If they are climbing you fence, it may help if the top of the fence is unsupported and floppy, so that it bends back on them when they try to climb it.

We have a feral cat that comes to be fed on the deck when I put food out, and she's quite good at keeping the chipmunks out of the garden. Last year they decimated the strawberries, and we didn't even get a bowlful. This year we've had a couple of quarts and are still picking.

So a good mouser kitty cat will probably either kill them or drive them away from your property.

Ask around, and if you can, see if you can get a kitten from a litter where the mama has been an excellent mouser. Give the kitten time to learn the skill from its mother, maybe 10-12 weeks old, a little older than when most kittens are adopted. You'd need to keep the kitten inside to form bonds in the beginning, but when it's outside, it will express any mousing talents it has!

Live trapping and relocating wild animals may be carefully regulated in your state as it is in Michigan. You need to be licensed to cart around wild animals here. Often when you take a wild animal from your property to some new habitat the natives there will kill this newby because the resources available are limited.

Thanks folks.

A cat's out of the question.... we have chickens in the yard and 2 indoor cats already. I think the local neighborhood cats used to help out but now we've fenced the yard for the chickens so they can't come in anymore :(

I did talk to both the Cooperative Ext and the state USDA Wildlife office. Both advised that trapping and relocating is not only illegal, but also inhumane for many reasons. So-- much as it pains me, I think we will be kill-trapping. The most humane one I found is the type that uses electric shock, instant death. It bums me out, but it's either them or my garden :(

I know this is an old post but two to three-foot half inch squares galvanized fence (roll from home depot) keeps chipmunks out of my strawberries. Bury it about an inch in the dirt. They do not climb it for whatever reason. I had to resort to killing them as well and got over 50 in one season. They came back strong each season. They chew through anything plastic. Using this fence I have no chipmunks in my strawberries, only SLUGS! Hopw it helps.

Do you -really- think kill trapping or relocation is going to solve your problem?

Get creative and make a better fence. Done.