Any gopher solutions?

son of a gun those things are devils. I haven`t checked my trap, but dog dug a hole to let me know where activity is so I dug it out further and set it with peanutbutter and carrots. hmmm yummy.

We've got one burrowing under the steps to our pond and I'm really trying to get that one so we can shore up the steps again. :-(

I only caught one. I put the black trap in a tall skinny box cut holes at the ends, dig a littleput the box opening in the middle of a run and bait it, close it up to make it dark that way I do not have to dig so much under and it keeps them from kicking dirt into the trap, the box blocks all light and I even put stuff around any possible crack of light on the box and around the holes and I put Peanutbutter on the back of the trap and block the air holes almost completely with carrot. Nothing today, hope tomorrow.

I pine soled near one of the roses I think their after and poisoned it too. growl, hope you get yours?

Our cat finally got one. The only problem is he went to the neighbors yard to get it!!

Is that the before pix or ar they friends, it looks quite amicable marie. Our gopher was beige and white like a guini pig it was not ugly like yours, but mine was not as happy appearing as yours is in the picture. lol you have private mail on yahoo.

Let's just say he served as a playmate for a couple of hours. Butterscotch was extremely proud of his catch. But like I said he brought it to us from the neighbors. It would be much more helpful if he would catch one the 50 or so we have.

I want to see the post picture. not really

When I was a child our dog used to play with grasshoppers that way - chew a little, chase a little, chew again...

Did not take any after pictures. :o)

Knowing is enough for me Marie.

We live on a large rural property and have a big gopher problem. The only thing that works for us is a pest control service that uses poison. The tech is very careful to funnel the poison into the tunnels so that no other animals can get to it and then he seals the entrances with soil. Twice a year maintains a fair degree of control. I've also read that encouraging barn owls to nest nearby really helps but they have very specific requirements. They prefer dead trees in open meadows or barn lofts. Some websites make and sell nesting boxes but placement is crucial.

This message was edited Jun 15, 2007 11:36 PM

alladrm, would you please dmail me the name of the service? I might give them a call. I've been doing the same (I have a scoop with a long handle), which seems to help.

We've also considered the owl nest box.

Thanks,
Kathleen

I use Harp Pest Control. Their phone # is 760-294-2730. He was out here today BTW. The guy (Jeff) knows his stuff and is very thorough, fair, and reliable.

Regarding the barn owl idea - I had a friend with owls nesting in a tree on their property. They didn't have gophers but they didn't get much sleep at night either with all the hooting going on.

Regards, Lynn

Thanks for that, Lynn.

Your point about the hooting is a good one. The tree we would use is at the opposite end of the lot from the house - but we do have neighbors on that side! We sometimes hear owls, though, and don't find them a bother at all. Same with mockingbirds. I know some people who absolutely hate having them around.

Kathleen

I've never felt good about poison even if you bury it properly in their tunnels, I always figured what's to stop the gopher from eating the poison, then popping up above ground and dying there where my dog or my neighbor's cats might find it. I don't know that much about gopher behavior though, maybe this isn't something that's likely to happen. I'd sure love to have someone come poison mine for me, but I was worried about the poisoned gophers winding up above ground and accessible. I'm more worried about the neighbor's cats than my dog, he's not usually outside except when I'm around but the cats are out and about the neighborhood all the time and do spend time in my yard hunting the gophers (they obviously aren't doing a good job catching them though!)

Ecrane, don't worry about the cats. Cats don't eat poisoned gophers. They're very fastidious. My cats usually eat the gophers they catch, but now and then they kill one and leave it for me to perform the disposal services. I assume those are the poisoned ones.

I would think the most danger would be to possum, since they go after dead animals, which bothers me. :-(

My neighbor has a lot of cats and hers get her gophers but my dogs kill her cats so i know i can not have a cat. I`m hosed on that front. Owls hmmm. Theyd probably eat the neighbors cats but I do not really have a dead tree and there is a big desert lot accross from me with no trees. The poison If it is gas, I was told kills them with a cyanide type gas that kills them and then that is it, they are not poisoned from ingestion. They also have these mixtures of propane and o2 that explode the tunnels underground and cave the tunnels in on them and it kills them and rids you of even old tunnels.

Kaperc, that's exactly why I dispose of the uneaten dead gophers quickly. I love possums.

we don`t have them here just ugly cotes and rabbits and gophers. We do have about 30 quails that visit every few days, I love their sound.

We haven't had quail for a couple of years. I've seriously considered buying some!

