I have occasionally found peanuts buried in my pots and blamed it on the squirrels
Today I caught a chipmunk digging up my semp pots.

I had to shoot it through a dirty window and screen so hard to see but I could tell it had a long and striped tail.


a bit of a closeup


I had a few days ago did the consolidation which was recommended (not doing well) and of course that is the one he 1st chose to dig in.



As you can see everything is sooooooo dry even watering every day not doing the job.

Chipmunks love digging in semp beds for some reason...i tried everything when they were eating my vege garden and the capsaisin powder worked great but its tougher when they arent actually eating your plants they seem to be just digging them up. Maybe a few realistic looking rubber snakes would make them stay away!
I wish I could ship everyone some rain, just had big thunderstorms here again, its been a bit of a wet summer here.

Yep, that sure enough looks like a chipmunk. So cute for a critter that can do such damage.
have you tried the Plantskydd that Chris (goldfinch4) uses?
Also, are you deep watering your semps? Watering until the water runs out the bottom of the container, then give it more water a few minutes later. Sometimes the soil dries out and it can be difficult to get it to soak up the water when you water.
I usually start at one end watering, then go back to the first container and water again.

I almost forgot. Also try putting a piece of bird netting over the container until the semps form nice colonies.

Thanks,
I have been afraid to water too much so have been mostly sprinkling them. I will try the deep watering. I guess I don't have anything to lose as they are not gonna survive the way they are.

I use Plantskydd around the stuff outside the patio. I have some of granules I will put some around out there. I did not know I had chipmunks until I actually saw this one today. At first I thought it might be a baby squirrel.

Great idea valleylynn, the chipmunks dig and move the chicks i pull off the bank semp colonies and plant in the bare spots but they leave the colonies alone. Once they root in they leave them alone as well, maybe its easier to plant their nuts and seeds by using the premade hole of a newly planted semp rather than digging their own hole, what lazy gardeners they are

Yes, deep watering will do them good Marilyn. But don't water again until the soil has dried out just below the surface. Then deep water again. I think that will get them going.

I learned some years ago about using the bird netting. It has been a great help in keeping deer, squirrels, cats, voles and birds from moving the newly planted offsets around. I still have to battle the earth worms. It is quite interesting to see them come up under an offset and move it several inches from where it was planted. I really do need to try what Chris does, pins them down with a piece of wire or hairpin. The earthworms don't seem to be able to manage that.

Yes, those pesky little chipmunks do like to explore, Marilyn. Hope they get bored with your stuff eventually and leave it alone.

I used bird netting once to the detriment of a panicked chipmunk. It just wouldn't run out in the direction where the bird netting was not; it kept running into and getting tangled in the bird netting.

Once I found a hairpin attached to a Noid that I got from a friend and the poor semp had a main root stem with a pinched-in "waist" (like the Victorian ladies) from the constricting hair pin that was used on it. Florist pins are better as they are wider and can be adjusted to make wider or narrower and can be pushed vertically into the soil or at an angle.

I have some think wire that works well.

The bird netting has helped make it harder for critters to spend a lot of time bothering my potted plants. I spread it over my container plantings too to keep them out. Glad I took Lynn's suggestion of bird netting.

And Marilyn, you can probably still see your plants better thru bird netting than thru tulle...

I agree the netting helps, but I've had the chipmunks chew holes in mine in order to enter the buffet. Hardware cloth will be next, as soon as we finish this move.

Chipmunks are a royal pain in the butt. My vege garden that they decided they liked to partake from, was decimated. Before the capsaisin on the edibles I tried everything, including "eliminating" 3 chipmunks every evening, that didnt even dent the population. At my new place they dont seem to be a big problem yet, but then again the neighbors have nut trees and more cover for them to live in and the farm next to me has a bunch of farm cats.