I grow several annual poppies that self-seed around the garden. Since I want them to return each year, I leave the pods in place so that the seeds mature and will fall back onto the soil. But last year most of the poppy pods were stolen, seemingly overnight. I’d previously noticed a couple of poppy stalks shaking, and caught a chipmunk snapping one off and happily nibbling at the seeds inside. Silly me…I thought it was cute.

Two or three days later there wasn’t a poppy pod left. No bread poppy, corn poppy or California poppy seed pod remained. It was the chipmunks….aka, “Those bastards!”

So this year when I watched a chipmunk actually jump up into a daylily flower so he (she?) could get closer to a poppy pod, I knew I needed to fight back.

I bring you Gardener Vs Chipmunk: Round 1

I used small organza gift bags, available from craft stores and places that sell wedding supplies, to protect selected pods from Chip and Dale. They are inexpensive, light weight, and have a drawstring for quick application and closure. They allow the sun and air to reach the developing seeds, but keep Tamias striatus out.

Since most poppy pods have dozens if not hundreds of seeds, I don’t need to protect them all. A few groups of the largest pods were gift wrapped…a gift to me, not the chipmunks.