Overun by gophers

[bobm]

We have been invaded by gophers for a couple of months now. I have tried traps (2 facing in opposite directions in the runs) , poison grain, gas, water hose, gum , etc. , there are 3 daily visiting feral cats too with no luck. In fact their population has increased ten fold this past week. Has anyone a fail proof method to dispose of them that actually works ?

 

[seedcorn]

One mole can look like 100 in the runs they make overnight. Best solution is to use insecticide and kill all the insects--I put up w/moles instead. In the garden, you can plant Mole Beans around edge and that will keep them away.

 

[catjac1975]

I am confused. I thought gophers were woodchucks and moles are moles. Clarify?

 

[journey11]

Got this from Wikipedia, because I wasn't sure what the definition was either...

Gopher is the common term for any of several distinct species of small burrowing rodents endemic to North America, including: the pocket gopher (family Geomyidae)[1], also called true gophers; the ground squirrel (family Sciuridae); Richardson's ground squirrel; and species of prairie dog.

If you are talking about moles, seedcorn is right, killing off their food source will urge them to move out. If you are seeing a lot of mole tunnels, you can be sure you have a LOT of grubs in your soil. Grubs then hatch into June beetles, Japanese beetles, etc and go on to eat up your garden anyway. (Moles will kill your lawn and plants by destroying the roots.)

Now chipmunks...those buggers will eat up your bulbs and such. There usually aren't very many of them. My cat, an excellent mouser, keeps those in check for me.

Now if you were talking about groundhogs or prairie dogs or anything of that size, a shotgun would be the answer.

 

[Carol Dee]

Do you have a gun? Anyone wanted target practice? Several years ago we had a family of goundhogs set up housekeeping under a shed. Grrrr. Took all summer to discourage them. DH and sons loved to sit and wait for them to come out and pick them off with the guns. ( Used a 22 I think) One son tossed an M80 explosive under the shed. (It moved the shed, too) I know it sounds cruel but they sure don't respond to nice invitations to leave. And where bad guests, taking a bite here and there, never finishing what they'd start and ruining almost everything. GOOD LUCK.

 

[catjac1975]

Bob-Which ones do you have?

 

[lesa]

If you are talking about woodchucks- they are very easy to catch. They are so stupid it hurts! If you bait the trap with melon or sunflower leaves they will waltz right in. Once in the trap, a quick dunk in a garbage can full of water, and they are gone...

 

[catjac1975]

I won't tell you the sad tale of my husband getting caught by the police drowning a wild animal. Had 3 environmental police show up at the house one day after the local police reported him. Drove their cars behind ours like we were going to run away from the Environmental police. They had driven an hour from Boston to talk to him. Eventually let him off.....

Our woodchucks have never been easy to catch. Actually seemed quite crafty. I now resort to poison down their tunnel.

If you are talking about woodchucks- they are very easy to catch. They are so stupid it hurts! If you bait the trap with melon or sunflower leaves they will waltz right in. Once in the trap, a quick dunk in a garbage can full of water, and they are gone...

 

[so lucky]

I can't think of the name of it right now, but there is a treatment--a fungus or nematode of some kind-- you can put on your lawn that kills the grubs on which the moles feed. It is supposed to multiply over the years, so once you do it, it is self-sustaining. Help me out here, folks; I'm having a protracted senior moment today. What is that stuff called??

 

[catjac1975]

Milky spore.

I can't think of the name of it right now, but there is a treatment--a fungus or nematode of some kind-- you can put on your lawn that kills the grubs on which the moles feed. It is supposed to multiply over the years, so once you do it, it is self-sustaining. Help me out here, folks; I'm having a protracted senior moment today. What is that stuff called??