Chipmunk(s) Emerge For Spring From Underneath Stoop - March 2024

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The varmint (or varmints) that live under our back stoop have come back (or...more accurately) have come OUT of hibernation for the Winter from under our back stoop.  How do I know?  There's telltale signs - including a couple of entry/exit holes along with piled-up gravel and half-eaten walnuts and black walnut shells.  See below for a top-down view of the dang(!) chipmunk hole right next to our stoop:

Chipmunk Under Stoop - End of Winter Hibernation - Entrance Hole

I wasn't sure if he was eaten by a predator last Fall, but turns out he was just hibernating.  From Nat Geo kids:

Chipmunks hibernate in cold weather, which means they spend most of the winter sleeping in their dens. One chipmunk can gather up to 165 acorns in a day. In just two days, a chipmunk can collect enough food to last an entire winter, although chipmunks typically hoard much more food than necessary.
Now...I have to figure out what to do about him.  I REALLY don't want to have to deal with him, but need him to move along.  Before he starts a family.

We have that pair of Spring Grove Ginkgos on either side of the back stoop that I don't want to see go into decline due to chipmunk mischief.  
Location: Downers Grove, IL, USA

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