I live in southeastern Michigan. I have a mole (or maybe gopher?) that is making burrow runs across my lawn. I want him gone, or dead, don't care which. What is the preferred method? Do those electronic/ultrasonic poles that you stick in the ground work? THANKS.
I have a virtual war going on with moles due to freeway (going on for years) construction driving them under the sound wall and into my and every one else's backyard. I have tried little pinwheels spinning in the wind, gum, mole scoot repellant, gopher gas, and poison bate. The best results are from the poison bate. I based this on trying one method or the other for period of time and noting hole and tunneling inactivity. The pin wheels help, but they don't seem to work in large range unless you want to cover your yard in them. The gum takes a lot of time to do anything; I'm guessing it takes time to build up inside them. Gas looks neat and it's fun to use, but I really can't tell if it does anything. Now I want to get the poison bate by the case since it is starting to add up on me over time. Anyone know how I could make my own poison bate? It may be harsh, but I have a lot of them, a lot of them. I would hate to count all the holes. One lady at a hardware store tried to sell me live traps. With the amount of holes and tunnels I have in the yard, this would be like taking on a hobby, no a second job would be more precise. If there are any PETA volunteers out there, just let me know and I will send you my location. I have so many of them they occasionally make their way into the walk-out basement window well and chew up the screen trying to get out. I keep that area covered with mouse traps covered in peanut butter.
Dave
"PHIL" wrote in message news:20040919233125.652$ snipped-for-privacy@newsreader.com...
Sounds like a mole. Never used ultrasonic, but heard they are waste of time and batteries. Never tried bait but it sounds promising. It is fairly costly and rarely stocked locally but you can find it on internet or certain feed stores. Here in CA, I've tried mechanical traps, both stabbers and garroters, to no avail. Smoke bombs are great entertainment but have never *knowingly* got one that way. Once got one by forcing one to surface with water, got another by severing one with shovel, as he was making new mole mounds. If you sneak around during evening and early AM, you can sometimes see the mole hills progress along the soil. Bash him! Castor oil such as mole-med tends to drive them from their current hole area, and scatter them a bit, but found it totally ineffective when diluted as instructed. Just use baster to drop pure oil into burrow, after punching a few finger holes along its length. I also stomp on new mounds, so that I can tell next AM where he is active. Regular stamping does have some effect, as it collapses their feeding runs, causing them to expend a lot more energy to re-establish their holes so they can find more worms/grubs that fall into it. Can you tell I'm retired? This is serious work, but provides form and structure to my gardening life! Bottom Line - use multiple approaches: reduce target food (grubs/worms), smash their tunnels, drip in some castor oil, and they will eventually find a less frustrating yard if you are extremely lucky.
How about C-4? Check out the movie "Caddyshack" for further ideas. ;-)
(Sorry, couldn't resist.)
Pete
Use a Victor mouse trap baited with bacon or other piece of meat. Use a twist tie to secure the bait to the trigger. It may be better to set at least 3 or 4 traps.
No, the electronic/ultrasonic things don't work. Mole traps are a partial solution.
But if you really want to get rid of them... get a terrier.
Ferret?
Friend of mine got rich making those (for interior use). He sold 700,000 of them for $25 each with a money back guarantee, had to refund only 700 despite the fact that they don't work. Barnum was right...
-- dadiOH _____________________________
dadiOH's dandies v3.0... ...a help file of info about MP3s, recording from LP/cassette and tips & tricks on this and that. Get it at
For $25 the majority won't bother with the hassle of claiming a refund particularly if they are uncertain if the failure was their doing. I think you have identified a good money making scheme there.
The only reliable way I was ever able to get rid of moles was to kill of the food supply that was drawing them to my yard. Treating for grubs in June/July, other insectoid pests with surface treatments made the difference.
- Wm
NO! Leave us alone, let us live.
I.Mole
gopher?) that
don't
electronic/ultrasonic
As with many other problems, the solution may be a cat.
Cats are hell on them. My tomcat Max caught so many it was creating a health hazard by my back door.
Mike
The cat idea doesn't sound half bad to me. Do you just let the cat roam free? Can one put a cat on a leash and have it perform the job? I don't have a fence around the yard and I would worry about the cat roaming free.
Dave
Gohper Gassers will take care of them.
My inground pool kills more critters than does my cat.
LMAO........ cats don't walk on leashes or atleast hunt. They always return if they wander off.
I have never had a cat, just a dog and they like to wonder into trouble since there is a leash law here where I live. Let you dog wonder and it's almost a given you will be buying him back the next day. I wonder if leash laws apply to cats? Here you don't see either cat or dog walking around unattended. I'm guessing I would need quite the fence to make a cat work out for me in this situation.
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