I may attempt to murder a gopher ... I just might stoop to that level (so help me God)

[Danny D'Amico]

Up until now I've been trying to pee down his hole with chemicals, such as hydrochloric acid, pool bleach, industrial ammonia, etc.
http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3687/10951556915_571d8bc73c_o.gif

But, this guy (or family?) is already turning my freshly wood-chipped "lawn" into dirt piles!
http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2827/10951729174_81f10033dd_o.gif

Looks like I'm going to have to get tougher than just using annoying chemicals!

[Doug Miller]

Danny D'Amico <da...@is.invalid> wrote in news:pan.2013.11...@is.invalid:

> Up until now I've been trying to pee down his hole with chemicals, such as hydrochloric acid,
pool bleach, industrial ammonia, etc.
> http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3687/10951556915_571d8bc73c_o.gif

That's *not* a gopher hole; it's waaaaaaay too small. You have chipmunks.

Get a rat trap, and bait it with raisins. If you have pets or small children, make sure they can't
reach it: a rat trap will crush a dog's or cat's paw, or a child's hand.

[bob haller]

use a live trap and relocate whatever is bothering you.

but seriously how bad are some chipmunk holes?

[Stormin Mormon]

trap and drown.

--
.
Christopher A. Young
Learn about Jesus
www.lds.org
.

[Dan Espen]

bob haller <hal...@aol.com> writes:

> use a live trap and relocate whatever is bothering you.
>
> but seriously how bad are some chipmunk holes?

Looked like a chipmunk to me too, but maybe more pictures
or observation would help.

I've got quite a few chipmunks, and sometimes they are a problem.
I had one get under the area my garden hose hangs and
the ground collapsed.

Then I had a city right by the front door that the postman
kept sinking into.

I mostly block the entrances so they go somewhere else.

My guests really like watching them scamper around at
barbecues. So, I say live with them but deal with digging
where you don't want it.

--
Dan Espen

[Danny D'Amico]

On Sat, 30 Nov 2013 01:47:30 +0000, Doug Miller wrote:

> Get a rat trap, and bait it with raisins.

Actually, I've seen the guy, and he's not a chipmunk, but,
I realize you can only tell from his holes in the picture.

Here is a picture of the cute guy in the summer:
http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3759/11125616655_51c5dd5b36_o.jpg

And, here's a picture of the devastation on my "lawn" he wrought:
http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3672/11125680394_312506924d_o.jpg

I don't like to kill - I just want him to go away - so I already
tried all the obnoxious chemicals I could find around my pool:
http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3668/11125640846_9fe016e77b_o.jpg

Since then, I covered my "lawn" with wood chips. But, the darn
gopher is overturning them with a half-dozen holes daily.
http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7348/10951730854_1f773a032d_o.gif

So, it's time to get tough. I already know the main methods, but,
I was hoping one of the "obnoxious" methods I was attempting would
just make him go away.

I know I can kill him with:
a) Exhaust from my vehicle
b) Special two-way traps for gophers
c) Poisons such as strychnine (which I've never seen in California)

I guess I can try these obnoxious methods:
d) Filling his holes up with the garden hose
e) Smoking 'em out with something called 'gopher flares'
f) Buying a few "gopher snakes" and letting them roam the lawn
g) Making repellent cotton balls out of Tabasco sause
h) I've heard filling the open gopher holes with dog poo works.

[Doug Miller]

Danny D'Amico <da...@is.invalid> wrote in news:pan.2013.11...@is.invalid:

> On Sat, 30 Nov 2013 01:47:30 +0000, Doug Miller wrote:
>
>> Get a rat trap, and bait it with raisins.
>
> Actually, I've seen the guy, and he's not a chipmunk, but,
> I realize you can only tell from his holes in the picture.
>
> Here is a picture of the cute guy in the summer:
> http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3759/11125616655_51c5dd5b36_o.jpg

Even worse: you have chipmunks *and* a gopher.

>
> And, here's a picture of the devastation on my "lawn" he wrought:
> http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3672/11125680394_312506924d_o.jpg

Yep, looks like a gopher hole.
>
> [...]

> Since then, I covered my "lawn" with wood chips. But, the darn
> gopher is overturning them with a half-dozen holes daily.
> http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7348/10951730854_1f773a032d_o.gif

And *that* is a chipmunk hole.

Rat traps for the chipmunks, and a rat terrier for the gopher.

[Danny D'Amico]

On Sat, 30 Nov 2013 04:30:58 +0000, Doug Miller wrote:

> a rat terrier for the gopher.

I'm done with creating noxious gases out of pool chemicals.
I'll try some dog poop in each hole tomorrow.
Then, I'll move on to flooding them out.
If that doesn't work, a road flare or two may smoke 'em out.
And, if that still doesn't work, I might move on to the exhaust
gas method; but that actually kills 'em, so, I prefer not to move
forward to traps which do kill 'em fer' sure.

[Todd]

Hi Danny,

Dig out about a foot of their hole. Cram cat s-- down
the hole. Dried cat pee from the litter box works too.
Cover the hole back up. Felines are their mortal enemies.

-T


--
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
the riddle wrapped in an enigma wrapped
in a couple slices of baloney
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

[Todd]

On 11/29/2013 09:18 PM, Todd wrote:
> On 11/29/2013 09:10 PM, Danny D'Amico wrote:
>> On Sat, 30 Nov 2013 04:30:58 +0000, Doug Miller wrote:
>>
>>> a rat terrier for the gopher.
>>
>> I'm done with creating noxious gases out of pool chemicals.
>> I'll try some dog poop in each hole tomorrow.
>> Then, I'll move on to flooding them out.
>> If that doesn't work, a road flare or two may smoke 'em out.
>> And, if that still doesn't work, I might move on to the exhaust
>> gas method; but that actually kills 'em, so, I prefer not to move
>> forward to traps which do kill 'em fer' sure.
>>
>
> Hi Danny,
>
> Dig out about a foot of their hole. Cram cat s-- down
> the hole. Dried cat pee from the litter box works too.
> Cover the hole back up. Felines are their mortal enemies.
>
> -T

What? Real men don't have cats? Try this: "Excuse me kind
neighbor. Might I impose upon you for a steaming hot cup
of cat s---?" Should do the trick. :-D

-T

I am going to the bad hell for jokes like that. I just
know I am going to wind up playing golf for eternity
with Stormin' :'(

[Danny D'Amico]

On Sat, 30 Nov 2013 00:19:50 -0500, gfretwell wrote:

> BTW the chemical trick is bleach and ammonia but run like hell. It is
> real WMD. (chlorine gas) along with a bunch of other nasties

I tried that already!
http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3668/11125640846_9fe016e77b_o.jpg

Didn't work.

[Danny D'Amico]

On Fri, 29 Nov 2013 21:18:07 -0800, Todd wrote:

> Dig out about a foot of their hole. Cram cat s-- down
> the hole. Dried cat pee from the litter box works too.
> Cover the hole back up. Felines are their mortal enemies.

Don't have cats; but, I was wondering a mechanical thing.

