Re: Something is eating my pumpkins Help!

Brian,

I've been gone for a few days... I know you said that you didn't suspect
gophers, but here's a little info just the same... Since we're both SE Idaho
growers.

If you have gophers, you will see their "mounds" that they leave behind.
You would see a mound of dirt, somewhere between the size of a basketball
to the size of a beach ball, of finely processed dirt in your garden/lawn. If
you look closely, you might see the indentation in the shape of a horseshoe
in the dirt... classic sign of a gopher.

On the other hand, if there are no mounds, then you probably don't have
gophers. I've never seen mice attack a pumpkin, although I've had them
nest underneath a pumpkin like you mentioned. If you think it's mice, just
set mouse traps. They would take peanut butter over pumpkins any day.

I've been needing to go to battle with gophers ever three years or so... I usually
win the battle and it takes them a while to come back. Right now we have
construction in the neighborhood, so they are finding new haunts.

I have had a gopher attack a field pumpkin. Luckily they have never damaged
an AG, so far.

Assuming that it is a gopher... What I usually do is find one of their mounds, dig it
out, and then you would find their tunnel. I get the hose and turn it on, filling up
the tunnel. Most of the time this stops/limits their activity in my yard. Once I ran the
irrigation water for 24 hours and never had the tunnel "back up". But that ended
the gopher activity.

Earlier this season I did this... then went away for a while. When I came back I
found a very wet gopher sitting on my lawn gasphing for air. You know my wife,
normally the nicest, sweetest person in the world. When she saw that gopher, and
me standing there with the shovel in my hand, she screamed, "KILL IT!!! KILL IT!!!".
This beast was enourmous, the size of a small cat. I scooped him up and carried
him over to the neighbors horse field, and gave him a ride through the air of about
30 yards... I didn't have the guts to bludgeon him at close range. Yeah, he'll
probably be back......................

Regards, Cliff




Thanks for the advice. I'll probably try a combination of these. I
like the idea of sticky traps as I will definately figure out who the culprit
is. Although I do suspect mice, mole, or voles because gophers, woodchuck,
rockchucks, and rabbits are not generally found around my yard.I'd have to find a
laundry basket with small enough holes in it to eliminate mice which could be
difficult.
Brian Christensen
Rexburg Idaho
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