Will Coffee Grounds Keep Chipmunks Away? (Ways To Repel) (2024)

Do Coffee Grounds Keep Chipmunks Away For Good?

While we love the taste and smell of coffee, most animals can't stand its smell, including chipmunks. This is why coffee grounds can make an excellent barrier to keep chipmunks away.

All you have to do is sprinkle them on the ground, and they can help deter these rodents. Since most rodents are close to the ground, sprinkling coffee on it will help keep them away.

You can also sprinkle the coffee grounds around your garden and in between the plants which attract chipmunks. Apart from keeping chipmunks and other rodents at bay, they are also excellent compost. If you don’t have coffee grounds, your local Starbucks or other cafes will likely give you free bags of coffee grounds.

• Related Article - Keeping Squirrels Away Using Coffee Grounds
• Related Article - Keeping Deer Away Using Coffee Grounds

• Inexpensive
  Even if you don’t consume coffee at home, your neighborhood coffee shops, or even Starbucks, can give coffee grounds away for free.
• Great compost and offer benefits for some plants
  Coffee grounds can be an excellent compost for your garden. So by spreading them near these plants, you are helping them to grow. However, be sure to check the plant’s soil preferences before spreading them near it because some plants will do worse with coffee grounds.
• Fragrance
  Compared to other deterrents, coffee has a nicer smell and produces a great aroma.
• Keep other animals away
  Apart from chipmunks, coffee grounds can also deter other animals such as squirrels, deers, and even slugs.

• Learn More - How To Use Coffee Grounds As Fertilizer For Succulents?

One way to use coffee grounds to deter chipmunks and other rodents is to use them as compost. If you don't compost, maybe it's time to consider starting.

You can begin by mixing green materials, such as grass clippings and food scraps, with brown material, such as dried leaves, wood chips, and straws. The coffee grounds will be considered green materials.

Apart from that, you can also throw in your coffee filters, if you use them, in the compost as brown materials.

Remember, when making compost, make sure that there are more green materials, around 75%, and lesser brown materials, or else it will throw off the balance of the whole compost.

Coffee grounds can also be used as mulch to repel chipmunks from your garden and home. All you have to do is pile ½ to 1 inch of coffee grounds around your plants, but be sure not to use more than that.

Otherwise, you’ll be left with a moldy, disgusting pile. On the other hand, if you use the right amount, the grounds will be quickly broken down by the rain, worms, and soil microbes.

Furthermore, adding a layer of coffee ground on the top of your sonic will also deter slugs from your garden.

Apart from using it as compost and mulch as a chipmunk repellent, you can amend it directly into your soil.

You can do so by adding it to the solid when you initially put the plants in your garden or mixing it with the soli rather than putting it on the top layer like a mulch.

Then, your plants will be very pleased with the nutrients they’ll get from the coffee, and chipmunks will not go into your home.

Chipmunks and wild animals will tend to gather around bird feeders, so spreading the soil around this area will help you in eliminating chipmunks from your garden.

• Temporary fix
  You need to replenish the coffee grounds for them to be effective frequently. It can also be easily washed away when it rains.
• Effectiveness
  Compared to other deterrents, coffee grounds may not be as effective for keeping chipmunks and other rodents away.
• Dangerous to pets
  If you have pets at homes like dogs and cats, you may want to keep them away from coffee grounds. In large amounts, coffee grounds can be toxic and fatal to your pets.

• Learn More - Are Coffee Grounds Safe To Chicken?

Rodents don’t like strong-smelling spices, including hot sauce and garlic. Simply mash ten garlic cloves, some hot peppers, a cup of hot sauce, and a pint of vinegar.

Allow it to sit under the sun for a couple of days and apply it to the base of your plants with a hand spray. This will help in deterring chipmunks, and if they still try to eat your vegetables, they quickly turn away and seek food that does not taste as harsh.

Various herbs act as natural deterrents for chipmunks, including sage, oregano, basil, and rosemary. For example, sage has a strong smell, and aromatic herbs, such as oregano, basil, and rosemary, can repel them.

Apart from that, you can use these herbs for cooking your favorite dishes. Furthermore, lavender can also help keep rodents away. While humans love lavender fragrance, chipmunks and other rodents hate its smell.

Yes! They coffee grounds repel chipmunks, but used coffee grounds are also good for the precious plants in your garden too. It helps in a few ways:

• Packed With Minerals

Used coffee grounds are packed with minerals like nitrogen, calcium, potassium, iron, phosphorus, magnesium, and chromium. All of these are key for growing healthy plant life.

• Improves Soil Quality

Used coffee grounds also improve the overall soil quality by absorbing some fo the heavy metals. They also attract worms, which are great for your garden.

• Adds Acidity

The natural acids in used coffee grounds are great for plants. Just make sure you don't spread it over the ground more than once a week or you can over acidify your garden.

Risks Of Using Used Coffee Grounds In Your Garden

Used coffee grounds aren't just chipmunk repellents and have a lot of uses. However, there's a few things to look out for:

• Can stop Water Flowing

Used coffee grounds are denser than regular soil and water won't flow through them as easily. Make sure you don't spread them too thickly around your garden or your plants may not be able to absorb water through their roots.

• Impacts Non 'Acid Loving' Plants

Most plants benefit from the acidity of the coffee grounds, but a few can react negatively so it's worth checking first. This includes some crops, like tomatoes, and other plants.

Used coffee grounds are great for keeping chipmunks and other small animals away from your home. The smell repels them, so it's quick and easy pest control.

However, be aware of their downsides, especially when using them for your plants, as some plants may react negatively to the acidity from the grounds.