If I exhaust gas them out, how do you connect the exhaust pipe to
a 2" pool vacuum hose without melting the hose?

Any suggestions for a cheap and already available fitting?

[Todd]

On 11/29/2013 09:37 PM, Danny D'Amico wrote:
> Don't have cats;

Borrow some poo from the neighbor's litter box.

[micky]

On Fri, 29 Nov 2013 22:12:17 -0800, Todd <To...@invalid.invalid> wrote:

>On 11/29/2013 09:37 PM, Danny D'Amico wrote:
>> Don't have cats;
>
>Borrow some poo from the neighbor's litter box.

Does that mean he has to return it later?

This is how kids get in trouble.

They start of saying to a classmate, "Can I borrow a sheet of paper",
when they have no intention of returning it, and the lender has no
expectation of getting it back.

Later they borrow a car from car dealer's parking lot.

Then they borrow 50,000 from the armored car guard.

And they figure they're borrowing, not stealing so it's all right.

Danny, be up front and set a good example for your kids. Tell the
people with the cat you want the poo for keeps. No backsies.

This way they won't grow up to be armored car robbers.

[Todd]

Hi Micky,

Still chuckling at the idea that the neighbor would want his,
sorry her, cat s--- back.

"Excuse me good neighbor, but I have finished with your cat
s--- and would like to return it. I have microwaved it to
resume it to its original steaming state. What??? Why are
all my their gophers suddenly in your yard? No idea what
so ever. None I say. Hog tie me and call me ... Here is
your cat poo back. Bye."

-T

Golf with Stormin' in eternity can't be all that bad, can it?

The gophers in the next yard thing actually happened to my
sister's neighbors after a good helping of cat s--- down
their holes. She is single and did not have to borrow
any.

[Norminn]

Last spring was our first in our new home, and it didn't take long to
see that there were lots and lots of critters residing with us.
Chipmunks galore, thanks to the former owner and me leaving some indian
corn in the garden over winter. Dumb. With garden planting soon upon
us, I went out to get some really good chipmunk (rat) traps. They
couldn't be bothered with the peanut butter on the traps. Next idea,
limited use of poison. Apparently not appetizing. I was soon busy with
planting garden, putting in new flower beds, feeding grandkids, cleaning
koi pond, etc., so ignored the chippers for a while. Now I had moles
digging up the whole west side of the yard! Darn! $20 for a mole trap,
which is an extremely evil looking device....put in the mole trap, put
my plants back into the ground where there were tunnels, and wait.
Seems the moles were interested only in my newly turned soil in flower
beds; not ambitious enough to get into the lawn. They made exploratory
tunnels and then apparently departed. My tender new plants were doing
just fine in the garden, so I stopped worrying about the chipmunks for a
while. They used the bottom of our wood fence as a highway, and liked
to stop at the pond for refreshments. They didn't like where I planted
some seeds and bulbs, so they moved a few. They planted sorghum next to
the back door. Then a neighborhood cat started showing up in our yard
and patrolling along the garden fence. The rabbits disappeared and the
chippers apparently moved out. Very few of them around after mid
summer. There is one chipmunk that lives in the pile of rocks that
forms a waterfall for the pond, and he isn't shy at all. Runs right by
me when out and about, and likes the dead tomatoes that fall of plants.
Son's schnauzer likes tomatoes, too.

Why on earth cover the yard with wood chips? Plant ground cover and
then forget about weeds and chipmunks. Deer LOVE hosta....

[dadiOH]

"Danny D'Amico" <da...@is.invalid> wrote in message
news:pan.2013.11...@is.invalid

> I guess I can try these obnoxious methods:
> d) Filling his holes up with the garden hose

I tried that once. Shoved the hose in as far as possible (6-8 feet) and let
it run. Our soil is sand and all the water did was soak in, burrow never
flooded. Went to pull out the hose, no way...the burrow had collapsed
around it and I had to dig it out. YMMV

I've learned to live with gophers. They move around quite a bit so wait and
he will go next door.

--

dadiOH
____________________________

Winters getting colder? Tired of the rat race?
Taxes out of hand? Maybe just ready for a change?
Check it out... http://www.floridaloghouse.net

[The Daring Dufas]

There is a way. ^_^

http://www.rodenator.com/

TDD

[Danny D'Amico]

On Sat, 30 Nov 2013 06:45:35 -0500, Norminn wrote:

> Why on earth cover the yard with wood chips? Plant ground cover and
> then forget about weeds and chipmunks. Deer LOVE hosta....

California. Doesn't rain for 8 months of the year. Why put water on
a lawn if nature didn't intend grass to grow there?

Wood chips, I was assuming, didn't need maintenance.
Plus, I have a huge amount.
http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7322/10488576624_2dac2ec144_o.gif

[Stormin Mormon]

I had some success with lit road flare "highway
fusee" stuffed into the hole, and then back fill
with rocks and dirt.

Firearm and hollow points has such a much more
satisfying feel to it.

[Norminn]

On 11/30/2013 7:30 AM, Danny D'Amico wrote:
> On Sat, 30 Nov 2013 06:45:35 -0500, Norminn wrote:
>
>> Why on earth cover the yard with wood chips? Plant ground cover and
>> then forget about weeds and chipmunks. Deer LOVE hosta....
>
> California. Doesn't rain for 8 months of the year. Why put water on
> a lawn if nature didn't intend grass to grow there?

Who said anything about water? ;o)

>
> Wood chips, I was assuming, didn't need maintenance.
> Plus, I have a huge amount.
> http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7322/10488576624_2dac2ec144_o.gif
>

Ooooohh............then lets plan for termites, then carpenter ants.
Solution: ant eater.

How large an area are you covering?

[Stormin Mormon]

At a hardware store, I did see a gadget, that allows
you to park a vehicle near the hole, and run exhaust
into the gopher hole. I figure it would either bug out
the other hole, or die in place and stink.

I tried one time to flood it out with the garden hose,
but 15 minutes or so, and no results I could tell.

Wonder if the actor Bill Murray makes house calls?
Hello, Mr. Groundhog, this is Mr. Squirrel, your
friend....

[Stormin Mormon]

1) Trap and move is ineffective. My Dad did that
with squirrels in the bird feeder. He concluded
it was like trying to make a hole in the ocean
by dipping on one side of the boat, and pour onto
the other.
2) Shooting the squirrel in your bird feeder is
ineffective. My Dad's friend Vic (world war two
vet) shot the squirrel in his feeder. Another one
arrived the next day. he gave up after having shot
300 squirrels.
3) Chipmunks are cute, but I've known them to do
incredible damage. Try feeding them fruit dipped in
auto antifreeze, see if that helps.

The RKBA ain't about duck hunting, or deer hunting.
It's about politicians and rodents, who are often
indistinguishable.

[Stormin Mormon]

On 11/30/2013 12:18 AM, Todd wrote:
> Hi Danny,
>
> Dig out about a foot of their hole. Cram cat s-- down
> the hole. Dried cat pee from the litter box works too.
> Cover the hole back up. Felines are their mortal enemies.
>
> -T

I know if I lived in a neighborhood where people
crammed catshit in my home and left, I'd be sure
to move.

