Planting strawberries is serious work, not to mention expensive. But if you want to feed your family homegrown organic fruits, you will exert effort, time, and money. Especially when you know your family loves strawberries as much as you do. But while you are thinking of how big and juicy your strawberries will be when you harvest them, chipmunks come to play.
Chipmunks are known for their cuteness, so cute, that someone decided to create the character, Alvin, the chipmunk. But you will not be mixing chipmunks and cuteness in one sentence any time after they have destroyed your strawberry fields in one fell swoop. But before you raise the flag and declare war against these little creatures, why not try convincing them first to leave your hard-earned harvest.
Quick Overview
- Prevention is better than cure
- Plant strawberries inside a block of wood or plastic bed
- Build Nettings
- Use a non-toxic Do-It-Yourself repellent
- The garlic effect in chipmunks
- Hot peppers as chipmunk repellent
- Garlic and Hot Peppers combination
- Owl versus Chipmunks
- Chipmunks Traps
- Radios
- Landscapes
- Mixing things up
Prevention is better than cure
As the saying goes, you already won if you have prevented a disaster waiting to happen. And for your strawberry fields, it is to protect strawberries from birds and other rodents like rats, mice, and chipmunks.
Plant strawberries inside a block of wood or plastic bed
Chipmunks love to dig soil and eat even roots. To make sure your strawberries are chipmunks proof, plant them in a wooden or plastic bed. That way, chipmunks will not be able to dig into the beds and surprise you when you wake up.
Build Nettings
Build a net around the fields once you have planted your strawberries. The net will keep birds, slugs, and chipmunks out. However, nettings can also get in your way. When you are cleaning the area around your strawberry fields and also when you are harvesting them, nettings can make your life a bit difficult. So, make sure that the nettings can be removed easily by you but sturdy enough so they will not break by chipmunks. You could also use a mesh wire dome that can easily be removed if needed and put back in place once done. And even if chipmunks have already discovered your strawberries, it is not too late to cover the field with a mesh wire dome. Just make sure that the wire you use will keep them out.
Use a non-toxic Do-It-Yourself Repellent
Although chipmunks eat different kinds of berries, nuts, and legumes, they do not like the scent and flavor of garlic and pepper. And you can use these two ingredients to protect your strawberries from chipmunks. It is easy to make and is non-toxic to both chipmunks and humans alike. We do not want your fruits touching poison now, do we?
The garlic effect in chipmunks
Crush garlic and boil them in water for about 5 minutes. Let it cool and strain. Put the mixture into a sprayer can and spray your strawberries with it. Just make sure to coat every part of the fruit, especially the ones chipmunks have begun nibbling.
Hot peppers as chipmunk repellent
Chipmunks also hate hot peppers. You can also boil peppers in soapy water and let the solution cool. Spray it well over the strawberry fields making sure to coat the fruits enough so chipmunks cannot nibble on any parts of it.
Garlic and Hot Peppers combination
You can use both garlic and hot pepper in one go. But the idea remains the same. The oil released from garlic and hot pepper combine with soap will repel chipmunks. They do not like the garlic and pepper smell and flavor so much that they will leave your strawberries alone. If it rains, re-treat the strawberry fields with the solution.
One note on this though, before eating the strawberries, make sure to wash them thoroughly. You do not want to bite into a garlic-flavored strawberry, will you? You will not get poisoned, but you will know why chipmunks hate the flavor.
Owl versus Chipmunks
Predators like owls eat chipmunks and other rodents like mice and moles. If you put the owl in your garden, it will scare off rodents like chipmunks. It will even scare off birds. You can buy a plastic owl that has a rotating head to make it more realistic. Just make sure to fill the body with stones and soil so they will not tumble down.
Chipmunks Traps
Setting up traps can also discourage chipmunks from invading your loan and eating those juicy strawberries you are waiting to harvest. However, there are traps set to kill them and not just deter them from eating your strawberries. Please note that chipmunks are protective animals in some states, and it is illegal to kill them. Before setting up traps, check your local laws. It is illegal in some states, but it is also inhumane and gruesome.
Radios
Just like any other animals, chipmunks are afraid of humans. Another way to deal with chipmunks is by using radios. You can place a battery-operated radio in your lawn each night when chipmunks usually strike. Tune in to a 24-hour radio station that broadcast news rather than music. It will sound as if humans are near and talking to each other. Or you can also put a record of an owl hooting. That will give your plastic owl a boost.
Landscapes
Chipmunks likes to hide in bushes and rocks. If you change your garden’s landscape and eliminate the shrubs and other structures that they can use as a hiding place, then chipmunks will think first before perusing through your shrub-free garden as they do not want to take the risk of being caught.
Mixing things up
It is always better to mix or combine at least three or more tactics to make sure it is efficient. Mixing things up can provide extra security for your plants. For example, you can opt to use dome mesh wires to cover your strawberry fields. When you see fruits, spray them with garlic or pepper, or both. Then you can add an owl mailbox to your garden. Get to know home remedies that you can do how you can stop or keep out birds from destroying your hanging basket.
