A Chipmunk’s Legacy…

Chipmunks are cute.

Chipmunks are also hoarders.

They seriously could compete with that new American T.V. show.
They need an intervention.

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We have a bird feeder at the homestead…for the BIRDS….but the Chipmunks in the area insist it is there for them too.  The scamper up the tree, leap onto the feeder and then proceed to stuff their cheeks full.

Most of the bird seed is millet, cracked corn, red and white milo seeds, striped or black-oil sunflower seeds.  Chipmunk’s love ALL of them, but especially the sunflower seeds.

They scamper back and forth to their underground storage silos a hundred times a day…or more….as long as the seeds are there, they will spend every waking moment gathering seeds to hoard.

So what happens when their underground silos are full?

They start putting them anywhere and everywhere.  They dig a hole, empty their cheek pouches and then cover it over.  Does not matter where.

And what happens to seeds planted in soil…and then watered by Mother Nature?

This is what happens…I find them here in the grass…

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and here in the dirt patch from the excavation of a tree stump…

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and in the flower garden too….

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See that big thing on the right? It is now 4′ tall with a large flower head forming.

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I have left this one, but all the others get dug up or lawnmowed over.  Our entire homestead has sunflower seeds popping up everywhere.

I am sure the neighbours do too as there are 4-5 chipmunk’s in the area and most do actually not live on our homestead.  By mid-August, the entire point of land we are on jutting out into Lake Nipissing will be covered in Sunflowers…..which will go to seed, which they will collect….and for the cycle to start all over again…

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