[Stormin Mormon]

On 11/29/2013 10:55 PM, Danny D'Amico wrote:
> On Sat, 30 Nov 2013 01:47:30 +0000, Doug Miller wrote:
>
> Here is a picture of the cute guy in the summer:
> http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3759/11125616655_51c5dd5b36_o.jpg
>
> And, here's a picture of the devastation on my "lawn" he wrought:
> http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3672/11125680394_312506924d_o.jpg
>
> I don't like to kill - I just want him to go away - so I already
> tried all the obnoxious chemicals I could find around my pool:

My trailer park has a trap they put out, and they
do catch and move and release. Wasted effort.
On the roads near me, I see woodchuck / groundhog
all the time near the roads. Scampering about.
This part of the world has plenty of them. I could
trap and kill five a day, and hardly affect the
population.

You may be unable to do much about things.

[Stormin Mormon]

On 11/30/2013 12:25 AM, Todd wrote:
>> Dig out about a foot of their hole. Cram cat s-- down
>> the hole. Dried cat pee from the litter box works too.
>> Cover the hole back up. Felines are their mortal enemies.
>>
>> -T
>
> What? Real men don't have cats? Try this: "Excuse me kind
> neighbor. Might I impose upon you for a steaming hot cup
> of cat s---?" Should do the trick. :-D
>
> -T
>
> I am going to the bad hell for jokes like that. I just
> know I am going to wind up playing golf for eternity
> with Stormin' :'(

I've already used the word catshit on Usenet,
so we'll have each other for company. Well, at
least I didn't use the A word, the B word, the
C word.... oh, wait, catshit. I'm doomed.

[Danny D'Amico]

On Sat, 30 Nov 2013 05:35:27 +0000, Danny D'Amico wrote:

>> BTW the chemical trick is bleach and ammonia but run like hell. It is
>> real WMD. (chlorine gas) along with a bunch of other nasties
>
> I tried that already!
> http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3668/11125640846_9fe016e77b_o.jpg

This article seems to be pretty good about what to do:
http://icwdm.org/handbook/rodents/pocketgophers.asp

It seems to indicate I have a Botta’s (or valley) pocket gopher:
Thomism bottae http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Botta%27s_pocket_gopher

Since you have to know thine enemy before you can make it leave,
I'm researching a bit on this particular species set.

The female produces one litter of about 6 gophers per year and
the babies live on average about 3 years. Their deep lodge system
can easily be 1 to 3 meters below ground, but their tunnels are
shallower, at about 10 to 50 cm deep. They move about above ground
mostly at night but are most active underground in the afternoon.
http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/accounts/Thomomys_bottae/

However, this article says they breed thrice a year:
http://www.nsrl.ttu.edu/tmot1/thombott.htm

Since they feed wholly on plant matter, you'd think they would
go away once I covered the "lawn" with chips...

[Stormin Mormon]

On 11/30/2013 4:17 AM, Todd wrote:
>
> Golf with Stormin' in eternity can't be all that bad, can it?
>
> The gophers in the next yard thing actually happened to my
> sister's neighbors after a good helping of cat s--- down
> their holes. She is single and did not have to borrow
> any.
>
>

Perhaps we can look up bill Murray, and see if he
needs help as a greenskeeper? We can spend eternity
chasing gophers, and waking up for groundhog day,
repeatedly.

Ah, that could make for a fun movie.

[Bill]

On 11/30/2013 08:24 AM, Stormin Mormon wrote:
> I see woodchuck / groundhog
> all the time near the roads. Scampering about.
> This part of the world has plenty of them. I could
> trap and kill five a day,

http://www.wildliferecipes.net/game_recipes/Small_game_recipes/Woodchuck_recipes/index.asp

[Oren]

On Sat, 30 Nov 2013 05:37:39 +0000 (UTC), Danny D'Amico
<dan...@is.invalid> wrote:

> I was wondering a mechanical thing.

"10 PSI on the Propane & 80 PSI on the Oxygen. Only putting Oxygen in
75% of the time"

The guy will send you plans to make a Rodenator...

<http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e4CNsRwtFy8>

...
<http://www.rodenator.com/>

[Stormin Mormon]

> ....
> <http://www.rodenator.com/>
>
If you pump enough oxy propane into the hole,
you could start a heck of an earth quake. The
seismic recorder guys would send you membership
subscriptions. Is that what they did in Vietnam,
with the VC tunnels? Might research that. More
likely gasoline poured into the tunnels. Or
gas grenades. Smoke grenades.

[Stormin Mormon]

On 11/30/2013 9:46 AM, Oren wrote:

> "10 PSI on the Propane & 80 PSI on the Oxygen. Only putting Oxygen in
> 75% of the time"
>
> The guy will send you plans to make a Rodenator...
>
> <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e4CNsRwtFy8>
>

> ....
> <http://www.rodenator.com/>

Wonder if you can find retired tunnel rats?
http://www.warchapter.com/Vietnam_war_Tunnels.html
You could hire forestry planes, and do carpet bombing.

[k...@attt.bizz]

On Sat, 30 Nov 2013 08:16:26 -0500, Stormin Mormon
<cayo...@hotmail.com> wrote:

>On 11/29/2013 10:36 PM, Dan Espen wrote:
>> bob haller <hal...@aol.com> writes:
>>
>>> use a live trap and relocate whatever is bothering you.
>>>
>>> but seriously how bad are some chipmunk holes?
>>
>> Looked like a chipmunk to me too, but maybe more pictures
>> or observation would help.
>>
>> I've got quite a few chipmunks, and sometimes they are a problem.
>> I had one get under the area my garden hose hangs and
>> the ground collapsed.
>>
>> Then I had a city right by the front door that the postman
>> kept sinking into.
>>
>> I mostly block the entrances so they go somewhere else.
>>
>> My guests really like watching them scamper around at
>> barbecues. So, I say live with them but deal with digging
>> where you don't want it.
>>
>
>1) Trap and move is ineffective. My Dad did that
>with squirrels in the bird feeder. He concluded
>it was like trying to make a hole in the ocean
>by dipping on one side of the boat, and pour onto
>the other.

Squirrels are evil.

>2) Shooting the squirrel in your bird feeder is
>ineffective. My Dad's friend Vic (world war two
>vet) shot the squirrel in his feeder. Another one
>arrived the next day. he gave up after having shot
>300 squirrels.

Squirrels are evil. He stopped about 10,000 short.

>3) Chipmunks are cute, but I've known them to do
>incredible damage.

I've never known them to do "incredible" damage. I've never bothered
them. I'd never be allowed to.

>Try feeding them fruit dipped in auto antifreeze, see if that helps.

That is just animal cruelty. Shoot them if you need to. Trap them if
necessary. Poisoning them with antifreeze is horrible. I'm surprised
you came up with that one, Mormon.

>The RKBA ain't about duck hunting, or deer hunting.
>It's about politicians and rodents, who are often
>indistinguishable.

If you'd said, "snakes", I'd agree. Politicians aren't cute.

