The fastest way to get a chipmunk out of your house is to open a door or window and gently guide it toward the exit. Chipmunks are small, fast, and easily panicked, so a calm approach works better than chasing. If the chipmunk is hiding or trapped in a hard-to-reach spot, you’ll need a live trap or a bit more patience. Here’s how to handle every scenario.
Open a Path and Guide It Out
Most chipmunks that wander into a house are just as eager to leave as you are to see them go. Start by closing interior doors to limit the chipmunk to one room. Then open any exterior doors or windows in that room as wide as possible. Remove window screens so there’s a clear, unobstructed exit.
Once the escape route is open, position yourself on the opposite side of the room from the exit. You want to be a calm, slow-moving presence that encourages the chipmunk to go the other direction. Avoid sudden movements or loud noises that might send it scrambling behind furniture. If it’s hiding under a couch or cabinet, try placing a trail of sunflower seeds or peanut butter leading toward the open door. Then leave the room for 15 to 30 minutes. Chipmunks are curious and active, and many will find the exit on their own once the house is quiet.
Set a Live Trap Indoors
If the chipmunk has been in your house for more than a few hours or keeps evading your efforts, a live wire-mesh trap is your best option. Standard rat-sized cage traps work well. Place the trap along a wall or pathway where you’ve seen the chipmunk running, since they tend to follow the same routes repeatedly. Make sure the trap sits flat and stable on the floor. Any wobble can trigger the door prematurely and scare the chipmunk away from trying again.
For bait, peanut butter is the top choice because the chipmunk has to work at it, keeping it inside the trap long enough to trigger the door. Sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, raisins, and dry cereal also work. Smear or place the bait at the very back of the trap so the chipmunk has to step fully inside.
One technique that dramatically improves your success rate is prebaiting. Wire the trap doors open for two to three days and let the chipmunk come and go freely, eating the bait without consequence. This teaches it that the metal box means free food. After a couple of days of regular feeding, set the trap doors to close. You’ll likely catch it within hours.
Chipmunks in Chimneys or Walls
A chipmunk stuck in a chimney or wall cavity is a trickier problem. If it’s in the chimney, keep the damper closed so it can’t drop into your fireplace. Drape a heavy sheet or tape cardboard over the fireplace opening as a backup barrier. Then try making noise near the bottom of the chimney (banging pots, clapping) to encourage it to climb upward and exit through the top. If the chimney is tall or the chipmunk seems stuck, dangling a thick rope down from the top gives it something to grip and climb out on.
For chipmunks stuck inside walls, listen for scratching to pinpoint the location. If the sound is near a vent, utility opening, or gap at the base of the wall, you can place a live trap at that spot with bait inside. Sometimes cutting a small access hole in drywall near the scratching is the only option, but at that point calling a wildlife removal professional is reasonable. They have tools and experience for extracting animals from enclosed spaces without tearing up your home.
What to Do After You Catch It
Once the chipmunk is in the trap, cover the cage with a towel to keep it calm during transport. Wear thick gloves when handling the trap. Chipmunks rarely carry rabies (small rodents almost never transmit it to humans), but a frightened chipmunk can still deliver a sharp bite. If you are bitten, wash the wound thoroughly with soap and water.
If your local laws allow relocation, release the chipmunk at least five miles from your home. Chipmunks have strong homing instincts, and anything closer gives them a reasonable chance of finding their way back. Choose a wooded area with ground cover where the chipmunk can quickly find shelter. Open the trap door and step back. It will bolt.
Before relocating, check your state and local wildlife regulations. Some states classify chipmunks as game animals or restrict relocation of wild mammals. A quick call to your local wildlife agency can clarify what’s permitted in your area.
Seal Entry Points to Prevent a Return Visit
Getting the chipmunk out solves today’s problem. Keeping the next one from getting in solves it permanently. Chipmunks can squeeze through surprisingly small gaps, so your goal is to find and seal every opening along your foundation, siding, roofline, and around utility lines.
The best material for sealing is galvanized hardware cloth, a rigid metal mesh that chipmunks can’t chew through. Use quarter-inch mesh for the tightest seal, since half-inch mesh can still allow mice through and may not stop a determined juvenile chipmunk. Cut the mesh to size and secure it over openings with screws. For gaps around pipes or wiring, stuff the space with steel wool first, then cover with hardware cloth or metal flashing. Stainless steel mesh lasts longer and won’t rust, but galvanized works fine for most applications.
Pay special attention to these common entry points:
- Foundation gaps: Cracks where the siding meets the foundation, or where concrete has shifted over time
- Utility penetrations: Holes drilled for gas lines, electrical conduit, water pipes, and cable wiring
- Vents and exhaust covers: Dryer vents, attic vents, and crawl space openings with damaged or missing screens
- Chimney tops: Install a chimney cap if you don’t already have one
- Garage doors: Worn weatherstripping along the bottom creates a gap chipmunks can slip under
If chipmunks have been burrowing near your foundation, a buried barrier can stop them from tunneling underneath. Bury hardware cloth at least one foot deep along the foundation wall, with a six-inch horizontal shelf at the bottom angled outward. This prevents animals from digging past the barrier.
Using a One-Way Door
If you know exactly where the chipmunk is entering and exiting your house but can’t catch it, a one-way exclusion door lets it leave on its own without being able to return. This is a small funnel or flap device mounted directly over the entry hole. The door swings outward freely but locks when pushed from the outside, so the chipmunk exits normally and then can’t get back in.
The key step most people skip: seal every other possible entry point before installing the one-way door. If you leave a secondary gap open, the chipmunk will simply find it and re-enter. Once all other openings are closed, mount the one-way door flush against the building over the primary hole. Check that the flap swings freely outward and stops completely when pushed inward.
Monitor for five to seven days. A simple trick is to stuff a loose wad of paper or sprinkle flour dust near the opening to see if anything passes through. If there’s no sign of activity after a week, remove the one-way door and permanently seal the final hole with hardware cloth or metal flashing.