If you don’t have any other way and want to kill a chipmunk with a rat trap, you must think about one question before trying anything, “Can you really catch a chipmunk with a rat trap?”
Yes, it is possible to catch chipmunks with a rat trap, but it is not the most recommended or suitable way. You have to be super conscious and come up with a proper plan to catch a chipmunk with a rat trap. Otherwise, you will fail every time.
Eliminating and trapping a chipmunk through lethal trapping is not an issue in a place where children, other wildlife, and pets are not likely to disturb you or the trap. But this course becomes a problem when you don’t want to kill or injure any other creature. That’s where rat traps come into play.
So, Let’s Discuss Each Aspect You Need To Know About Catching A Chipmunk With A Rat Trap:
Can You Catch A Chipmunk With A Rat Trap?
Catching a chipmunk with a rat trap is actually a matter of availability and conditions. This is not the right way of eliminating chipmunks, but you can try using a rat trap (with a proper method) to catch chipmunks. You should only use a rat trap to catch a chipmunk if:
- Other humane methods like live catching or wire mesh traps are inaccessible.
- You can’t use a traditional lethal trap.
- Natural repellents like mothballs do not work because of the large population of chipmunks.
There are some other ways as well that should be considered first before going for catching a chipmunk with a rat trap.
How To Catch A Chipmunk With A Rat Trap?
You can’t trap a chipmunk through an ordinary snap trap without any extra work. That’s why we have come up with a step-by-step procedure to kill a chipmunk using a rat trap successfully. But before that, you need to have some essentials like:
- Mousetraps
- Bait
- Box or Cardboard Carton
- Gloves
After getting all the important things, you now just need to read the upcoming steps carefully and follow them:
Step 1:
As usual, your first job is to arrange a food item that can work perfectly as bait for chipmunks. Unlike rats, chipmunks prefer nuts, but you can also use other items like peanut butter, raisin, oatmeal, or sunflower seeds.
Step 2:
This is the most important step. It will determine whether your trapping will be successful or not. So, read (specifically) this step repeatedly to memorize it properly.
Chipmunks are more intelligent than rats and difficult to catch, so you first must create a build-up. In order to do that, you first have to place an empty and unset trap in a place or pathway where you see chipmunks frequently for a few days.
That’s how chipmunks will think that trap is no longer a different or suspicious thing. Once they get used to the trap, you can start placing already-mentioned food items around it (one at a time). If one food item doesn’t work, try another.
Step 3:
In 3 to 5 days, chipmunks will start treating trap and bait as normal things. You will get to know about it once they start eating the bait. Now, you will set the actual trap in the same place. Make sure to set the trap perpendicularly (vertically).
Also Read: How To Get Rid Of Pack Rats?
You can also use more than one trap at a time to get rid of more than one chipmunk. But you must place them in such a way that triggers must face different directions. Trigger arm/s must be set at their highest sensitivity so that spring can work in a flash because chipmunks can move swiftly.
Step 4:
After setting the trap, put one or two baits outside the trap as an attraction or temptation. Now, just wait for chipmunk/s to die.
How To Dispose Of Chipmunk After Trapping It In The Rat Trap? (Pro Tip)
Remove the chipmunk from the trap and double bag it (always) while throwing it in the trash. Always use gloves to dispose of chipmunks. Just like rodents, chipmunks can be super dangerous after death. Moreover, you should also keep your kids and pets away from the trap before, during, and after the use.
Note: The condition of chipmunks depends on your area or state because, in some parts of this world, chipmunks are given extra protocol, while the case is different in other parts.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs):
How Can I Avoid Other Animals And Birds Getting Trapped?
In order to save other creatures from getting trapped, you need to make the trap inaccessible for them. For example, you can place the trap under a plant or tree near a burrow (made by your targeted chipmunks). Most animals and birds avoid going to a place where other species live. But if you want to set the trap indoors, you can put a cardboard box or carton around the trap with a hole (2 inches are enough for a chipmunk to enter).
What Can I Do To Not Let Chipmunks In My House Ever Again?
For this, you have to make your house unfriendly or useless for chipmunks. They usually come for food, so items like bird seeds, flowers, and dry pet food are inaccessible to them by storing them in closed containers. You can also try some other ways to get rid of them.
Conclusion:
So now, you know the answer to this question: Can you catch a chipmunk with a rat trap? You can do it, but this is not the first option but the last one. Experts suggest using some other humane ways to get rid of chipmunks, like live-catch traps and relocation.
Chipmunks may come to your house again, so you do extra hard work to make your work long-lasting. Hopefully, after reading this article, you must not only be able to catch a chipmunk with a rat trap, but you can also get rid of this annoying creature for a long time.