[k...@attt.bizz]

On Sat, 30 Nov 2013 05:10:28 +0000 (UTC), Danny D'Amico
<da...@is.invalid> wrote:

>On Sat, 30 Nov 2013 04:30:58 +0000, Doug Miller wrote:
>
>> a rat terrier for the gopher.
>
>I'm done with creating noxious gases out of pool chemicals.
>I'll try some dog poop in each hole tomorrow.
>Then, I'll move on to flooding them out.
>If that doesn't work, a road flare or two may smoke 'em out.
>And, if that still doesn't work, I might move on to the exhaust
>gas method; but that actually kills 'em, so, I prefer not to move
>forward to traps which do kill 'em fer' sure.

Before you go down this road, you should watch "Caddy Shack". It's
only funny because it's true.

[k...@attt.bizz]

On Fri, 29 Nov 2013 21:25:49 -0800, Todd <To...@invalid.invalid> wrote:

>On 11/29/2013 09:18 PM, Todd wrote:
>> On 11/29/2013 09:10 PM, Danny D'Amico wrote:
>>> On Sat, 30 Nov 2013 04:30:58 +0000, Doug Miller wrote:
>>>
>>>> a rat terrier for the gopher.
>>>
>>> I'm done with creating noxious gases out of pool chemicals.
>>> I'll try some dog poop in each hole tomorrow.
>>> Then, I'll move on to flooding them out.
>>> If that doesn't work, a road flare or two may smoke 'em out.
>>> And, if that still doesn't work, I might move on to the exhaust
>>> gas method; but that actually kills 'em, so, I prefer not to move
>>> forward to traps which do kill 'em fer' sure.
>>>
>>
>> Hi Danny,
>>
>> Dig out about a foot of their hole. Cram cat s-- down
>> the hole. Dried cat pee from the litter box works too.
>> Cover the hole back up. Felines are their mortal enemies.
>>
>> -T
>
>What? Real men don't have cats? Try this: "Excuse me kind
>neighbor. Might I impose upon you for a steaming hot cup
>of cat s---?" Should do the trick. :-D
>
>-T
>
>I am going to the bad hell for jokes like that. I just
>know I am going to wind up playing golf for eternity
>with Stormin' :'(

Could be worse. It could be a weekend of golf with Obama.

[k...@attt.bizz]

On Sat, 30 Nov 2013 03:18:41 -0500, micky <NONONO...@bigfoot.com>
wrote:

>On Fri, 29 Nov 2013 22:12:17 -0800, Todd <To...@invalid.invalid> wrote:
>
>>On 11/29/2013 09:37 PM, Danny D'Amico wrote:
>>> Don't have cats;
>>
>>Borrow some poo from the neighbor's litter box.
>
>Does that mean he has to return it later?
>
>This is how kids get in trouble.
>
>They start of saying to a classmate, "Can I borrow a sheet of paper",
>when they have no intention of returning it, and the lender has no
>expectation of getting it back.
>
>Later they borrow a car from car dealer's parking lot.
>
>Then they borrow 50,000 from the armored car guard.

The they borrow $17,000,000,000,000.00 from their unborn children. But
that's OK, because they can be killed before they have to pay. Someone
else's children can pay.

>And they figure they're borrowing, not stealing so it's all right.
>
>Danny, be up front and set a good example for your kids. Tell the
>people with the cat you want the poo for keeps. No backsies.
>
>This way they won't grow up to be armored car robbers.

...or Democrats.

[Unquestionably Confused]

On 11/30/2013 9:27 AM, k...@attt.bizz wrote:
> On Fri, 29 Nov 2013 21:25:49 -0800, Todd <

>>

>> I am going to the bad hell for jokes like that. I just
>> know I am going to wind up playing golf for eternity
>> with Stormin' :'(
>
> Could be worse. It could be a weekend of golf with Obama.

Is it true that according to veteran golfers, the term "Bad Lie" has
been replaced by "An Obama"?

[Stormin Mormon]

On 11/30/2013 10:26 AM, k...@attt.bizz wrote:
>
> Before you go down this road, you should watch "Caddy Shack". It's
> only funny because it's true.
>

I remembered there was a Bil Murray movie.
Yep, that's the one. Thanks for reminding
me.

[Stormin Mormon]

Don't tell me he cheats on his score card?

[k...@attt.bizz]

Wow, the double entendre in that one! I like it!

[k...@attt.bizz]

On Sat, 30 Nov 2013 10:48:26 -0500, Stormin Mormon
<cayo...@hotmail.com> wrote:

>On 11/30/2013 10:27 AM, k...@attt.bizz wrote:
>> On Fri, 29 Nov 2013 21:25:49 -0800, Todd <To...@invalid.invalid> wrote:
>>
>>>
>>> I am going to the bad hell for jokes like that. I just
>>> know I am going to wind up playing golf for eternity
>>> with Stormin' :'(
>>
>> Could be worse. It could be a weekend of golf with Obama.
>>
>
>Don't tell me he cheats on his score card?

Well, he's a socialist. Of course he lies about his lies. he can't
help it.

[willshak]

Danny D'Amico wrote:
> Up until now I've been trying to pee down his hole with chemicals, such as hydrochloric acid, pool bleach, industrial ammonia, etc.
> http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3687/10951556915_571d8bc73c_o.gif
>
> But, this guy (or family?) is already turning my freshly wood-chipped "lawn" into dirt piles!
> http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2827/10951729174_81f10033dd_o.gif
>
> Looks like I'm going to have to get tougher than just using annoying chemicals!
>

Live Trap and relocate.
http://preview.tinyurl.com/o5cju7j



--
Bill
In Hamptonburgh, NY
In the original Orange County. Est. 1683
To email, remove the double zeros after @

[Jim Rusling]

Danny D'Amico <da...@is.invalid> wrote:

>Up until now I've been trying to pee down his hole with chemicals, such as hydrochloric acid, pool bleach, industrial ammonia, etc.
> http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3687/10951556915_571d8bc73c_o.gif
>
>But, this guy (or family?) is already turning my freshly wood-chipped "lawn" into dirt piles!
> http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2827/10951729174_81f10033dd_o.gif
>
>Looks like I'm going to have to get tougher than just using annoying chemicals!

Give these a try:
<http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000BQLWCS/ref=oh_details_o01_s00_i00?ie=UTF8&psc=1>

You need to have a clear tunnel. I use a short piece of plastic hose
to stuff down and make sure that it is clear. These work best on a
new or recently use tunnel.
--
Jim Rusling
More or Less Retired
Mustang, OK
My local Weather http://www.wunderground.com/weatherstation/WXDailyHistory.asp?ID=KOKMUSTA4

[Danny D'Amico]

On Sat, 30 Nov 2013 08:07:50 -0500, Stormin Mormon wrote:

> I had some success with lit road flare "highway
> fusee" stuffed into the hole, and then back fill
> with rocks and dirt

Can a road flare burn without air?

[Oren]

You mentioned car exhaust earlier (?...

This guy did it:

Video:

<http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=orrwNpxyaiA>

One commenter suggest using an engine with a carburetor///

[k...@attt.bizz]

On Sat, 30 Nov 2013 16:52:17 +0000 (UTC), Danny D'Amico
<dan...@is.invalid> wrote:

Sure. They'll burn underwater, once struck.