I love them. We had a neighbor who said our whole area used to be thousands of quail.. They seem to grub on some bugs here. I see alot of beetles in the ground, maybe them.

Scatter some millet out there, they'll come. I have more every year. They're even brave enough to be out in the yard when I'm there (if Lionel cat isn't visible that is). This is a couple of days ago. There's always one who stays in a high spot to watch for trouble for the gang. I'm now attuned to which sound they make for "hey, there's food over here guys!" and "yum, this is great isn't it mom?" and "OUT, everyone out, cat alert!" Here's the sentry for the evening......

I wouldn't know where to start, stellapathic. What spots do they seem to favor?

My back yard is fairly open in the center with just a few small trees. The the yard is rimmed with big Monterey Cyprus and Monterey Pines. I think they feel protected in a small but open space where there's a high spot for the sentry to sit. Just try sprinkling some millet from the outside of your property in and see how long it takes. They'll come.

We have a similar configuration, and we can supply the a high spot. I just looked at our native plant nursery site and it seems they like lupine seeds, too, and we just planted some. I will get more. Thanks for that tip, I'll start with the millet this weekend - it's a staple in our house because we have parrots.

I sure hope we can keep them around. I know they are threatened here because a lot of the wildlife corridors are being interrupted and the habitat, of course.

I just read in a Tehachapi cal paper that there is a huge world wide rampant disease or fungus that is killing all the honey bees, like 50% of them are leaving their nests and dieing, what is left is diseased homes. This could lead to a huge pollination problem world wide.

GOPHER STEW

6 lbs. gopher meat
1/4 lb. salt pork, cubed
3 Spanish onions, diced
5 stalks celery, diced
1 bell pepper, diced
3 (16 oz.) cans sliced tomatoes
10 c. water
2 datil peppers, whole
Salt and pepper to taste
3 potatoes, cubes
5 tbsp. brown flour
1/2 c. water

Clean gopher meat well and drain. Fry down salt pork in a large cast iron pot. Add meat and brown. Remove meat, drain on paper towels. Add onions, celery and bell pepper to salt pork grease and saute until tender. Add tomatoes and a little water if needed and cook down to a pulp on low heat for about 2 hours. Add gopher meat, 10 cups water and datil peppers and salt and pepper to taste. Cook about 1 1/2 hours or until meat is tender. Add potatoes the last 30 minutes of cooking. Mix brown flour with water in a glass jar and shake vigorously. Bring stew to a boil and thicken with flour mixture. Serve over UNCLE BEN'S® rice.

BROWN FLOUR:

1 cup flour

Place flour in a cast iron skillet on low heat and stir continuously until brown, being careful not to burn it.

Ah! A new holiday feast!

Be the first one on your block!

Actually tomorrow I am attacking with a section of stove pipe, into which I shall drop a flare and top the whole thing with a small fan to give them at least a good coughing spell. Wish me luck.

Good luck! Let us know how that works!

I spotted some activity in my yard late last week so I have a call in to my favorite landscape exterminator, but they haven't called me back yet...I hope they're not closed for the rest of the year or else I might have to resort to something similar!

Haven't seen any here YET, but glanced across at my neighbor's 'meadow' yesterday and there are mounds all over the place.

Just catch him and make him stew and put it in the gopher hole to let out a warning of Christmas future.

Hi all-not sure if this was mentioned (long thread-lol) but I had a problem with a chipmunk family and I took care of it by dropping several drops of pure Peppermint oil in every hole of theirs I could find.
I don't know how long it took as I didn't pay attention, I just know I never saw them again after that. I put the drops in at the end of May, and they never came back. The holes were filled in and not a sign of them ever since. Give it a try-it is a nice easy fix :o)
Robbi

Anybody know where I can get a gallon of peppermint oil? lol

LOL-any health food store or co-op will have it....I always keep it on hand as it is great for the winter colds (clears up a stuffy head in a snap) and also mice hate the smell :o)

I'll give it a try, but I'm not going to hold my breath. I've tried every other thing out there that's supposed to deter the gophers and nothing has seemed to even discourage them the tiniest bit so personally I'd be very surprised if the peppermint oil worked. But if it does that would be great! Much cheaper than having the exterminator out here every month or so.

I think they have a built-in individualism meant just to frustrate us. One thing works with one, not with another. Might work this year (day, week, or month) but not next. grrrrr

My gophers must be particularly stubborn...the only thing that's worked at all for me was having the exterminator come out. All the other 500 things I tried first had no effect whatsoever!