole thing. Thanks for sharing this with our readers. Maybe have a cup of tea today to feel better...;0D
ReplyDeleteWe aren't allowed to take them anywhere else... so we have to deal with them here. You are right, a cup of tea will help me to feel better...... I am drinking a chai tea right now. :) Thank you for visiting.
DeleteAww, what a cute little critter!
ReplyDeleteHe is a cute little rascal. :) Thank you for visiting.
DeleteThey are, aren't they? It's a good thing too. :) Thank you for visiting.
ReplyDeleteWould you believe chipmunks are a protected species by our state game commission and we are overrun with them. But darned if they aren't cute.
ReplyDeleteOh, my... I did NOT know they were protected anywhere! Wow... that sounds like a law that needs some adjusting.... it they overrun a place, that wouldn't be a good thing either. They are cute.... but such a nuisance also.
DeleteThis was a unique documentation that kept me reading the entire time! My mom has chimpmunk but after failed attempts of catching them she just named him and went with it! Stopping by from the link party.
ReplyDeleteCute... so funny that she named it! I am glad you visited and found the post interesting! :) We have an ongoing issue with them here, although come to think of it, I haven't seen them yet this year... maybe they went someplace else for this year. :)
DeleteOh, too funny! We have the same problem with Prairie Rats also known as Gophers. They are absolutely horrible and they are everywhere! Chipmunks are definitely cute (I had one as a pet that I had rescued when I was a young girl), but I know they are a nuisance - I hope you're able to control the population :) Blessings to you, sweet lady!
ReplyDeleteI think I would rather have chipmunks than your prairie rats/gophers. (shudder) I guess it is time for me to be thankful for the problems I have. :) The chipmunks are cute... but I do hope to control the population here. That is funny that you had one as a pet... I would imagine it was quite a bit of fun for a young girl. :)
DeleteYou have a soft heart, Joy!
ReplyDeleteYes, I guess I do... I think I am being fierce "They HAVE to go!!!" but they I cry. Silly... :)
DeleteHaha! I have the same struggle. Chipmunks are just so cute, I can't bring myself to think of them as damaging rodents.
ReplyDelete#blogboosterparty
They are.... but we have seen some of the evidence, so that helps to convince me. :) Thank you for visiting.
DeleteSo cute!
ReplyDeleteThe cutest way to get frost heaves! Thanks for posting. Hello from Paula's No Rules Weekend Blog Party.
ReplyDeleteI didn't realize it could also do that! So many issues with the "cute" nuisance critters!
DeleteGreat post, just love this, I had a good laugh and shared it with my husband. It is so hard when animals cause problems and even harder when they are cute. Thanks for sharing at Good Morning Mondays. Blessings
ReplyDeleteThank you... I smiled when I read your comment. :) I save fun things to share with my husband and family also... Thank you for visiting. :)
DeleteHmmm yeah that little guy is definitely very cute. Maybe you could borrow someone's cat for a week :)
ReplyDeleteI had no idea they played possum either. I used to find them in the pool skimmers at my old job all the time, none of them were fake dead by the time I found them. #BigTopBlogParty
I didn't think of borrowing a cat... although one of the neighbor's cats liked to visit our yard, so maybe he couldn't catch the chipmunks either. :) That doesn't sound pleasant to find them in the pool skimmers... yuck.... our neighbors found some squirrels in theirs which maybe helped to lessen the squirrel population here...at least just a little. :)
DeleteSorry. I'm on the chipmunk's side.
ReplyDeleteI know many people are... and I sympathize with them, but am torn. :) Thank you for visiting.
DeleteThis is a really funny post. Love your storytelling with photos and quirky text. Thanks so much for sharing at TGI Saturdays. Blessings to you!
ReplyDeleteThank you! Your comments encourage and make me smile. :) So nice to hear from you.... :)
DeleteYou have the right to protect your person & your property from damage. I recently had a small war with meadow mice - the war is over & I am victorious. My rule is that we all live in harmony so long as they stay out of my space.
ReplyDeleteI came to visit from the AIM link party; please feel welcome to stop on by the 4Shoes & let me know you've been. :-)
So true... it is difficult to have such intruders.... the do much damage. Thank you for visiting. :)
DeleteHe's just so adorable looking. I know they can cause damage but I'd like to think that they also bring joy. Glad that the little fellow survived.
ReplyDeleteThey are fun to watch... but I don't like them here. sigh. Thank you for visiting. :)
DeleteI always thought they were cute as well. I didn't know they could cause so much damage. After all, they are so small.
ReplyDeleteThey are small, but persistent... they are cute, but not around the house. :) Thank you for visiting.
DeleteWe feed the birds, squirrels AND chipmunks year 'round and they don't bother any of our plants. I guess they don't want to ruin a good thing!
ReplyDeleteThey are fun to watch... glad you have "smart chipmunks"!!! :) Thank you for visiting.
DeleteWhat a beautiful photos that you've taken of these very nice but spiteful chipmunks !!!
ReplyDeleteHave a nice weekend,
Roberta
La Sportina
http://ideeroberta.blogspot.it
Thank you so much! They are cute little destructive creatures! :) Thank you for visiting.
DeleteFantastic photos, and I am so glad that he didn't drown. They may be a little pesky, but they are adorable and shouldn't have to die just because they are rodents :0)
ReplyDeleteThank you... I was glad he didn't drown also... but I sure wanted him to visit another yard!! :) Thank you for visiting.
DeleteWhat a wonderfully fun comment!!! I loved reading it... and I laughed too. :) Thank you for visiting and for sharing.
ReplyDeleteIt was a great party... thank you. :)
ReplyDeleteBeautiful photos
ReplyDeleteThank you.
DeleteAmazing photos! I did not realize these cute little guys caused so much damage as we don't see them much where we are. I think it is difficult for some to deal with, but in some situations it is necessary. My husband is a trapper and is often called upon to nuisance trap beaver that do damage in subdivision lakes and surrounding waters, so I totally understand about protecting your property. Hope you are having a wonderful weekend!
ReplyDeleteWhat a helpful and nice comment... thank you so much. :) So glad you stopped by.
DeleteI have to say they are cute as can be! I think we just overlook their power to make our lives miserable :)
ReplyDeleteThey are cute and funny. :)
DeleteThis is fun and cute, I remember when you first wrote this post. Your photos are excellent so we are going to feature this on The Blogger's Pit Stop on Friday. Congratulations.
ReplyDeleteKathleen
Blogger's Pit Stop
Thank you... what an honor for you to feature this! Thank you for your sweet and encouraging comment about my photos also. I am looking forward to attending the party!:)
Delete