gophers, are they bad

[mastacheeser]

Finally have a place where a big outdoor cycle is going to be an option. I figure its going to be 6 months before I put anything outside, but might as well start tackling problems now

There's gopher holes fucking everywhere. I really dont wanna go groundhogs day on these fools.

Are they going to mess with my plants? I'm not planting directly into the ground.

I really dont wanna kill the things and would like to explore other options first, as I have ample time.

What should I do?

 

[GR33NL3AF]

Gophers are ruthless!

My buddy had 8 plants in his backyard and 2 cats on around the clock duty (they killed atleast a dozen), the gophers chewed down 3 at which time he started sitting outside with a pellet gun...They still damaged 1 bad enough to kill his final weight. Make sure you use a container (pot, beds, etc) and use heavy chicken wire to keep them out!

 

[Seamaiden]

Hardware cloth is your friend here. This year I lost EVERY heirloom winter squash I had planted to fucking gophers, and I no longer have a good gopher dog. So, a good gopher dog would also be your friend here.

You want the quarter inch hardware cloth, otherwise, they'll get in.

 

[Texas Kid]

We had pocket gophers last year and they killed a couple giant beauties in the field...they ate the outter skin off the maristem and then the whole plant died...I was goin to line the holes with chicken wire this year but we didn't have them at all..

 

[Camdawg]

Make gopher baskets using chicken wire put them into your holes leave about a foot above the ground line to detour small rodents as well

 

[cannabeans]

Gophers suck.....

 

[mastacheeser]

Dam so they're sounding like little fuckers

I filled a bunch of their holes last night and by mourning a bunch of them were re opened. So that seems fairly ineffective

Off to grab some chicken wire

 

[cannabeans]

I personally used "smaller" than chicken wire, Just to be safe

 

[Camdawg]

Here's a fun little trick my friends grandpa used in his apple orchards he made propane wand that had an ignition on the end. He would pump a little propane propane into the hole and ignite the ground would lift slightly with a satisfying boom.

 

[Mississip Hip]

Run a hose from your truck exhaust into the hole.... and let her run for a 1/2 hour or so...If its a diesel let it run as long as you want.

Agree on hardware cloth if you can afford it.....if not , chicken wire fur shure.

Agree on having it stick out of the ground some.

I have a gamey gamey lil pitbull bitch that kills anything that moves...Get a mean dog. I am a huge believer in mean dogs at the grow...just as long as they aren't mean to ME....lol...Awesome 1st line of defense. (for those gophers that loook like rippers..lol) She keeps all the critters at bay.

 

[Seamaiden]

My husband works with a guy who did one of those 'blow 'em out' kinda deals, except he went overboard. From what we understand, he pretty much blew up about 5 of his 10 acres. WHOOSH! All up in the air! Had to be hilarious, I wish I could have seen what shade red that Frank the Red turned when he did that. I love watching this guy just to see what shade of red he turns.

I personally used "smaller" than chicken wire, Just to be safe

That was why I specified quarter inch hardware cloth. Otherwise, they WILL get through. If their head can fit through, the rest of the body goes along with it.

Mah old dawg. She was such a good dawg. She was the sweetest thing you'd ever meet, the BEST dawg I ever had. She even babysat the babies, and probably would have changed their diapers if she had thumbs. I loved that every kill she made was a CLEAN kill, never a single drop of blood.Ever.

 

[cannabeans]

That was why I specified quarter inch hardware cloth. Otherwise, they WILL get through. If their head can fit through, the rest of the body goes along with it.

I was thrown off by the term "cloth"....

 

[Seamaiden]

Ah.. I don't know what else to call it. When I saw that's what it's called, that kinda threw me, too.

 

[swamp hopper]

Buy a bunch of "tooty fruity" gum. Unwrap the sticks put em around the holes and such. Little bastards will eat the gum and it blocks there digestive system. No more gophers.

 

[CelticEBE]

I had gopher problems a few years back on an outdoor run. They love to chew on the roots. We let a dog roam the garden after the first attack, and we started to pee in the holes. That seemed to do it. Those gopher stakes are pretty useless in my experience. If all else fails....go Bill Murray on there gopher asses.

 

[fishwhistle]

Buy a bunch of "tooty fruity" gum. Unwrap the sticks put em around the holes and such. Little bastards will eat the gum and it blocks there digestive system. No more gophers.

LMAO,kinda like feeding seagulls pop rocks wrapped in bread,kaboom!

 

[urbanfog]

LMAO,kinda like feeding seagulls pop rocks wrapped in bread,kaboom!

or alka selzer ;;;;