If you are reading this, you might understand why Donald Duck chases Chip ‘n’ Dale with such tenacity, and in the oddest ways. Luckily for you, it is not necessary to use such extravagant methods to get rid of chipmunks nowadays: poison’s enough if you use the right one. Let us know more about ‘Best Chipmunk Poisons’.
Nowadays most rodenticides are aimed to take many rodents out, chipmunks among them. This article aims to present to you some of the best rodenticides available on the market, as well as the ways they function, in order for you to choose the one that better suits you: JT Eaton Bait Block Rodenticide, Tomcat All-Weather Bait Chunx, Farnam Just One Bait II Bars, Neogen Havoc Rodenticide Rat & Mouse Pellet Pack, Neogen Cykill Bromethalin Rodenticide, and Victor M6006 Poison Peanuts Mole & Gopher Killers.
Which Formats of Rodenticide are Available in the Market?
When going to the store of your choice, you may be presented with several rodenticide formats, which can vary from solid blocks to liquid concentrate. Nevertheless, for chipmunk poisoning, the use of poisonous bait is most common. Poisonous bait can be bought in block form. You can also use rodenticide bars. The main difference between these two kinds of bait is that the bars may not fit into bait stations of regular size (and the use of bait stations reduces considerably the risk of secondary and, or, accidental killing). Both formats are, commonly, well-suited for moisture and can be placed outdoors.
Another option is using poisonous nuggets (or pellets). They can have a place-pack (which ensures safety when setting them: chipmunks chew through the package) or else, be loose (bulk pellets). Last but not least, you can also buy poisonous peanuts. This kind of bait comes in containers with a cone-shaped tip that allows you to dig into chipmunks’ burrows and place the bait there, without having to touch it.
How do Rodenticides Work?
When choosing the poison that will solve your issues with chipmunks, you may want to know what kind of poison you are about to buy. When speaking about rodenticides, one can differentiate between poisons that are anticoagulants and those that are not. In brief, anticoagulants cause internal bleeding, which leads to death. There are single-dose anticoagulants (one ingestion is poisonous enough) as well as multiple-dose anticoagulants. Nevertheless, you should take into account that some single-dose anticoagulants can’t be bought over-the-counter and must be applied by a licensed applicator.
Multiple-dose anticoagulants can contain diphacinone, chlorophacinone, or warfarin. They can also be referred to as “first-generation anticoagulants.” Both JT Eaton Bait Block Rodenticide (with a peanut-butter flavor that entices chipmunks and makes them enjoy one of their last meals) and Tomcat All-Weather Bait Chunx have diphacinone as their active ingredient. Single-dose anticoagulants may have either brodifacoum, bromadiolone, or difetianole in their composition. Suppose you are looking for these kinds of poisons. In that case, you may try to buy Farnam Just One Bait II Bars (which has bromadiolone), or Neogen Havoc Rodenticide Rat & Mouse Pellet Pack (with brodifacoum among its components).
Regarding non-anticoagulant poisons, bromethalin, strychnine, and zinc phosphide fulfill their duty one day after being ingested, while cholecalciferol takes several days of ingestion to act. Every non-anticoagulant poison has specific effects. That is, it kills its victims in a particular way. Bromethalin causes paralysis (followed by death). Neogen Cykill Bromethalin Rodenticide, for example, contains bromethalin, as its name tells. Cholecalciferol, on its behalf, kills by producing an excess of calcium in the blood (which is highly damaging to the body). The famous strychnine attacks the spinal cord, causing severe muscle spans that lead to breathing paralysis (and death, of course). You won’t find on the market, for non-certified applications, products with more than 0,5% strychnine. You will find, even so, Victor M6006 Poison Peanuts Mole & Gopher Killers, which you can also use with chipmunks and contains, not strychnine but zinc phosphide. This kind of poison prevents the body’s cells from producing energy and thus the cells die.
What Do You Have to Take into Account When Poisoning Chipmunks?
First, make sure that your head and heart are cold. Do not let their cuteness fool you, chipmunks can be officially considered a pest! If you or your children liked Alvin and the Chipmunks, or Chip ‘n’ Dale, try to remember that chipmunks, although adorable, are not like that in real life. Second, check your local Pests Control Law, since the use of certain poisons can be banned in your state. In case of doubt, or if the situation becomes uncontrollable, it may be a good idea to contact a pest control specialist. Third, try to use a bait station when possible. Bait stations are meant to only let in the type of rodents they are designed for and prevent the poisoned animal from escaping. This way, only the rodents that are meant to die will be affected by the poison and many risks (mostly children and other animals) will be avoided.
Fourth, if you find the poisons listed above to be too dangerous, you can always recur to scatter mothballs. Chipmunks are repelled by the smell of naphthalene, and, if ingested, it is poisonous to them. Fifth and final, if the killing was successful, If you did not hesitate to poison the chipmunks that troubled you, do not handle the dead carcasses with your bare hands and, after disposing of the bodies (not in a place where they could be eaten by another animal) wash your hands.
Conclusion
So, it is time then for you to go to the nearest store (or open Amazon or eBay on your computer or phone) and start looking for the most convenient rodent poison you can find. Just remember that, although poison is one of the most effective available ways to get rid of chipmunks, it should not be used recklessly, especially when there are young children or animals around. Even so, one little drop, one little bite (or several, depending on your poison’s choice), and behold how all of your chipmunk troubles fade away!