[SteveB]

On 11/29/2013 6:41 PM, Danny D'Amico wrote:
> Up until now I've been trying to pee down his

hole with chemicals, such as hydrochloric acid,

pool bleach, industrial ammonia, etc.

> But, this guy (or family?) is already turning

my freshly wood-chipped "lawn" into dirt piles!

gif
>
> Looks like I'm going to have to get tougher

than just using annoying chemicals!

Learn to trap them. It's simple. Get a Macabee trap,
and no other brand.
.
The secrets are few. Put a small chain or cord
on the trap so the gopher can't drag it down
into the tunnel.

One, always dig into the freshest, darkest
dirt pile you see. Get one of those metal Army
surplus type spoons. Dig down until you find the
tunnel, looking for the soft dirt and probing with the
small end of the spoon, and here's secret 2.
Open the tunnel up
side to side so the grabbers on the trap don't
hit the sides of the walls. You just have to widen the
spot where your trap will go, not the whole thing.
Go about 8" to 12" deep if you can.
Cock the trap. Use your forefinger to push forward on
the little trip flap to keep it from triggering as
you slide it down into the tunnel. After placement,
put the spoon in the tunnel to block
the dirt you will push in there from triggering
the trap. Put an orange cone on it so you can find
it. It takes me 4 to 12 hours to catch one. They are
active at all times, so just check it every 12 hours or so.
If you don't get it, move it to the freshest pile
if he has piled up another, recognizing it by the darkness
of it, as he has used wet dirt from underground.

Short story, I made a www.rodinator.com and had some very
interesting experiences with it, some not so good. I am a
gadget guy, but that scared me, and I dismantled it. Two
guys in Canada burned up several buildings, and caused
$600,000 USD damage with one. It was fun, but was dangerous
around houses, and trapping works MUCH better.

Once you get the hang of it, it is easy to trap them. Do not use
poison, as your dog or neighbor's cat can eat a poisoned
gopher and die.

It is actually very easy. e mail me if you need more info.

Steve

[Stormin Mormon]

Yes, it has oxidizer chemicals. Saltpeter,
etc. Well, the old round red ones with the
black phosphorous lighter on the end, did.
Not sure what's sold these days.

[SteveB]

On 11/29/2013 7:33 PM, bob haller wrote:
> use a live trap and relocate whatever is bothering you.
>
> but seriously how bad are some chipmunk holes?

I can see you have never been around gophers, as you
call them chipmunks. The holes are big enough for a
person, horse, farm animal, or dog to step into and
snap a leg bone.

Steve

[Stormin Mormon]

On 11/30/2013 10:23 AM, k...@attt.bizz wrote:
>
>> Try feeding them fruit dipped in auto antifreeze, see if that helps.
>
> That is just animal cruelty. Shoot them if you need to. Trap them if
> necessary. Poisoning them with antifreeze is horrible. I'm surprised
> you came up with that one, Mormon.
>
>> The RKBA ain't about duck hunting, or deer hunting.
>> It's about politicians and rodents, who are often
>> indistinguishable.
>
> If you'd said, "snakes", I'd agree. Politicians aren't cute.
>

I'm surprised you don't know that rivers have still spots.

[SteveB]

On 11/29/2013 6:41 PM, Danny D'Amico wrote:

Second pic defnitely a pocket gopher. Dirt
pushed up from inside, and sealed.

You got gophers. First hole may be a chipmunk
hole, or even a gopher hole that he hasn't sealed
up yet from the inside.

I live on a ranch in Utah, and I know gophers.

Steve

[SteveB]

On 11/29/2013 10:10 PM, Danny D'Amico wrote:
> On Sat, 30 Nov 2013 04:30:58 +0000, Doug Miller wrote:
>
>> a rat terrier for the gopher.
>
> I'm done with creating noxious gases out of pool chemicals.
> I'll try some dog poop in each hole tomorrow.
> Then, I'll move on to flooding them out.
> If that doesn't work, a road flare or two may smoke 'em out.
> And, if that still doesn't work, I might move on to the exhaust
> gas method; but that actually kills 'em, so, I prefer not to move
> forward to traps which do kill 'em fer' sure.

One thing any hunter needs to do to be successful is to know
their prey. You don't.

Gophers make blockages in their tunnel systems that they can
take down or put up. Your gases may not get to the gopher, are
dangerous for you and your yard, and just won't work as
effectively as trapping.

Once you learn to trap, it is simple, and you will be able to catch
one in 12 hours or less.

Of your methods, exhaust gas works best and is the safest,
although it may kill grass and plants.

Steve

[Oren]

On Sat, 30 Nov 2013 10:23:26 -0700, SteveB <Stevexx...@gmail.com>
wrote:

Living in Pittsburgh, one would think he has seen a ground hog or ten.

[Danny D'Amico]

On Sat, 30 Nov 2013 09:07:13 -0800, Oren wrote:

> Video:
> <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=orrwNpxyaiA>

Thanks for finding that. I like his simple answer.
He stuck the garden hose onto the tailpipe with aluminum foil.

I could have done without the lullaby though ...

BTW, my (California emissions) car runs pretty cleanly, so, I
hope the carbon dioxide does as much work as the carbon monoxide
in bothering them out of the area.

[Danny D'Amico]

On Sat, 30 Nov 2013 12:22:33 -0500, Stormin Mormon wrote:

> Yes, it has oxidizer chemicals. Saltpeter,
> etc. Well, the old round red ones with the
> black phosphorous lighter on the end, did.
> Not sure what's sold these days.

OK. Well, I like that idea because I don't necessarily want to
kill them. I just want them to go away.

Perhaps the road-flare smoke will be distasteful to them.

[Danny D'Amico]

On Sat, 30 Nov 2013 10:31:30 -0700, SteveB wrote:

> One thing any hunter needs to do to be successful is to know
> their prey. You don't.

That's why I'm asking here ...

> Gophers make blockages in their tunnel systems that they can
> take down or put up. Your gases may not get to the gopher, are
> dangerous for you and your yard, and just won't work as
> effectively as trapping.

I can't imagine the gases being dangerous for me, outside, in the
fresh air, on top of a mountain, nor can I imagine them being bad
for the yard (remember, plants 'eat' carbon dioxide, and 'poop'
out oxygen).

However, I *can* imagine trapping being more efficient.

> Once you learn to trap, it is simple, and you will be able to catch
> one in 12 hours or less.

The only problem with trapping, at the moment, is, (a) I don't have
a trap (so I need to buy one), and (b) I think trapping kills them.

> Of your methods, exhaust gas works best and is the safest,
> although it may kill grass and plants.

I've never done it, so, maybe there is something to that, but, on
cursory inspection, plants *love* carbon dioxide. It's what they
live on.

[Danny D'Amico]

On Sat, 30 Nov 2013 10:19:07 -0700, SteveB wrote:

> Learn to trap them. It's simple. Get a Macabee trap,
> and no other brand.

This is good advice.

