The Chipmunks

 

Gold Member
Username: The_image_dynamic

San Diego, California

Post Number: 4880
Registered: Dec-06
When the turn signal and windshield wipers went out on Hope Wideup's car, she didn't think much of it.

It was a 2004 with about 60,000 miles, just about the right age and mileage for some minor problems to crop up.

What the DeMotte resident didn't expect was what she discovered under the hood of her vehicle.

Nuts, black walnuts, and lots of them.

"There were thousands in there. They were everywhere," Wideup said.

Now, $242 in car repairs and towing later, Wideup thinks she has figured out just how those walnuts made their way to her car.

Wideup speculates it all started in the fall when a chipmunk snatched a garden glove from her yard. She tried to chase the creature and get it to drop the glove, but then decided since winter was coming the chipmunk might need it for a nest.

She later found the glove in the engine compartment of her car when she was trying to repair the broken turn signal. Since she couldn't fix the turn signal, Wideup let the car sit unused for a couple weeks before dealing with the minor repairs.

When she went to start the vehicle, the engine made a huge revving sound.

It was at that time she looked under the hood again to find a sea of black walnuts filling the entire engine compartment.

"Apparently this little guy stuffed a bunch of these nuts in the accelerator throttle," Wideup said, which caused the engine revving.

Wideup said she was surprised an animal would do this in a car. She moved to DeMotte in March from Hobart, where she said she saw the occasional chipmunk but never had a problem.

Bryan Overstreet with the Jasper County Purdue Extension said animal problems are not uncommon, especially in vehicles that are not used often. However, more often it is mice that take up residence in a vehicle.

Once an animal finds its home it can be difficult to stop it from returning. With a vehicle it is important to not let it sit unused.

The best bet to stop the animal from continuing the behavior is relocating the creature.

"The biggest key is you probably want to keep it from coming back there. You have to move him," Overstreet said.

Wideup said so far the chipmunk hasn't returned. She is alternating her two cars so one doesn't sit too long. In the meantime, she is taking the situation in stride.

"This time of year I surely wasn't prepared for that $242.08 expense," she said. "It's funny, but it's not."




I had a similar thing happen to my Yukon. Every time I would open the hood for something, I would find bunches of pecan shells scattered wherever there was a place to hold them, like on my engine cover. I would blow them off with my compressor and then a few days later... another batch of shells. Then one day I was standing outside by my truck and I saw this squirrel bolt under my truck and disappear. I was like ahhhhh, the little guy is stashing them in there because it is warm and nobody can get to him. But it was a pain in the azz at that point so I ran over to my truck and banged on the hood and yelled real loud. He bolted like 40MPH into the brush and never came back again. But there was like 1/10 as many as this lady had and they weren't whole.
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Platinum Member
Username: Wingmanalive

A pic is worth 1000 posts!!

Post Number: 19283
Registered: Jun-06



I have chipmunks living underneath my rear porch. They also live underneath my shed which is about 50' from my rear porch. I have a blast watching my outdoor cat chase them as they bolt from one home to the other.

Occasionally I find a dead "offering" on my front step from those who weren't fortunate/fast enough lol.
 

Gold Member
Username: Redliner

Wilmington, Ma

Post Number: 4773
Registered: Jun-05
lol thats funny i couldnt believe looking in my hood to find that
 

Gold Member
Username: Joebruce

TC Sounds/DLS

Post Number: 2493
Registered: May-04
Wow LOL
 

Gold Member
Username: Th3pwn3r

I compensate...

Post Number: 9018
Registered: Jul-06
Chipmunks are the sh1t, I always wanted to catch one and keep it as a pet haha.
 

Silver Member
Username: Wickedbass

Nashville, Tn

Post Number: 181
Registered: Jan-08
Damn, that sucks. Still kinda funny though.
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