What do chipmunks do

It will result in cracking and, eventually, collapsing of the unsupported slab. Water may even appear inside your house.

When new burrows are not large enough to cause serious damage, chipmunks are considered just a minor nuisance. However, when a well-established colony of chipmunks is allowed to thrive on the property, it can inflict significant damage to structures by undermining their foundations.

And old burrows are always taken over by new chipmunk generations that keep on building new tunnels. We can humanely remove chipmunks in your yard, from under decks or sheds, or anywhere else. Get in touch now! Author Beata Posted on March 23, March 23, Categories Blog Tags chipmunk burrow , chipmunks , chipmunks tunnel , do chipmunks dig tunnels. The burrow is their home base from which they rarely travel more than a third of a mile.

Do Chipmunks Dig Tunnels in Yards? How Deep Do Chipmunks Burrow? They will leave signs of their presence in two ways: Structural damage On a residential property, chipmunk burrowing can cause some destructive, structural damage. Ruined gardens Chipmunks will also happily chew up your vegetable seeds, flower bulbs, fruits, and plants in your garden. Search for: Search. Contact Us Today. Our beloved wildlife ambassador has been creating lifelong connections with nature for generations.

Donate Take Action. Garden Habitats Wildlife Facts. Roger Di Silvestro December 13, National Wildlife Photo Contest entry. Photo by. Chipmunks are basically tiny squirrels 1 to 5 ounces that have adapted to burrowing. Other members of the squirrel family Sciuridae include woodchucks, prairie dogs, various ground squirrels and, of course, tree squirrels. North America is home to 21 chipmunk species , according to the Smithsonian Institution.

Chipmunks produce one or two litters a year. Young are on their own within eight weeks. Chipmunks prefer forested areas and can climb trees, shrubs and…birdfeeders. They eat various types of seeds as well as fungus, helping to spread the mycorrhizal fungi that live around tree roots and are critical to tree survival. Chipmunks also spread the seeds of trees and other plants. Along with seeds and fungi they scarf grain, fruit, nuts, insects, worms, bird eggs and even nestling birds and baby mice.

They might not sing like Alvin and the boys, but wild chipmunks do vocalize. Chipmunks will even make calls in a chorus composed of several of the little rodents—shades of Alvin. Western chipmunks inhabit the western states as well as most of Canada. The Siberian chipmunk is the only species that is found outside of North America - its range extends throughout northern Asia, from central Russia to Japan.

Chipmunks feel most at home in areas with plenty of ground cover, including logs, trees, stumps, shrubs and rocks. Chipmunks dig extensive burrow systems directly underneath or next to natural or manmade cover.

They dig two types of burrows: shallow burrows in which they seek refuge while foraging during the day, and deeper, more complex burrows where they nest, store food and spend most of the winter months.