Gophers have started early. Eating all of plants that were from last summer. They are eating them off just at the top of the ground and leave no roots behind. We have sandy soil and they don't have a problem getting through the ground. We even have some castor beans growing in with the flowers. They have not eaten them yet, but have the Japenese Maple and many of the shrubs and even some of our roses and wild roses. I would appreciate any advice that you know will work. I seem to have the best luck with shotgun when I see one working.
I'll tell you how to deal with pocket gophers, but it may be different than the solution if your gophers are different. The tunnel network is usually 12 to 18 inches down. Get a longer screwdriver or similar shaped tool -- 24-30 inches. Sight a line between two mounds. Pick a spot between, but not too close to a mound. Work the screwdriver down through the soil by pushing down and rotating making a cone shape - like you're mixing a big pot. When the screwdriver hits the tunnel it will drop suddenly. Pull out the screwdriver and put a teaspoon of zinc phosphide coated oats (ZP Oats) into the tunnel. These oats are restricted in some areas, but most rural areas sell them somewhere. Push the soil back into the funnel you made. Repeat this between all fresh mounds. This should work very quickly - like one day or two.
:haha: Our pointer just nabbed one not long ago. Nasty looking creature. Yucko! We don't have pocket gofers either. :no: We have those big rat looking ones.
braggscowboy, I don't have many gopher solutions but do you think your shotgun method would work with the longhorn calves that favor my garden
I am sure the shotgun method will work on the longhorns, but will be much harder to throw over the garden fence when you finish the job. I would take a lot of tomatoes and onions to pay for a longhorn.
This is an in-depth article on gophers, their habits and methods of control. Good luck, I am real glad we don't have those pests! LOL LQ http://www.bugspray.com/catalog/products/page731.html
There's a new thing going on up here and folks swear that if you stick some good old fashioned pink bubble gum or juicy fruit gum down the holes it will cause their intestines to gum up and the little devils expire without any harmful poisons. I can't say if it works or not cause I haven't used it. The method will not work on longhorn calves.
:no: no, no, no,! I don't know how this silliness got started but once more about the gum! YES, Juicy Fruit Gum DOES repell MOLES, no mention of Gophers! ! NO, moles do NOT eat it! They have teensy little teeth and a tiny little mouth..no way can they eat gum! There is something in that flavor that REPELS the critters. Lest that sound too easy, I don't use it...the reason being I think my dogs would just dig it out of there and eat it! Wouldn't hurt them..but then, I'd be wasting my time and the gum! LOL The suggestion is that you use something to poke it down the hole aways. There was a recent symposium on the radio from our Extension Service on getting rid of moles. The gum was mentioned and another thing that works(and which I am trying now)is putting dog hair down in the holes. This has, so far, worked for me but then I just started last Fall. I have yet to go through the spring and summer to see if it works. I also need more dog hair..time to visit the groomers and talk them out of some. LOL I have several "test" flower beds that have mole havens in the past. We will see. Of course traps were talked about too but these sound beyond me to figure out. We don't have gophers but I'd sure like to see someone who does try the gum and the dog hair and see if it works on them also? LQ
I know there's a lot of guys using the gum theory in areas near me that are saturated with gophers and they seem to figure it works but I can't say. Our ag office recomends it as a less offensive method than poison. I've found that the little demons seem to settle in areas where the grass is quite short, overgrazing or drought usually bring them on in greater numbers. There's always a certain population but it seems that short grass areas brings on an increase in their numbers.
