Chippie Visitor!

[Buddy'sMom]

Help?! I suddenly have a chipmunk in my kitchen! A frightened chipmunk.

Anyone have any ideas?? I have blocked off side-routes and opened the front door, leaving a trail of pumpkin seeds to guide him/her to the door. I know they like them as they pack them up and bring them home when I put them outside.

I don't see how one could have come in the door with me as they usually run away at the sound of a human. So perhaps do we have a little chippie doorway that I don't know about and we have been sharing the space for some time now???

Should I just ignore it and leave everything as it was and it will leave the same way it came in? I don't have a trap .... and can't leave the front door open indefinitely. And now that I'm sitting at the computer, I can't really watch to see if it leaves. :shakehead Which I guess I better go do.

I know I'm scaring it, and I really DO need to get into the kitchen. :dono :dono :dono Ideas and suggestions would be most welcome!!

I'll be back -- going to watch for chippie exit!

[4skwerlz]

Awwww, wish I had a chippie in MY kitchen. I would just go about my business if I were you. Do try to get a pic though! You'll know he has left when the trail of pumpkin seeds is gone....

[Buddy'sMom]

Yeah, well ... if I thought we were friends, it would be cool, perhaps. But he doesn't seem to like it when I join him in the kitchen.

Not quite sure how he has gotten in, but I suspect he doesn't need the door open to leave. And I can't leave it open too long anyway.

Didn't get a pic in the kitchen (not enough presence of mind!) but I have some from the front stoop -- if it is the same one.

[Mars]

DO you have a detachable hose on your vaccuum cleaner? Can you use it to create a safe tunnel for the chippie to travel? Or a wrapping paper role can be used to trap him. when it scoots inside just cover both ends with a towel and gently put outside.:)

[4skwerlz]

DO you have a detachable hose on your vaccuum cleaner? Can you use it to create a safe tunnel for the chippie to travel? Or a wrapping paper role can be used to trap him. when it scoots inside just cover both ends with a towel and gently put outside.:)

What a great idea, Mars.

B. Mom, could he be living in your attic? Maybe coming in through one of your HVAC vents?

[squirrelmanxx]

right, he'll be tempted to enter anything that looks like a dark tunnel, so just cover the ends with your hands and move him outside.

[TexanSquirrel]

Good luck!

[Mrs. Jack]

He's stalking you, :D good luck with the out of doors getting. Guess you best look at the backs of all your cupboards and make sure there aren't any chippie size holes.

[Buddy'sMom]

No further sightings. But thanks for the ideas, I'll have them ready, just in case. Not sure if s/he is still in the kitchen or not as I couldn't watch constantly. :D We have, however, located the Chippie Door. We had previously noticed what we thought was a damp spot in a corner of the basement. Looking at it today, there are small pieces of wallboard on the floor -- next to a very small opening in the wall. WE did not dig any wallboard out. :D So perhaps chippie decided to exit when the kitchen got quiet for a while. :dono

I eventually went in the kitchen as I had things I needed to do. I spoke to Gabe, who suggested that perhaps a bit of noise might convince chippie that this was not that great a place to be. So if this was a "first entry" maybe that's the case. If it's not -- I guess chippie is used to having someone walk around and perhaps it's no big deal. :dono

Also pix of what I believe is out little visitor, a few hours earlier. No way to be sure, but I have read that they don't share a territory with others like squirrels do. I thought chippie and I had an understanding -- I would put pumpkin seeds on the front steps (or on the curb) and s/he would sit there and look cute from time-to-time. That was working out pretty well (I thought), but I guess chippie wanted more. :tilt

I'll let you know if I see him/her inside again. :)

[TexanSquirrel]

Cute! We have no chippies here. :(

[Mrs. Jack]

yep. definitely looks like chippie decided to make himself a home. You may wanna pick up a trap, in case he hides himself instead of leaving when you fix that hole. :Love_Icon

did HE have a camera? I still think it was the chipperazzi. ;)

[anneke]

rofl! Looks like Chippie decided to come inside for some home cooking. You were planning on roasting more of those yummy pumpkin seeds for him, yes:)

The ones that come onto my enclosed backporch typically take off when I open the back door. And the ones that have gotten caught in the gutters down the side of the house are ony to happy to fly as far from we as possible when I dismantle the gutter to let them free.

Hoping your chippie decided to head on home.

[Mrs. Jack]

few years ago my folks had a chippie hitch a ride with them from WA to AZ, comfy in one of their hatches.. they had a heck of a time getting him back home. :shakehead

[skwerls_R_soft]

You are kidding...you have a basement?!
How'd you get one of those around here without it being a swimming pool:thinking ?

Sheesh..good luck with the chippie. Can you line your window sill with nuts and leave the window open with the screen off (or would that be an invitation to all of the squirrels to come in? :) )

[skwerls_R_soft]

16132


:wave123 :wave123 :jump :jump :wave123 :wave123

I couldn't resist!!

[LynninIN]

You'll know he has left when the trail of pumpkin seeds is gone....
And 5 more join him tomorrow for an afternoon pumpkin seed trail stroll through the kitchen. :D

The chippie is very cute with his cheeks packed full of seeds. Did you forget to leave some out for him today?

[Buddy'sMom]

:jump :jump That's terrific skwerls_R_soft!! And pretty much sums it up. I absolutely felt "watched" when I went back into the kitchen, and kept looking around to see if there was a little pair of eyes staring at me! :D Haven't seen it since the afternoon, though. And since it made several trips across the room then, I think it must have gone back outside. Or at least back to the basement.

I think it is ABSOLUTELY ADORABLE ... outside. And it is pretty cute inside, too, tho I'm not altogether sure I want it to stay and wander around at will :dono . But the bigger concern is what to do. If we can be SURE it is back outside, closing up the hole on the inside should be easy.

But not the end of it. I believe that s/he has been burrowing for some time. The entry is about 6-8 feet below ground (which would put it beloew frost level; nice and cozy for winter). And I think the tunnel allowed water to run down and into the basement wall, since we had notice dampness a few months ago (that was before it stopped raining here :shakehead ). Once the packed ground near the foundation is disturbed, that makes a "fast track" for any free water to travel ... directly INto the basement (we had that problem when some pipes were replaced and it was a bear to resolve).

So .... how far and wide do they tunnel? Is there any way to determine when they are outside (above ground, I mean) so you can block a tunnel? Would blocking a single tunnel do anything ... or is it an interconnected maze?

I understand that chippies are even more territorial than squirrels and that they don't share a yard. Is that true? If it is, we could take action when we see her/him. But I don't want to trap someone in their nest. I also don't want to make chippie homeless right before winter -- do they have alternative nests like squirrels do??

It does make life very complicated to have to care about all these questions!

A few more pictures I had from outside -- apparently, after s/he had stuffed all the pumpkin seeds safely inside his/her cheeks, s/he looked up ... and was spooked by the trashbag! :D

:grouphug :Love_Icon :grouphug

[rippie-n-lilgirlsmom]

I am thinking Buddy got the word around and its pretty much hopeless.
I just love those little guys.