What Do Chipmunks Eat?

Chipmunks rely heavily on hard mast like eastern black walnuts, beaked hazelnuts, and acorns as their main food source. These nuts provide the calories and fats they need to survive, especially in preparation for winter. Peanuts and corn are also eaten readily, particularly in gardens and near human homes. Learn more about chipmunk diet and foraging behavior. Sunflower seeds and other garden seeds rank high on their food list. Raspberry, blueberry, and other berries are seasonal favorites when available. Teaberry and cranberry also appear in their diet when in season. A chipmunk might visit a food source repeatedly, carrying cheek pouches full of nuts to store for later.

In spring and early summer, chipmunks eat fresh leaves, shoots, and emerging insects as winter stores run low. Young grasshoppers and other early-season insects provide essential protein for growing chipmunks. As summer progresses, berries become increasingly important, with Northern highbush blueberry being a favorite when ripe. Late summer and early fall shift focus to gathering nuts in preparation for winter dormancy. Acorns, walnuts, and hazelnuts become their main preoccupation during this critical period. By winter, chipmunks rely almost entirely on their stored food reserves and rarely venture far from their burrows. Spring arrival of new growth marks the return to fresh vegetation.

In eastern North America, chipmunks emphasize acorns and hickory nuts where these trees are abundant. Chipmunks in New York benefit from oak forests and diverse native plants. Massachusetts chipmunks similarly rely on northeastern forest mast. Western chipmunk species may rely more on pine nuts and conifer seeds. In pine forests, seeds from cones become a significant part of their diet. Chipmunks in suburban areas near gardens benefit from cultivated crops like corn and sunflower seeds. In Pennsylvania, chipmunks access diverse hardwood and mixed forest foods. Mapleleaf viburnum and other native shrubs provide berries in areas where they grow. Coastal and mountain regions may have different seed availability than prairie or forest habitats. Food availability directly influences how many chipmunks can survive in a given area.

Chipmunks use excellent vision and smell to locate food buried under leaves and snow. They dig into soil and leaf litter searching for nuts and seeds. Using their distinctive cheek pouches, chipmunks can carry large quantities of food back to their burrows in a single trip. They are most active foraging in the morning and late afternoon. Chipmunks often strip seeds from plants like cornflowers or dig up newly planted seeds in gardens. They may climb trees to harvest nuts directly from branches or gather fallen nuts on the ground. Their natural foraging behavior has been refined through evolution to be highly efficient.

Young chipmunks born in spring rely entirely on mother's milk for the first weeks of life. As they grow, the mother brings insects, especially grasshoppers and other Carolina grasshoppers, to supplement milk feeding. Juvenile chipmunks learn foraging behavior by following their mother during summer and early fall. Soft foods like berries and leaves are easier for young chipmunks to eat than hard nuts initially. By late summer, juveniles begin gathering and storing their own food for winter. They eat insects like common blue mud-dauber wasps and other arthropods to gain protein. Complete transition to adult diet happens by late fall.

Chipmunks readily eat from bird feeders and garden plants in residential areas near Massachusetts and other states. They will consume pet food left outside and raid garbage for scraps. While bread and crackers are tempting to feed chipmunks, these foods lack nutrition and can harm their health. Never offer chocolate, salt, or processed human foods to wild chipmunks. Peanuts and sunflower seeds are acceptable treats but should be limited. The best approach is to remove food sources and seal trash containers to prevent dependency on humans. Leaving natural food sources in your yard like nut-bearing trees is better than supplemental feeding.

Ground squirrels eat similar nuts and seeds but tend to be more strictly herbivorous than chipmunks. Gray squirrels prefer larger nuts like oak acorns and hickory nuts, while chipmunks take a wider variety of smaller seeds. Eastern chipmunks eat more insects and berries than their western cousins. Voles are mostly herbivorous and rarely eat insects like chipmunks do. Mice are more omnivorous but eat smaller seeds and more grain. Unlike raccoons, chipmunks do not seek out garbage or carrion. Compared to other small rodents, chipmunks are more versatile in their food choices. Learn more about chipmunk behavior by exploring chipmunk sounds and visiting the main wildlife guide.