Holes in garden: mole or chipmunk?

20 years ago

Hi,

I'm having trouble with something creating tunnels in my garden. There is a 4 inch hole next to one of my azeleas, and a part of the bush is wilting while the rest of the bush is not. I think it's starting to damage the root system. It could be one of two things: a chipmunk or a mole.

A week ago a neighborhood cat killed a mole and let it at our door step, and about 2 weeks ago I saw it with a chipmunk in it's mouth. Yesterday I filled in the hole with some dirt, but it's been dug out again today. So clearly something is still actively using it.

I want to get rid of whatever is harming my garden, but this is where it gets complicated. I have a chipmunk that lives in my rock wall that my wife has grown quite found of. I dont' want to hurt the chipmunk because she's very attached to the chipmunk. In fact she feeds it sunflower seeds. The offending hole is about 30 feet away from the chipmunks rock wall home. How can identify which pest is causing the problem? Can I kill/replet the mole without killing/repelling the chipmunk?

Thanks

charlie

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Comments (4)

rhizo_1 (North AL) zone 7
20 years ago
Could also be a vole. Could easily be your wife's chipmunk, though. What a dilemma!
hisvictory
20 years ago
I can say with 99 percent certainty (OK, 95 percent) that it's your chipmunk friend. Mole holes aren't that big, and 30 feet is just about right for the back door of a munk hole. Your options are limited, based on your wife's love of the munk. But remember that munks don't just tunnel into gardens and eat bulbs, they tunnel against foundations, which weakens the structure due to water damage, and they also chew through wiring. If interested in eradicating your little critter, check out the chipmunk problem solver post on this forum.
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kathleen_carreras_yahoo_com
15 years ago
What's the best way to get ride of them. I am loaded with them. Thank you
Kimmsr
15 years ago
Trapping is probably the most effective method of controlling the population, but you need to think about what are you going to do with them once trapped, especially if you live trap. Live trapping presents some problems because in many states transporting live animals unless licensed to do so is illegal.
Keep in mind that people have been trying for many years to find ways to get rid of moles, voles, chipmonks, squirrels, gophers, woodchucks, etc. and no one has really found an effective way to do that yet.