I read this, with interest:
http://gophertrapping.com/

Looks like they cost $8 each:
http://www.wildlifecontrolsupplies.com/animal/NWSMAC.html

Which is less than the bottles of cholorine + ammonia + HCL I've been using
to get them to go away to the neighbor's lawn. :)

[Danny D'Amico]

On Sat, 30 Nov 2013 10:19:07 -0700, SteveB wrote:

> Get a Macabee trap

This has a nice howto on the Macabee:
http://www.garden-counselor-lawn-care.com/macabee-gopher-trap.html

[Danny D'Amico]

On Sat, 30 Nov 2013 10:26:25 -0700, SteveB wrote:

> You got gophers.

Thanks.

I'm pretty sure, after reading for the past day on this, that it's a
pocket gopher. I'll try some of the remedies, starting with water and
exhaust and then moving on to the trap (which I prefer not to do since
I'm hopeful I can just make life miserable for him in my yard, and hope
he simply moves on to the next one on his own).

This article says that only trapping really works:
http://beta.mastergardeners.org/resources/animals/pocket_gophers.html

[Danny D'Amico]

On Sat, 30 Nov 2013 08:08:31 -0500, Norminn wrote:

> How large an area are you covering?

There are four or five areas of about 20 feet by 20 feet (roughly).
Each one seems to have an infestation.

BTW, this article from UC Davis says the "feed holes" are left open:
http://www.ipm.ucdavis.edu/PMG/PESTNOTES/pn7433.html

[Stormin Mormon]

Have you considered hiring a color blind
interior decorator, and use an insullation
blower to blow shred wall paper into their
tunnels? I'd start with green, orange, and
purple.

[Oren]

On Sat, 30 Nov 2013 16:52:17 +0000 (UTC), Danny D'Amico
<dan...@is.invalid> wrote:

>Can a road flare burn without air?

... try some Thermite

[Frank]

On 11/29/2013 8:41 PM, Danny D'Amico wrote:
> Up until now I've been trying to pee down his hole with chemicals, such as hydrochloric acid, pool bleach, industrial ammonia, etc.

> http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3687/10951556915_571d8bc73c_o.gif

>
> But, this guy (or family?) is already turning my freshly wood-chipped "lawn" into dirt piles!

> http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2827/10951729174_81f10033dd_o.gif

>
> Looks like I'm going to have to get tougher than just using annoying chemicals!
>

I had trouble with moles and zinc phosphide based rodenticide took care
of them. I see the same thing specified for gophers. The phosphide
based materials slowly release phosphine gas (PH3) which is highly toxic.

[Danny D'Amico]

On Sat, 30 Nov 2013 10:59:05 -0800, Oren wrote:

> ... try some Thermite

I am starting "nice", so, today, I turned on the water in two locations.
I'm shocked that the water has been running, full force, for two hours
and it hasn't even come *out* of the hole yet!

Gotta go shoppin' with my grandkids, but wow, the ground sure has a huge
capacity to soak up water by the tens of gallons without spilling out
of the holes.

Hole #1:
http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3671/11138156314_348ce7a243_o.gif
Hole #2:
http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7438/11138121746_cff5369e74_o.gif

[Oren]

On Sat, 30 Nov 2013 12:23:39 -0500, Stormin Mormon
<cayo...@hotmail.com> wrote:

>I'm surprised you don't know that rivers have still spots.

Did ja know catfish walk?

[SteveB]

> There are four or five areas of about 20

feet by 20 feet (roughly).
> Each one seems to have an infestation.

ONE, only ONE gopher can look like 20 sometimes, they create so much damage.

Steve

[Butch]

That would only drive the gophers out if they were gay.

[Stormin Mormon]

You think some straight gopher would put
up with such a scheme?

[bob haller]

I tend to believe any unnecessary killing may effect us after we die. GOD may frown on murders rapists, and people who kill animals for the heck of it.....

[Danny D'Amico]

On Sat, 30 Nov 2013 19:50:55 +0000, Danny D'Amico wrote:

> the ground sure has a huge capacity to soak up water by the tens
> of gallons without spilling out of the holes.
> Hole #1:
> http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3671/11138156314_348ce7a243_o.gif
> Hole #2:
> http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7438/11138121746_cff5369e74_o.gif

After about 4 hours under the hose, the water started seeping out
of concrete cracks in the retaining walls, steps, and even the
driveway below the lawn.

So, I think I pretty much flooded the gopher's caverns; however,
I don't see what I did as being all that different than a good
heavy California rainstorm.

I'll let you know if the 4-hour flood has made the gopher into a
Noah, to pack up and leave for dry ground. Tomorrow I'll look for
fresh mounds.

I'm hoping the water treatment worked. I'm amazed, even after four
hours, no water showed up on top of the ground. It only seeped out
below grade about 4 feet vertically below where I flooded and about
ten or twenty feet away horizontally.

[Danny D'Amico]

On Sat, 30 Nov 2013 13:09:55 -0700, SteveB wrote:

> ONE, only ONE gopher can look like 20 sometimes, they create so much damage.

It *is* amazing how many holes the thing pops up. Generally a few a day.

I flooded the holes for four hours, until the cracks in the driveway below
seeped, and the steps seeped at the corners (although no water came to the
surface where I was flooding).

At something like ten gallons a minute from two garden hoses, the ground
soaked up something like 5,000 gallons of water in those four hours!

Now, it has only rained once in 8 months, so, I guess I'm doing the soil
a favor; but I was shocked that the soil soaked all that up with just a
bit of weeping at the cracks in the retaining walls, steps, and driveway
a few vertical feet below in elevation.

Wow. The ground has as great a capacity for soaking up water as it does
for electrons from the power company! :)

[gregz]

bob haller <hal...@aol.com> wrote:
> I tend to believe any unnecessary killing may effect us after we die. GOD
> may frown on murders rapists, and people who kill animals for the heck of it.....

I don't killing for nothing, from an experience I once had.

But, I've had a couple annoying gophers over the years. I once had one
under my shed floor. The floor was caving in. Brick over earth. I set up a
horn speaker playing sound for a few days. Pretty loud close up, but not
annoying around the house. After I saw it was clear, I blocked the
entrance. Looked like he was trying to get back in. I added more rocks.
Finally clear. I tried trapping the critter in safe trap.
The only thing I caught were two raccoons and an opposum.

Couple summers ago, another one under another cement slab down the hill.
Looked like he was going near garden. One day I took a 1000 watt generator,
and fed gases into hole. Partially blocked hole. I don't know if I caused
death. Never saw It again. No smells out of hole. CO seems humane.

Greg

[Danny D'Amico]

On Sat, 30 Nov 2013 18:54:40 -0800, bob haller wrote:

> I tend to believe any unnecessary killing may effect
> us after we die. GOD may frown on murders rapists,
> and people who kill animals for the heck of it.....

I try not to kill even the black widow spiders I catch
almost weekly and baby rattlesnakes I catch ever few months.

I relocate them to a far corner of my property. These gophers,
I'd relocate, if I could. I first tried noxious chemicals to
try to French them out, but, so far, that hasn't worked.

