Here's When MA Folks Can Expect Pesky Chipmunks to Take a Hike

As you can see in the photo gallery below, Chipmunks are cute- some may even say adorable but they can dig up your lawn and cause havoc by burrowing in your gardens and flower beds, and they are still very active in Massachusetts (article continues below).

Chipmunks May be Cute But They Can Also Be Destructive

Don't let these adorable photos fool you. A member of the squirrel family, they can destroy your yards, get inside your downspouts, and cause havoc.

Gallery Credit: Jesse Stewart, Townsquare Media

I was mowing my lawn at my home in the Berkshires recently, and not only did I see a chipmunk running around, but there were also some holes in my backyard (not the first time). I can only assume these rodents caused the holes. In addition, I went to my friend's house the other day to drop something off, and I could hear loud scurrying underneath the leaves in his backyard; lo and behold, it was a couple of chipmunks running around. They looked like they were having the time of their lives.

If you have chipmunks racing around on your property and are wondering when they are naturally going to go into hibernation, generally speaking, the end of October is when they will make their exit. The reason why chipmunk activity calms down in late October is that 40°F is when it gets too cold for these little critters to stay above ground. So, we still have roughly two months left to deal with these cute but destructive pets.

Can Chipmunks Get Into Your Home?

According to the Humane Society of the United States, if chipmunks get into your home, it usually is by accident, and they are glad to leave the dwelling as soon as you give them an escape exit. There have been a couple of times when chipmunks have ended up in my garage because I left the door open for too long. It didn't take long for the critters to head back outdoors to their natural environment.

If you want to keep chipmunks away from your gardens and off of your Massachusetts property, you can find a list of chipmunk prevention tips by going here.

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