Re: Varmint's

Another way of going after gophers is to use a tool 
that can deposit poison bait in their dens and runways 
without leaving a human odor.  I've been doing this for 
years, and it always works, after a day or two.  The tool 
has a reservoir at the top of a pipe for the poison bait 
(specially made stricnine pellets for these tools), and 
has pointed end that you poke into the ground until you 
locate a den or runway  space underground.  This is the 
general idea anyway, you poke around until you poke into 
their living space, deposit the poison, and the gophers die 
underground.  The bait ends up underground, so unless you 
have a dog that digs, you're pet-safe as well.  Of course, 
if you have a dog that digs and use traps, then you may well 
end up with a dog with a gopher trap on its nose...

The names for these tools (made by one or two manufacturers) 
are generally something along the line of "gopher getter".
I've bought two different ones at garden centers...the first 
I used for years, and it eventually broke.  The second one 
I've been using for years as well, and still works fine.

-Roger

	From rogerv Thu Aug 31 08:29:48 2000
	Date: Thu, 31 Aug 2000 08:53:16 -0500
	From: Monarch <mastiff@swbell.net>
	Subject: Re: Varmint's
	Cc: Medit-Plants <medit-plants@ucdavis.edu>
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	Richard Starkeson wrote:
	> I sympathize with you.  No easy solutions.  Even if you can totally
	> eliminate gophers, as soon as you stop an eradication program, they will
	> migrate in again from your neighbor's land. 
	
	Yes, like the fire ants and leaf-cutter ants, another big problem.
	
	 Expensive and time-consuming as
	> it is, you have probably found the only total effective solution - wire
	> mesh.  One solution is to put wire mesh underground (and underneath) a
	> planted area, and keep this a "gopher free" zone, and give up on the rest of
	> your land. 
	
	WAH!  I have 17 acres but leave most of it wild.  I am gardening in
	about 5 of them and nature can have the rest.  Because of the gophers I
	gave up years ago on growing vegetables.  Now I tuck a few here and
	there in the perennial beds and sometimes the gophers miss them.
	
	My property is covered in Hickory and Post Oaks which don't like their
	roots disturbed.  If I dig a large area out the tree dies.
	
	you
	> plant a mass of certain euphorbes (which have poisonous roots) around your
	> desired plants, that will protect them from the tunneling gophers, since the
	> gophers wont eat the roots.  
	
	Would you happen to know which euphorbes?  I have planted artemesia all
	over the place, especially around roses, since it is said that they
	deter gophers also.  They actually might help with gophers, not sure
	yet, but doesn't phase the moles.
	
	This would probably NOT work for moles, which
	> are eating little insects and other critters under the ground, and not
	> roots.   
	
	I have found a few grubs in my diggings so I'm sure the moles are after
	them.  I would rather have insects. <G>
	
	If you're out in the country, you can encourage 22-carrying
	> teenagers to use them as target practice. 
	
	Uh, I'm a 22-carrying grandma!!  The problem is that you never find them
	above ground and they plug their holes very quickly.  I have sat by an
	open hole waiting for them to start pushing dirt up and shot a few but
	an entire day for one gopher (if you are lucky) isn't practical.
	
	Most people use poisonous baits,
	> which are reasonably effective, and must be constantly put out  
	
	Maybe I should go back to trying various baits.  I've even tossed moth
	balls down tunnels, added water and plugged the holes hoping the fumes
	would nail them.
	
	(and traps
	> for moles - there is this type of trap that is sensitive to the vibrations
	> moles make in their tunnels, and is set above ground, and springs and
	> impales them as they pass under.)  
	
	Never heard of this type of trap, definitely worth checking out!!  I
	have the kind you put down the hole, a spring trap.  Last year I dug a
	huge hole, went to get the hose, came back and the hole was filled up
	with sand.  I dug it out again and again a gopher filled it back in.  I
	uncovered the tunnel and put the trap in.  Went back and not only was
	the hole full of sand again but my trap was buried so deep I couldn't
	pull it out by it's chain!  No dead gopher either.  Sigh.
	
	If you had enough hawks or coyotes, you
	> probably wouldn't have such a big problem.  (Do your fellow South Texans
	> regard coyotes as an asset, or as a varmit? )  
	
	Definitely varmits!!  We are eat up with coyotes here and the (&$#@! got
	two of my geese, all my ducks, and a guinea hen sitting on eggs.  This
	all happened in the last month!  I have asked Santa for infrared goggles
	so I can stay out at night and deal with them.
	
	I am told, though I have no
	> actual experience, that Abyssinian cats will eliminate a large part of a
	> gopher problem.  Of course that means keeping them outside, and I imagine
	> they would have to have been trained by their mother to hunt.  (They may
	> themselves become the meal of a coyote if they are around, and they may also
	> take a few birds with the gophers)
	
	I have two barn cats, tho spoiled and have to be fed plus various strays
	that have moved in with us.  They seem to go after lizards and birds
	more then gophers.  Of course that irritates me since I love lizards and
	have planted especially to attract birds, have feeders everywhere and
	lots of bird baths and water features.
	
	I'm thinking about getting a Dachund or a ferret. <G>
	
	Thanks for the advice, will look for that trap!
	
	Linda
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