Now I'm moving one notch up, by soaking them out. I have
hilly property, so, on purpose, I chose a hole that was
halfway on a hillside. There is about four feet above and
below the hole that is soil (concrete being on both sides
of that).

So, I'm hoping that the 5,000 gallons of water I just put
into two of those holes will flush them out. They're welcome
to find another spot to live, as I have plenty of non-grassy
land further from the house.

Let's hope they got the hint, because I plan on giving them
another 5,000 gallons of water (4 hours, 3/4" hose, 80psi)
from the two hoses again tomorrow.

[nestork]

Yes, but killing a gopher because he's making a mess of your yard is not
killing an animal for the heck of it.

I'm sure that if the OP could capture that gopher and relocate him,
perhaps to his ex-wife's lawyer's yard, that would be his preference.
And, if that were not practical, he could always release the gopher into
the wild somewhere.




--
nestork

[SteveB]

> After about 4 hours under the hose, the water started seeping out
> of concrete cracks in the retaining walls, steps, and even the
> driveway below the lawn.

Flooding will cause unseen damage, and settling. Maybe not now, but
later. I have run water 24 hours, and not gotten the gopher. Then I
thought, "I wonder where all that water went, and what damage it did. I
gave up flooding forthwith.

Trap them. Consider it a challenge. I do. Every time there's a new
hole, I keep after it until they are dead or gone. Word must be out in
Gopherdom, as I have had gophers disappear, and they didn't get trapped
in my traps. Just one day, no more holes, but nothing in my traps, either.

I consider it a personal challenge every time I get a gopher. And if
you don't notice it until they have more than four piles of dirt, you
aren't checking your property often enough.

Steve

[bob haller]

as a child i tried to flood chipmunks out. they dug drain holes so the water didnt effect them...

burrowing animals are excellent engineers

[Danny D'Amico]

On Sat, 30 Nov 2013 21:29:44 -0700, SteveB wrote:

> Flooding will cause unseen damage, and settling.
> Maybe not now, but later.

Funny you should mention that because I stopped the garden hose
after noticing that the cracks and joints in the concrete retaining
walls and steps and even in the driveway were seeping water.

Then I thought about the house, which for one of the two
garden hoses, was at the same level. That's when I stopped.

Still, I was amazed that ZERO water came to the surface, even after
roughly 5,000 gallons was pumped into the ground. Wow. What a capacity
to absorb water the dry soil has! (It has only rained once since about
May of this year).

Maybe the time to flush them out is after the rains start?

[Danny D'Amico]

This, I don't doubt. Simply because I put 5,000 gallons into the soil
(by my calculation) and absolutely none if it rose to the surface.

The ground absorbed (almost) all of it!
(Cracks weeped in the concrete.)

Seems to me a good week of rain, which is what we get in California
during the rainy season, would add to the soil far more water than
I can flood into that gopher hole. Right?

And they live through that every year.

[SteveB]

> After about 4 hours under the hose, the water started seeping out
> of concrete cracks in the retaining walls, steps, and even the
> driveway below the lawn.

Google St. Francis Dam collapse, California. It happened when the dirt
in the dam became so saturated that it flowed like water, creating the
new word, "liquefaction." You have created the same thing, only you
have undermined your retaining walls, steps, and driveway putting air
holes in there where you've washed away support dirt, or caused it to
subside and drop. Look to see them start sinking, cracking, and
otherwise rapidy deteriorating here shortly.

Steve

[Danny D'Amico]

On Sun, 01 Dec 2013 08:30:34 -0700, SteveB wrote:

> "liquefaction." You have created the same thing, only you
> have undermined your retaining walls, steps, and driveway putting air
> holes in there where you've washed away support dirt, or caused it to
> subside and drop. Look to see them start sinking, cracking, and
> otherwise rapidy deteriorating here shortly.

I'll look, for sure.

But, there's no way I put more water in than that which is
absorbed during a good week of rainy onslaught from the sky.

Still, maybe the rain doesn't soak as deeply as the water
I put in via the tunnels?

[Todd]

On 11/30/2013 10:31 AM, Danny D'Amico wrote:
> BTW, this article from UC Davis says the "feed holes" are left open:
> http://www.ipm.ucdavis.edu/PMG/PESTNOTES/pn7433.html

Perfect.

Just cram some catshit down the hole. You must
have a female neighbor who it single who would not
mind you emptying her litter box down the hole!
Cat pee works too, just down the litter box down
their holes.


--
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
the riddle wrapped in an enigma wrapped
in a couple slices of baloney
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

[Danny D'Amico]

On Sat, 30 Nov 2013 01:41:57 +0000, Danny D'Amico wrote:

> Up until now I've been trying to pee down his hole with chemicals,
> such as hydrochloric acid, pool bleach, industrial ammonia, etc.

(preliminary) LESSONS LEARNED:

1. My first lesson learned is that it's just not worth trying to
irritate the mole out of the yard with noxious chemicals.
Mainly, it doesn't work; and secondarily, it costs $8 a gallon
(or so) for the chemicals (when a reusable trap only costs $9).
http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3668/11125640846_9fe016e77b_o.jpg

2. My second lesson learned is that flooding them with water isn't
worth it either. Maybe it worked, maybe it didn't. I don't know
yet. But, after flooding for two days at 2,500 gallons a hole,
that's 10,000 gallons of water that started leaking out of my
concrete anywhere it could leak out.
http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7319/11179083966_23c0d4a04e_o.jpg

3. My third lesson learned is that I should have tramped down
*all* the gopher holes *before* beginning the "treatment".
I can't tell if the flooding worked or not. So, today I raked
over all the mole hills, so I can tell if he's gone for good.
http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2842/11179226013_8f1f1d15a3_o.gif

4. My fourth lesson seems to be that the cheapest effective
way to get rid of the gopher will either be this rat poison
or that Mcabee gopher trap!
http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7378/11179081816_b9a5a510a1_o.gif

[Danny D'Amico]

On Sat, 30 Nov 2013 07:03:30 -0500, dadiOH wrote:

> I tried that once. Shoved the hose in as far as possible (6-8 feet) and let
> it run. Our soil is sand and all the water did was soak in, burrow never
> flooded.

I'm giving up on the water flooding gopher solution method!

I don't know if it worked yet, but, after 10,000 gallons was poured
into two gopher holes, I noticed *all* the concrete cracks weeping.

For example, here's a shot of the steps below the gopher hole:
http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3715/11179226133_86a0c03165_o.jpg

And, here's a shot of the retaining wall at the bottom of the steps:
http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5496/11179035805_c4a201a50c_o.jpg

Seems to me the water might be damaging things, so, if it didn't
already work on getting rid of my first couple of gophers, I'm
giving up on it and moving on to something else!

[Danny D'Amico]

On Sat, 30 Nov 2013 08:11:51 -0500, Stormin Mormon wrote:

> At a hardware store, I did see a gadget, that allows
> you to park a vehicle near the hole, and run exhaust
> into the gopher hole. I figure it would either bug out
> the other hole, or die in place and stink.

