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stupid gophers
I feel weird saying that, since I work for the Gophers (as in UofM sports), but in this case, I mean actual rodents. Who are destroying my yard.
How do you get rid of gophers? Any advice?
I tried the humane method of trying to drive them away with a repellent. I tried two different kinds of repellent and neither seemed to make a difference at all.
From the research I've done online, it seems that the only way to really get rid of them is to kill them. I feel bad about doing that, but I'll also feel bad if they ruin my lawn and all my trees and plants and shrubs.
I really don't want to kill them with poison, that just seems way to risky with a dog. I certainly don't want to kill my dog in the process of getting rid of gophers.
Has anyone used traps to get rid of gophers? How easy are they to use? Do they work well?
I read on a few websites that people hook up a tube to the exhaust pipe on their car and put exhaust fumes into the tunnels which kills the gophers. Something about that just doesn't seem like a safe idea.
Any other methods of gopher removal you can suggest?
Mr. Sammy Dog
Re: stupid gophers
My grandpa is having a similar problem at his place near Detroit Lakes - except instead of gophers, he has skunks that are tearing up his lawn. He can't even go outside when they are doing it because he's afraid of being sprayed.
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We have cute little chipmunks here. I told my neighbor (since it's his garden they are chewing, not mine) to grab a 5 gallon bucket and some chicken wire. Wrap the chicken wire around the bucket at an angle so the rodents can climb up, but not out, and put some peanut butter with bird seed, etc in the bottom of the bucket.
I have not idea if this works, since he hasn't tried it, but it sounds more humane than actually killing them. I'd trap them and take them down to the river or something where they will become food for something else.
This is going to sound horrible and cruel (and realllllllllllllly hick-ish) but my dad used to ride his John-Deer around our yard (BIG yard) with a BB gun and . . . . well, he was a good shot!
It was quite the sight - my dad, shirtless and in short cut-off jeans (his summer "uniform"), riding a lawn-mower, every now and then raising the BB gun, firing a shot, then hootin' and cheering when he knocked a gopher down! But it not only got rid of the gophers, it gave my dad a great sense of satisfaction in the process!
Of course, that only lasted a few summers before my sister and I protested (more out of sheer embarassment!) and we convinced him to use some of the live traps that my sister had left over from her graduate research. More humane, "easier" and less of a spectical for your neighbors!
Of course, then the issue with live traps is what to do with the animal afterwards . . . . and is it really more human to catch an animal and then deposit it somewhere completely unfamiliar?
Whatever method you use, good luck!
oh, and I had to laugh at the post tie-in to your job. Hilarious! I don't recommend taking out any gophers at your job with a BB gun . . . as tempting as it may be sometimes!
I have nothing constructive to add, suggestion-wise. I just feel your pain. I live in northern Anoka County where the soil is sandy and the gophers are EVERYWHERE. (Along with the moles.) My husband uses poison but it hasn't been enough - we live on 5 acres and it's kind of a lost cause. I don't know that I'd worry about the poison and your dog unless your dog really likes to dig - I think my husband uses a pelletized form that he drops down into the gopher tunnels - a pet would really have to dig deep to get at it.
Our gopher situation was so bad last summer, my husband fantasized about buying this: http://www.rodenator.com/. Inhumane? Yes. But they're like the rats of the prairie.