87 rag

Title tells it all.
Chipmunks have been stashing acorns in my hood. Best I can tell the only way in to the cavity is through the two little holes below the bowling green plate. Anyone ever have this happen? I can hear the little acorns rolling around. How do I get these suckers out?
Is there another way in?

mfi

Bizaare this is. Answer I have not. You think you heard everything, and then comes this. Maybe a trap of some kind near the car, non lethal. Can you put some kind of screen there. I did this with my house upstate for squirel invasions.

87 rag

I put a piece of tape over the holes so they can't keep doing it but I would like to get the ones already in there out.

I expect a few laughs and a few funny comments, I can take it.

cv67

Its not funny, but it is. Sorry, I don't have the answer.

corvetteronw

Use a car wash wand to blast them out? Fill the area with some of that foam insulation spray? Shoot in some compressed air?
Wait until there is a good snow cover on the ground and the little buggers will return and carry off their stash for a midnight snack?

Brian9

Try blowing air from an air compressor in one of the holes and see if it will make the acorns come out another hole?

EDIT: corvetteron beat me to it.

87 rag

I'll give it a try but I'm not waiting until the snow is on the ground.
Car should be put away for the winter by then.
Thanks

goingc4

I'm not exactly sure where you are talking about, but what I have done successfully for acorns in my manifold area:

Put a straw inside a vacuum cleaner hose and duck tape it into place so you have a tight seal around the straw. If it's a long way down use several straws stuck together. This should allow you to "latch" onto the nuts enough to drag them out one by one. Don't use your shop vac as that probably has too much hp and may burn up due to lack of input air. The house vac or the car wash vac you don't care about should do.

mfi

Either an engineer or one in the making, interesting solution.

87 rag

Your Idea may work. Worth a try I guess.
I'm talking about actually being inside the hood. If you lift your hood (if it's the same is mine) you will see two holes on the under side near the bottom center, right above the air intake or rad. I don't know if the chipmunk is going right in or just dropping the acorns in the hole but there must be at least 20 in there.

raptornails

That's not too far fetched, this spring I had bird feed stored on the manifold under the cover, likely from mice, so I pulled the cover off, vaccumed it out, then put some D-Con around the garage, that solved the problem, don't know about those pesky chipmunks, maybe ask a pest control expert, bet they have a solution. Well to keep him out anyway. Can you make the hole slightly larger, then blow the air through, hopefully make it easier. Good Luck

87 rag

I know in the winter when I store the car I place bounce sheets all over the engine and interior to keep mice and things away.
Can't really do that when your driving the car.

Lots of empty acorn shells under my plennum as well but that I'm not worried about.

raptornails

Bounce sheets? sounds good, I will try that this winter

The Green Hornet

Just yell real loud ALVIN, that should do it

gh86E

Flickin thru the channels early Sat morning, this guy is selling a book on natural ways to get rid of pests. He mentions the way to get and keep chipmunks and mice out of an area is to go to a health store and get some oil of peppermint. Put a few drops on cotton *****, and he says rodents won't come near them. Put 1/2 tsp in some water, and spray areas you don't want the critters (like possible entrances to your house).

So today I stopped at a health store, and asked for oil of peppermint. Owner says 'you must have a chipmunk problem'. Got my bottle right next to me, haven't tried it yet (got mice problem in house and garage).

AFogleman

Chipmonks ate a lot of my cars wiring.Under the hood and stored nuts in all the vents.I'm still chasing down shorts

JrRifleCoach

See CentralCoasters website for Squirel Fishing techniques. Should be able to crossover to the chipmunks.....

Receipe is still the same...

Rich Silvestris

In the hood itself, right? The two holes you mention are plugged in my hood. Given your situation, I'd raise the hood, disconnect the battery, and remove the underhood light housings. Then I'd push a hose down through the light housing holes and flush the acorns towards the holes at the front (bottom) of the hood.

Okay, it might not work, but it's an original idea.

eschoendorff

Yeah... that or mothballs in an old sock.

goingc4

Frankly I haven't had much success with mothballs. I think that only works if you have a mouse or two. I get more than that just in my basement (150 year old rock foundations got holes). I tried spreading mothballs all over an old Jag sedan I had stored. Kept the mice out of the seats and rugs, flipped down the visor one day and out comes a nest and half my visor stuffing. Of course the car stunk of mothballs for a year too. I'll vote for the peppermint, if you have to worry about bothering other living things - with 4 out buildings and the house the only solution is DCON and sticky traps (so they don't die in the walls and stink up the place).