I have been able to live and garden in harmony with the chipmunks in the rural area we live in Connecticut. But it seems over the last 2 years or so the chipmunks have taken advantage of any prior agreement we had, getting more and more emboldened. This year when they started to tear up planters in a screened-in porch I became alarmed but when they undermined a sidewalk and a retaining wall that was it. The mason performing the repair work uncovered a munk burrow that ran about 10 feet and almost a foot high, cleanly excavated. They are no longer cute, they are vermin over running our property, and not only costing serious money for repairs but they're creating a hazard as well. Like many on this thread I too felt guilty about eliminating chipmunks ... but have become increasingly frustrated and desperate when the population exploded and over ran our property and garden areas. Destructive, brazen and invasive is ALL an understatement when I see what these cute little critters have become. While I feel I need to eliminate them I want to do it as humanely as possible, and since it is illegal to relocate them in the state of CT, the Hav-A-Heart trap presents the dilemma of having to "off them" yourself and watch them die. I think I have solved the problem ... the RAT ZAPPER. An animal control professional I spoke to (off the record) indicated that "electrocution" is the fastest, most humane and cleanest way to do what has to be done. I bought my first "zapper" and eliminated 21 munks in approximately 10 days. Since then I bought 2 more and now there are almost 50 critters that no longer make their home in the area around my foundation, sidewalks and retaining walls. Granted the "pool of death" (the bucket) does work, but this is cleaner, more convenient ... no bucket to maintain/seed to replenish. I place a little pile of sunflower seed at the back of the chamber and flip the switch. And location seems to be important. Under shrubs and near visible, active holes seems to be most effective. Interestingly, an Ohio State University critter/pest management site I visited indicated that 10 chipmunks or more per acre is considered an infestation population. I have caught almost five times that number, so I assume I am dealing with nature being way out of balance, at least as far as the chipmunk population. If you're getting more and desperate, try the Zapper, it works.

Either owls or hawks would be most welcome and I know they are both in the woods next door (which does have big mature pines and other trees). In past years they've definitely patrolled the yard, so I'm not sure why they're not out in force this year. Maybe some encouragement would help--I can definitely put up an owl box and maybe I can get the neighbor's cat involved (outdoor and a hunter, while ours are indoors and totally impractical/useless as hunters). The trap has been a bust so far, although I still need to add some juice to the mix. The bait tray was picked clean again while the stuff behind it they've been ignoring--it does trip when tilted, but I suspect they're managing to get the food off without triggering it. This is the version recommended for rabbits--maybe there's some way to make it more sensitive? At this point, I'm beginning to wonder if the chippies and bunnies are colluding in theft. I have a net coming which should make for some entertainment for the boys and maybe they'll manage to chase these guys out of the yard and down to the lake and convince them not to come back if they are persistent.

Yep, I get a kick out of them despite some of the less savory aspects of having them around. Last year I repaired the porch on our grandaughter's playhouse which had rotted through. It was particle board and came off in big messy chunks. I piled the scrap on top of her sandbox. My mistake. The cover for her sandbox was one of their favorite places to nap and the foot tall pile of nasty wood didn't deter them one bit. I looked out the back door and she was laying on top of the wood. Ah yes, the raccoons. I'm quite familiar with them. We've had one or two families come through every spring for 3 or 4 years now.We have one of those Intex swimming pools for our grandaughter. I built a collapsible octagonal fence to go around it to keep them from getting at the sides, which are soft. Worked great at keeping the sides safe but it didn't stop them from getting on the cover. One night I heard *SPLASH* outside. I get the flashlight and look outside and there are two baby raccoons trying to get out of the pool. They had jumped on the cover, the cover went under, and while they were clawing to get out they shredded the pool cover. Ours sounds just like the second one you mentioned. Ours just has the fountain in it but it doesn't bother the ducks as long as it's not on. Ours sits in a little "well" that I made out of small retaining wall blocks. Underneath also serves as a nest to chipmunks in the winter. They burrow beneath the wall and set up shop in the space between the wall and the liner.

Glad to give you a helping hand, AJ. My Dad was a well-known Ilex authority and holly hybridizers would send him various samples of their hybridizing efforts to be planted and trialed at our nursery before introduction to the trade. It is a simple process. Wait until a holly comes into spring bloom, then push a blossom's petals apart so you can carefully look into the center of the blossom. If it is a female, you should be able to see a tiny green berry forming in the middle section of each blossom, which will develop into a mature berry in the fall. The little green berry is easily seen. Obviously, no little green berry at the blossom centers means that holly is a male plant. It is a quick job to check five or so blossoms on each holly to be identified. Been there, done that many times.