Can chipmunks destroy Foundation?
Emily Sparks
Published Jan 10, 2026
Burrowing chipmunks can weaken foundations on homes and outbuildings, but it's highly unlikely.
How do I stop chipmunks from digging up my foundation?
Keeping chipmunks out
- Use an L-shaped footer to keep them from burrowing around foundations, sidewalks, porches, and retaining walls.
- Remove wood or rock piles and trim back plantings that provide cover or food sources around the area of concern.
- Surround the area with a plant-free gravel border.
Can chipmunks do damage around the house?
On a residential property, chipmunk burrowing can cause some destructive, structural damage. Since they often choose to dig their tunnels under sidewalks and driveways, near the concrete patios, porches, stairs, retention walls, and the foundation, this activity can weaken the supports leading to damage to these areas.
How do I get chipmunks out of my walls?
Place traps in areas you've identified as prime chipmunk territory: your attic, garden shed, along fences and walls, and near the house foundations. Peanuts, sunflower seeds, and peanut butter make excellent bait, which you place directly to the trigger plate.
Can chipmunks eat through concrete?
The most common include rats and mice. You don't mention where the hole is being chewed so it's hard for me to narrow down the options. Over the years I've seen rats, mice, raccoon, opossum, shrews, voles, moles, chipmunks, ground hogs, muskrat, otter and skunk chew through cement or forms thereof.
22 related questions foundWhat do chipmunks hate the most?
Contrary to the noses of humans, chipmunks absolutely can't stand the smells of certain strong oils like peppermint, citrus, cinnamon, and eucalyptus. Additionally, chipmunks can't stand the smell of garlic.
What do you put in a chipmunk hole?
As you find more chipmunk holes, use potting soil or dirt to fill in the hole as best as you can. Tamp the soil down with your foot or with the back of a shovel so the dirt is tightly packed in the hole. Continue filling in each hole around your yard. Chipmunks may dig through the dirt to get into their burrows again.
How do I stop chipmunks from digging under my house?
The first is to put L-shaped footers around the foundation of your home. It is also important to put those same footers around sidewalks, foundations other than the home, retaining walls, and porches. This should keep them from burrowing for shelter in those specific areas.
How do you get rid of chipmunks forever?
Here's how to get rid of chipmunks in and around your house.
- Get rid of the bird feeder. ...
- Prune and clean up trees and bushes. ...
- Install an L-shaped footer under a patio, deck or walkway. ...
- Remove wood piles. ...
- Plant bulbs inside wire cages. ...
- Trap and remove them humanely. ...
- Try a rodent repellent.
Do chipmunk burrows have two entrances?
To get outside, there are several entrances. Some might be plugged up temporarily or decommissioned permanently. A plunge hole refers to an opening that leads straight down. More complex burrows can have alternate/escape entrances.
What product kills chipmunks?
Best Chipmunk Poison
- Overall. Tomcat All-Weather Bait Chunx.
- Runner Up. JT Eaton Bait Block Rodenticide.
- Small Volume. Sweeney's Poison Peanuts.
Do chipmunks burrow under concrete?
Chipmunks nest in underground burrows. Their burrow entrances are neat, round holes about two inches in diameter which have been cleared of loose dirt. Burrows are often located under an object like a rotten log, stump, or rock. Unfortunately, a concrete slab like a sidewalk or patio serves just as well as a rock.
How do you fill a chipmunk hole in a foundation?
How to Fill Chipmunk Holes
- Method 1 – Fill with Gravel. Gravel is a better option than dirt since the latter would allow the chipmunks to dig through the same hole again. ...
- Method 2 – Use Sand and Concrete. ...
- Method 3 – Fill with Cat Litter. ...
- Build a Fence. ...
- Use Mothballs. ...
- Seal Your Home. ...
- Repellents. ...
- Keep Your Yard Clean.
Can chipmunks live in your walls?
Chipmunks in Wall Cavities
Chipmunks may even move into the walls of your home. Within the walls, the critters can gnaw on wooden beams, insulation, and wires. This can cause structural issues and increase the risk of an electrical fire.
Can you flood a chipmunk hole?
Chipmunks can even be driven to chew through wires, including those within vehicles, as they seek shelter and warmth. Simply flooding a chipmunk burrow may be tempting; however, flooding chipmunk holes is neither a permanent chipmunk solution, nor is it safe for your property.
What do chipmunks do with the dirt when they dig a hole?
Imagine all of this excavated space underneath your patio! To make matters worse, a chipmunk can add to its burrow system each year. Eventually the system can be 30 feet long with several openings. The chipmunk methodically carries all of that dirt out of the burrow in its cheek pouches and distributes it elsewhere.
How many chipmunks live in a hole?
Only a single chipmunk lives in a burrow system for most of the year. Chipmunks are very defensive of their burrow sites and will engage in aggressive behavior if an intruder arrives. Chipmunks are not social animals, but they can live together in the form of a colony.
How do I know if I have a chipmunk in my house?
5 Signs When Squirrels or Chipmunks Invade Your Home
- Scratching and Scurrying Sounds in Your Walls and Ceilings. Squirrels and chipmunks are active little creatures. ...
- New Water Stains or Water Damage in Walls and Ceilings. ...
- Droppings in Attics, Garages, or Entry Points. ...
- Damage to Your Home's Interior or Exterior.
How small of a hole can a chipmunk fit through?
Tiny holes in your siding are also dangerous since a chipmunk can fit into a space as small as two inches wide. Use caulk, expandable construction foam, or concrete to cover any cracks or holes that you see on the outside of your house.
Is there poison for chipmunks?
Unfortunately, there are no poison baits for chipmunk control. Sometimes people use gasser products like Giant Destroyer or Revenge Smoke Bombs placed in the burrows. They are still not labeled for chipmunks and often make the chipmunks scatter due to the sulfur smell.
Do dryer sheets repel chipmunks?
Joe Magazzi, co-owner of Green Earth Ag & Turf in Branford, suggests repelling chipmunks by placing dryer sheets in chipmunk holes and around your garden and flower beds.
Should you poison chipmunks?
Chipmunks dig for their food and can make a complete mess of even the most cared-for gardens. Many preventative measures can be used, but it is often best to use chipmunk poison in the long run.
What month do chipmunks have babies?
One of the questions people often ask about these animals is, “When do chipmunks have babies?” The quick answer is that chipmunks have babies in the Spring, typically in the March-April timeframe.
Do relocate chipmunks return home?
Like many mammals, Eastern chipmunks have a strong homing instinct. Relocation of mammals with a strong homing instinct is not recommended because of the potential conflict relocating to a new area can cause.”
What month do chipmunks start to hibernate?
If you haven't noticed it before, chipmunks tend to disappear as the temperatures drop when we enter into the cold months. They then resurface during March or April when it is spring again. If a particular animal disappears for the winter then you might think that it is hibernating.