Chimpmunks: Neighbours don't want them, I do.

I love chipmunks for no reason other than that they are cute and I like to watch them. My yard is fairly forest-ish, has bramble piles, sheds to live under, etc., yet for some reason they live across the street in my neighbours' pristine golf-course yards. They trap them and move them away.

Is there a way that I can attract them away from their yards into mine? This would serve us both.

The chipmunks I see around here love to live in stone walls

You will have to provide similar habitat and feed them...a mating pair will establish themselves. I would suggest to the neighbor that just releasing them can be as cruel as just trapping them with rat traps...as they are exceedingly territorial and will only be driven to "chipmunk depression" with such relocation. If you are equipped to keep a cage...have him give them to you...keep them for ~4 weeks while feeding and watering. If you would like, try to get them use to your physical proximity thereby changing the "flight distance cognition" for you. Then just open the door...a few (if not most) will stay...

Good luck...

Thank you. I would have thought that my habitat would be superior, but they come, basically steal all of the food, then run across the street into my neighbour's planter box. I do know that they have a trap. I don't have a cage. Are you suggesting that I keep them in the house? Or do you mean keep them in a safe outdoor cage? And how to trap the pair? No ideas.

Hi Zeph,

Trapping:

You just keep trapping till you have the family primary individuals (or your neighbor runs out of "munks.")

Enclosure:

There "cage" shouldn't be one to them. One of the very human things to do to animals (many animal right's folks do this) is project "human sensibilities" onto animals.) What we see as a "cage" they may well see as a safe place to live (if we done thing correctly.) I used to keep and breed flying squirrels...wonderful creatures I might add. When I was to my 2nd year, I had (I was in high school) moved on to other species...THEY did not leave their "enclosure" and continued to return each evening to the porch and there little box. Ended up with chipmunks "mugging you" (and your pockets) by day...and flying squirrels doing the same at night...drove my poor mother crazy, but was the delight to visitors (until a "nip" would send the weaker of them into safer quarters.) I like keeping them outside so they don't lose acclimation, and there circadian rhythms are not changed. Further advice (perhaps not all good) can be found on the web...here is but one example. Another place to get them perhaps is from a "wildlife rehab center." They often are looking for placements of animals or safe habitats.

Let us know how it goes...

I must add this disclaimer...wild munks bite!!...it may be illegal to trap and maintain even for a short time; check with local authorities...they do have fleas and ticks on them, and have been know to carry rabies...So..the risk is yours...enjoy.

Thank you. I think that what I'm going to do is to read up on their breeding cycle first, it's springtime here. I wouldn't want to separate a mother from it's offspring (What are chipmunk offspring called? Kits?) Once I'm there, I'll try and speak with my neighbours, speak with them about my plans. I think I should also learn about how big their territory is. Not much point in moving them from one half of their territory to the other half if they spend their whole time on all of it. Such a simple thing, so many things to think about.