2020 Year of the Chipmunk? I
Scott Borthwick - Canaan, NH
t would be nice to think that the biggest problem we have to deal with in the year 2020 is an abundance of chipmunks. Covid 19 has infected so many human lives but not the Chipmunk. In fact, they are thriving. These ground dwellers are showing up everywhere. It is reminiscent of the Squirrel Apocalypse of 2018. The main reason for their overpopulation was a mild winter and abundant sources of food.
However, I believe part of the reason for their increase can be blamed on the corona virus. Yes I know the virus is blamed for everything, including not getting my power restored for 4 days after the rather lame Tropical Storm Isaias, but hear me out. In March when the lockdowns started both NH and VT had a mass migration of summer residents. While dealing with other wildlife issues in vacation areas I noticed a lot of out of state plates. When
they arrived they had to quarantine for 14 days. One of the ways to deal with the boredom of the lockdown is to put up a bird feeder. The name “Bird Feeder” is really not an accurate name for this device. A more realistic name should be “Wildlife Feeder” because they attract so many types of wildlife. Bears, squirrels, raccoons, opossums, skunks, and especially chipmunks. The other problem for the chipmunk is now there are far more people noticing them and that’s when the calls to my company started. For those of you who don’t know I spent my first 18years in the flatlands of Massachusetts. I was always amused with the title “Flatlander” since I lived at a higher elevation in Mass than I do now in NH but that’s a different story. Anyways, one of the things I looked forward to as a child in coming to New Hampshire was seeing Chipmunks. I never imagined that someday I would have to deal with them as nuisance wildlife. Are they a nuisance? To some maybe. They dig holes in the ground from the size of a golf ball to the size of a tennis ball. They eat seeds and nuts so could cause some minor plant damage but for the most part, they are harmless. When people call I try and talk them out of removing them. They are territorial and prolific breeders. So if I clear out a population in one area in a short period of time others will move in. Which usually aggravates the customer. There is an old saying in the North Country that if you kill a coyote 50 will show up for the funeral. The same applies to Chipmunks. In closing, bring in your bird feeders and learn to live with the Chipmunk as long as they remain outside. Rarely do they move into a house. If they do move into your house then it’s time to call a professional.
30 4 Legs & a Tail
Scott Borthwick owns Estate Wildlife Control. He lives in Canaan, NH with his wife Donna, two dogs, a couple of horses and one tough old chicken named Henrietta. Fall 2020