I couldn't find *that* gadget, but, I did find these
gopher gassers today at the hardware store:
http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7388/11179082276_a2c9c2fa07_o.gif

[Danny D'Amico]

On Sun, 01 Dec 2013 08:30:34 -0700, SteveB wrote:

> Look to see them start sinking, cracking, and
> otherwise rapidy deteriorating here shortly.

Actually, you're right!

After 10,000 gallons of water, every crack was seeping.

Here's a shot of the water pouring out of the bottom of
the retaining wall.
http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2880/11179226843_9f27ea42a7_o.jpg

I give up on giving the gopher a bath method!

[Danny D'Amico]

On Fri, 29 Nov 2013 18:33:42 -0800, bob haller wrote:

> use a live trap and relocate whatever is bothering you.
> but seriously how bad are some chipmunk holes?

I don't know what caused all these holes, but, they are
scattered every two feet on my lawn in all directions!
http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5513/11179222783_08363dba2e_o.gif

[Danny D'Amico]

On Sat, 30 Nov 2013 21:57:21 -0800, bob haller wrote:

> as a child i tried to flood chipmunks out.
> they dug drain holes so the water didnt effect them...
> burrowing animals are excellent engineers

I give up on trying to flood them out!
I noticed today, that the hole I flooded was filled in with
chips. I'm not sure if the wind did that, or if animals did.

I didn't see any new gopher holes, but, silly me, I didn't
tramp down all the gopher mounds, so, I can't really tell.

So, today, I bought some poison and traps:
http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3698/11179223833_f7d60e1e57_o.gif

And, I raked over all the gopher mounds on part of the lawn:
http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7452/11179223143_98d3de1280_o.gif

If any new mounds show up, the poison & traps will go in next!

*BTW, do gophers cross a driveway?*

I have been treating one side of the driveway only; but I have
gophers on both sides.

Do they cross the driveway?
Or, are those separate burrows?

[Oren]

On Mon, 2 Dec 2013 22:22:05 +0000 (UTC), Danny D'Amico
<dan...@is.invalid> wrote:

>I give up on giving the gopher a bath method!

'bout time you came to your reckoning

Hug 'em when you can and kill 'em when need to.

[Oren]

On Mon, 2 Dec 2013 22:25:05 +0000 (UTC), Danny D'Amico
<dan...@is.invalid> wrote:

>I don't know what caused all these holes, but, they are
>scattered every two feet on my lawn in all directions!
> http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5513/11179222783_08363dba2e_o.gif

The cause of the damage is in the subject: "gophers".

A Gopher can also be a land tortoise, depending on location.

"...The gopher tortoise (Gopherus polyphemus) is a species of the
Gopherus genus native to the southeastern United States. The gopher
tortoise is seen as a keystone species because it digs burrows that
provide shelter for 360 other animal species. They are threatened by
predation and habitat destruction.

The gopher tortoise is a representative of the genus Gopherus, which
contains the only tortoises native to North America. This species of
gopher tortoise is the state reptile of Georgia and the state tortoise
of Florida."

<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gopher_tortoise>

Your gopher is not a tortoise :)

[Stormin Mormon]

This was several years ago. It was a flex tube
about an inch diameter, with a sort of cup at
the end to go over the exhaust pipe. Many small
engines like Briggs and Stratton lawn mowers,
the exhaust goes through 1/2 pipe thread. It would
be possible to unscrew the muffler, and screw some
iron pipe on. Would be noisy, but that might help
the general effect.

[Stormin Mormon]

> On 12/2/2013 5:17 PM, Danny D'Amico wrote:
>> I couldn't find *that* gadget, but, I did find these
>> gopher gassers today at the hardware store:
>> http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7388/11179082276_a2c9c2fa07_o.gif

Stuff to cram in, and light on fire?
I wonder if, some wet day, you might
cram in some dry sawdust. Light that on
fire, and push in combustion air with a
shop vac. Dunno if that would help, but it
might be fun to try. Road flare and back
fill could do some thing.

[Danny D'Amico]

On Mon, 02 Dec 2013 19:11:19 -0500, Stormin Mormon wrote:

> This was several years ago. It was a flex tube
> about an inch diameter, with a sort of cup at
> the end to go over the exhaust pipe.

I think I've given up on the "novel" ways to get 'em.
I really just wanted them to go away.

I bought the Mcabee trap, so, if any pop up on the lawn
where I had flooded them, I'll put the trap in and let
you know what happens.

At the moment, I have tramped down all the gopher mounds,
so, if there is any activity in the flooded areas, I'll
probably know by tomorrow.

[Danny D'Amico]

On Mon, 02 Dec 2013 15:45:05 -0800, Oren wrote:

> 'bout time you came to your reckoning

Yeah. After spending about $30 or $40 on noxious chemicals, and who knows
what it costs for 10,000 gallons of well water to be pumped, plus possibly
damaging the steps and retaining walls (from the water pressure), I now
realize why the $9 *reusable* trap is the way to go.

I have the trap ready just in case I see any gopher mounds tomorrow, as
I tramped them all down and raked them over for an hour today, so, anything
that shows up tomorrow is fresh (and would mean the flooding failed anyway).

[Danny D'Amico]

On Mon, 02 Dec 2013 16:00:13 -0800, Oren wrote:

> Your gopher is not a tortoise

Let's hope it's not a fish because I was shocked that the two little
20x20 foot areas that I flooded each absorbed about 5,000 gallons of
water without even showing a drop at the surface!

The ground has an amazing capacity to soak up water! (Of course, it
has only rained once since about May.)

In California, when it rains, it pours; so I wonder how the gopher
keeps dry when it rains for a week?

[SteveB]

Trouble is, addlepated gopher wanders out of burrow, is eaten by family
dog or neighbor's cat, and now you have a situation on your hands.
Learn to trap. Use Macabees, and trust me, you will get them, and catch
new ones before they make too much of a mess. Just put the trap at the
freshest dirt, and like you said, rake off the dirt so you can see the
fresh stuff, and that identifies the active tunnel. They will make
several, one for food storage, one for breeding and raising young, and
alternatives for escape routes, and further food gathering when the
roots are ready to be eaten.

It's a pain, but once you learn how to trap, you will get them in a day
or three, they don't make a mess all over, and for some reason, other
ones stay out of the yard, and it's a long time inbetween. Maybe they
smell the tunnels of the removed gopher, and think there's one there,
and respect its territory?

Watch it with the poison. You might have more than a dead gopher in
your yard in the morning.

Steve, King of SW Utah pocket gopher stalkers, Great Poohbah and
Mucketymuck of Gopher Assassins of Utah Lodge #1847.

[SteveB]

Very logical and very smart. That would cost a lot to fix or replace.

[SteveB]

Looks like a railroad flare to me, just shorter. I have also used the
cheap smoke bombs sold at 4th of July and New Years. Those work, too.
Just use them on the freshest dirt mound, and seal afterward. The
chemicals in them create their own oxygen, and they won't go out
underground. They will leave a stain on the grass, tho.

Steve

[SteveB]

Damn, Bubba! I hope that "retaining" wall still "retains". You had to
do some damage or weakening.

Steve