Chipmunk living under front steps

[Anonymous]

A chipmunk (or munks? they haven’t introduced themselves, so don’t know if it’s a singleton or extended family) has dug a burrow under our front steps.

If it were a mouse or rat, I would be evicting it ASAP, because they DO have extended families and I don’t want a bunch of invasive rodents that close to the house.

But chipmunks are harmless woodland creatures, right? They’re not known for trying to squirm their way into homes or otherwise wreaking domestic havoc?

Do I need to worry about Chip or Dale? Or just let him/her/them peacefully coexist?

[Anonymous]

We let ours do its thing. Never got into house.

[Anonymous]

You can catch and release. Or, hire someone to do that.

[Anonymous]

We have plenty of chipmunks on our property. They’re cute and have never bothered us.

[Anonymous]

Sorry, but in terms of damage they are not really different. I would evict and plug the hole. Do it now before baby season.

[Anonymous]

I've always had chipmunks living around my house, including under my steps. I love them.

Chipmunks generally live solitary lives. One chipmunk in a den, burrowing in for the winter. I leave them be!!

Even when the female has a litter in the spring, the pups only stay with her for a couple months before heading out on their own.

[Anonymous]

Rodent, same as rats and squirrels, and except for minor genetic differences such as fur color and tail hair, they even rather look alike.

If a rat were to scamper on your porch, would you treat it to a saucer of delicious milk?

[Anonymous]

If left alone, they will dig tunnels extensive enough to cause the concrete above them to start to sink down. Parts of our driveway were sinking and were lower than other parts. When we had it fixed, the contractor showed me the remains of the extensive tunnel systems that were collapsing and causing our driveway also to collapse. It was very expensive to fix.

They are rodents. You do not want them up against your house.

[Anonymous]

Chipmunks carry Lyme ticks.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Chipmunks carry Lyme ticks.

Yeah, but so do the trails where I hike and the fields and woods in which I run my working dogs. If I’m picking up a tick, it’s not going to be walking across my manicured lawn to the mailbox.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Chipmunks carry Lyme ticks.

Yeah, but so do the trails where I hike and the fields and woods in which I run my working dogs. If I’m picking up a tick, it’s not going to be walking across my manicured lawn to the mailbox.

More likely to get ticks in your house with rodents around.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Chipmunks carry Lyme ticks.

So do deer, but most people here love and adore them.

[Anonymous]

Chipmunks are solitary. Rats live in colonies. Rats do way more damage with their burrows than a single chipmunk.

I wouldn’t worry about it.

[Anonymous]

First evict them by pouring ammonia in the hole. Then you can plug it up with concrete. Hire a handyman if needed.

[Anonymous]

They've undermined my patio and my sidewalk. They are not harmless.