I have 500 square feet, or exactly .011 acres of garden space. That’s not a very big garden, but I spend a lot of time and money to keep it thriving. I have been successful at keeping out squirrels, deer, groundhogs, and rabbits. But one type of varmint remains. Chipmunks.
This spring I planted 3 small rows of snow peas. They were one of the few things that would grow in the upper part where my garden doesn’t get a lot of sunshine. The peas did okay. I had a couple pickings from the upper vines, then I decided to pull up all the plants and harvest the lower hanging peas. But there weren’t any. Every single pea in each pod had been eaten. Chipmunks!!!
Nancy likes chipmunks. She thinks they are cute. I think they would go nicely in a stew pot with some potatoes and onions, but I am not allowed to kill them. I do, however, intend to make their little lives miserable. I have 4 rows of Fordhook lima beans, and I do not intend to share them with the chipmunks.
First, I am going to stink up the joint.
My research indicates that there are several odors that chipmunks (and other rodents) can’t tolerate, including hot peppers and garlic. Strong spices are also offensive. I now have a bottle of concentrated peppermint spray that I have used in their favorite holes and by-ways. I also have procured a box of dryer sheets, which repels mice and ‘munks, and I have placed them in strategic areas. Epson Salts, which contains magnesium sulfate, is also a deterrent with beneficial uses in the garden and I have applied them.
But in case all that fails, I just ordered a Solar Powered Ultra Sonic Chipmunk Repeller that makes an intense, high-pitched ringing noise to deter chipmunks and other pests. It’s motion activated and guaranteed to keep the mooching rodents out of the garden
As the Phantom of the Opera says, “Let there be war between us!”