A humane chipmunk trap is a small wire cage that captures the animal alive and unharmed, letting you remove it from your property without killing it. The standard size for chipmunks is roughly 16 to 18 inches long and 5 to 6 inches wide and tall, significantly smaller than traps built for squirrels or raccoons. Getting the right size, bait, and placement makes the difference between catching a chipmunk on day one and staring at an empty trap for weeks.
Choosing the Right Trap Size
Chipmunks are small enough to squeeze through or escape from traps designed for larger animals. You want a cage trap with fine wire mesh, since standard squirrel-sized mesh gaps can let a chipmunk slip right out. A trap around 18 by 5 by 5 inches works well for chipmunks, and models in this range typically come with spring-loaded doors at both ends, which increases your odds of a catch since the animal can enter from either direction.
Single-door models (around 16 by 6 by 6 inches) also work and can be easier to position flush against a wall or burrow entrance. The key detail most people overlook is mesh size. If the wire spacing on the cage is too wide, a chipmunk will escape. Look for traps specifically listed for chipmunks, rats, or weasels rather than general “small animal” traps meant for rabbits or opossums.
Best Baits for Chipmunks
Peanut butter mixed with oats is one of the most reliable baits, smeared directly onto the trigger plate so the chipmunk has to step on it to feed. Nut meats, sunflower seeds, raisins, and common breakfast cereal grains all work well too. The bait should be secured to the trigger, not just sitting loosely inside the trap. A chipmunk that can grab a loose seed and back out will keep raiding without ever tripping the mechanism.
Scatter a small amount of bait around the outside of the trap and just inside the entrance. This trail draws the chipmunk in and builds confidence before it reaches the trigger plate deeper inside the cage.
Prebaiting: The Step Most People Skip
If you set the trap immediately, a cautious chipmunk may avoid it entirely. A more effective approach is to prebait for two days before you actually arm the trap. Wire the doors open so they can’t close, load the bait, and let the chipmunks discover it as a free food source. Once they’re comfortable walking in and out freely, set the trigger. At that point, the chipmunk already associates the trap with an easy meal and won’t hesitate to step on the plate.
Where and How to Place the Trap
Position the trap along paths the chipmunk already uses. Look for well-worn routes between burrow entrances, garden beds, stone walls, or foundation edges. The trap should sit perpendicular to the travel path so the chipmunk encounters the opening naturally while moving along its route. If you’re using two traps, place them side by side with the triggers facing outward, away from each other. This covers both directions of travel.
Make sure the trap sits on stable, level ground. A trap that rocks or shifts when the chipmunk enters can spook it before it reaches the trigger. Press the cage firmly into the soil or place it on a flat surface like a patio stone. Chipmunks are most active in the early morning and late afternoon during warmer months, so check the trap at least twice a day. A trapped animal left in direct sun or overnight can overheat, dehydrate, or die from stress, which defeats the purpose of a humane approach.
Legal Rules on Relocating Chipmunks
Here’s where many people run into trouble. Catching the chipmunk is only half the plan. Relocating wildlife is illegal in several states. Massachusetts, for example, explicitly prohibits capturing and releasing wildlife off your property. Similar laws exist in many other states, and the reasoning is consistent: relocation spreads disease, disrupts established animal populations, and often kills the relocated animal anyway since it’s dropped into unfamiliar territory without food caches or shelter.
Before you set a trap, check your state’s wildlife regulations. In many places, you can legally trap a chipmunk on your own property but are required to release it on-site or euthanize it. Some states require a permit even for live trapping. If you’re unsure, your state wildlife agency or a licensed wildlife control operator can clarify what’s allowed in your area.
Why Trapping Alone Rarely Solves the Problem
Chipmunks are territorial, but removing one simply opens up habitat for another. If your yard has the food, shelter, and burrow sites that attracted the first chipmunk, a new one will likely move in within weeks. Trapping works best as a short-term solution combined with changes that make your property less appealing.
Start by removing easy food sources. Bird feeders are one of the biggest chipmunk magnets, especially those that scatter seed on the ground. Fallen fruit, open compost, and accessible pet food all draw them in. Secure garbage cans and clean up seed debris regularly.
Sealing Entry Points and Excluding Chipmunks
If chipmunks are getting into your foundation, crawl space, or garage, physical exclusion is the most permanent fix. Quarter-inch hardware cloth is the right material for chipmunk-sized animals. Half-inch mesh is stronger but may allow very small chipmunks to squeeze through. The quarter-inch option blocks them reliably while still being flexible enough to shape around irregular openings.
For foundation gaps and crawl space vents, attach hardware cloth over the opening with screws. For areas where chipmunks are digging underneath a structure, bury a barrier at least 12 inches deep with a 6-inch horizontal shelf at the bottom, bent outward. This “L” shape stops animals from tunneling under the edge. Galvanized sheet metal works for larger openings and resists prying by raccoons and other animals. For smaller cracks, copper mesh stuffed into the gap and sealed with caulk or expanding foam holds up well.
Stainless steel mesh is the most durable option and won’t rust over time, though it costs more. For most homeowners, galvanized hardware cloth handles the job at a fraction of the price and lasts years if installed properly.
Putting It All Together
The most effective approach combines all three strategies. Trap the chipmunks currently causing damage, remove the food sources that attracted them, and seal the entry points they were using. Skipping any one of these steps means you’ll likely be setting traps again next season. A well-placed, properly baited live trap can catch a chipmunk within a day or two, but the 20 minutes you spend sealing a foundation gap with hardware cloth will do more long-term good than a dozen successful catches.