Chipmunks Will Stay Away From Your Garden With This Clever Deterrent

When spring arrives, chipmunks come out of hibernation and begin to replenish their food stores. While these rodents are cute and entertaining, you don't want them searching for food in your yard. Chipmunks are burrowing animals, and their tunnels can wreck your yard. These burrows can loosen hardscaping and create channels of water that destroy lawns and structures. If chipmunks dig around trees and planting beds, water that accumulates in those areas can lead to root rot and ultimately damage or kill your plants. For gardeners, chipmunks are particularly pesky when they dig up flower bulbs or snatch fruits and vegetables before you can enjoy the fruits of your labor.

To deter chipmunks from coming to your yard, an owl decoy is an easy and humane deterrent. Owls are natural predators of chipmunks, so the rodents will be on high alert when they spot one. In fact, chipmunks have a distinct call to warn others about aerial predators like owls and hawks. Keep chipmunks on their toes by removing the decoy for a day or two before putting it up again. This keeps the chipmunks from getting complacent to the owl's presence.

Owl decoys are most effective when they mimic the behavior of a real bird, which means movement is key. The best option is a solar-powered owl that hoots, rotates its head, and flaps its wings. Most solar-powered owl decoys are activated by motion, giving them a more unpredictable and lifelike appearance. If you opt for a decoy that doesn't move on its own, tie it up to sway in the wind and regularly switch up the location of the owl.

An owl made of resin will be more durable and weather-resistant than those made of plastic. While both resin and plastic are lightweight, plastic can fade and crack over time from being exposed to sunlight or severe temperatures.

Even with an owl decoy standing guard, don't give chipmunks more reasons to enter your garden. Clear fallen crops as soon as they drop (or, better yet, pick and enjoy them as soon as they're ripe), and clean up seeds that spill from overhanging bird feeders. If you're looking for other options, try an aluminum foil hack to keep chipmunks out of flower beds; combine two household essentials — Epsom salt and Lysol — to keep chipmunks out of your yard; or sprinkle cinnamon to keep pests from destroying your garden.