What is a good Ant and Gopher Poision?

[DS]

I have a lot of gopher trails killing the grass and a lot of ants working their way inside the house. I have been using the terro on the ants. It attracts them, they take it (and eat it?), but when to they finally give up the ghost?

I tried some gopher pellets on the gophers. Carefully cutting open a tunnel and scooping the pellets inside. They seem to be eating them by the crumb trails and missing pellets, but when does it take affect?

I'm starting to feel like I'm just feeding the enemies. Is there any proven by use products to terminate both of these things without contaminating the ground water tables or what?

Dave

[mark Ransley]

Are you leaving the hole open so other animals will eat the poison, Poison takes time. Are they Carpenter ants.

[DS]

Hi Mark,

I re-cover the hole after inserting the poison for the gophers. The tunnel looks "refreshed" a few days later and the only thing left are crumbs when I pull the slit open that I made. Carpenter ants, how can one tell? They sure do go for scraps on the kitchen floor. I couldn't tell you what a carpenter ant looks like unless they come wearing big overalls, hard hats, and safety glasses. I have a feeling it's not that easy though. How can one tell if they are carpenter ants?

Dave

[mark Ransley]

Carpenter ants are big and black 1/4 to 1/2 inch. Otherwise the poisons you are using should work. It can take weeks .

[DS]

Oh God you had me scared for a while. These are little brown ones like I see outside, maybe an 1/8 inch long or so. I have been giving them the terro treatment for a couple of weeks. I thought they were gone, then they came back. I had a fear that they may have built up a tolerance to the poison. I guess I will keep it up and see what happens. It's just funny that I have never seen ants this active when the weather starts to get cold like here in Minnesota. Maybe it's a winter vacation haven for them?

Dave

[indago]

For the ants, you could get some Raid Ant & Roach spray and find out where the ants come into the house and just spray a little where they walk. They won't go there anymore. If they find another place, spray a little bit there too.

About the gophers, get one of those lawn things that spin in the wind -- maybe one of those ducks with the spinning wings, or the windmill. These are mounted on a pole and stick into the ground. The spinning of the wings, or the wheel, radiates sound down into the ground and the gophers don't like this and stay away. My Dad made these things for the neighbors when he retired. I recall asking him who would want such a thing in their yard, and he told me about the gopher deterrence.

[Jim Thompson]

For the gophers, chew up a wad of bubble gum and drop into their mound holes. Plugs their guts and they die.

...Jim Thompson

[DS]

GUM! Why didn't I think of that. I'll give it a try. Do they like any particular flavor?

Dave

[DS]

Now that you mention it, we used to have some spinning wheels on sticks in the garden. More or less for decoration I thought, from my mother. Ever since they got old and I took them down, I have noticed the gopher problem. I suppose a subterranean animal that depends on sound rather than sight in the world really hates it when something interferes with that.

Dave

[Jim Thompson]

[snip]

It was the stuff that comes in cubes, rather than stick form.

...Jim Thompson