Gopher Problems yuck

[wolftracks]

I'm in a new house and my backyard is about 1/4 acre. Nice for dogs and chickies.
The yards were overgrown horribly and now that they've been "wacked" I have mounds all over the place. Front yard has them now and one right by the porch.
I've been reading everything I can in here on getting rid of these pests and decided what I really needed to do was post and find the real tried and true ways to get rid of them. I'd like to not use poison, but hey, whatever.
Wish my eyesight wasn't getting so bad or I'd bu myself a nice little CO2 and camp out.
I just finally got some flowers in a bed and I was to start planting a garden. Then there's the problem of not even being able to plant and keep a lawn.

So what really works? What's cheap? Once they're gone, how do you keep them gone?
Need something my 4 yr old grand daughter can't get hurt by. Safe for the dogs and chickens.
Read somewhere in here about cat poop. I chase cats out all the time and they do leave their business, but mounds still come up in those areas.

 

[rufus]

Maccabee gopher trap. Buy four or six of them. Attach them to a small study chain about two foot long. Attach the other end of the chain to a sharp wooden stake.

Dig out the mound. Most mounds are where the gophers are pushing up excavated soil, so there will be two or more tunnels. Clean out the tunnels with an old large spoon. Don't put your hand into the tunnels; these suckers bite. Set the traps, putting one trap in each tunnel hole. Then cover the tunnel holes with old tin cans and then cover them with dirt. You don't want any light leaking into the tunnels.

Then drive the sharpened stakes into the ground. You don't want your expensive trap being dragged into the tunnel system or taken off by some critter wanting to eat the dead gopher.

Check the traps daily. If you catch him, hit it a couple of times with the shovel to make sure he is dead. Then take him out of the trap and shove the dead body back into the hole. Don't give the dead body to the dog or mess around with it. They carry fleas, and in my area they have bubonic plague.

If you don't catch him, clean out the hole and reset the trap. There is always tomorrow.

Whatever you do, don't try to flood them out. They just dig tunnels into the cesspool, and you will be wasting your water.

Good Luck,

Rufus

 

[Gazinga]

 

[wolftracks]

Thank you for the response.

Soooooooooooo that means having to clear a trap....ick
LOL
Traps are one of my phobias.
HUbby could do it though!

I really need something that a busy 4 yr old won't notice though. This kid is busssssssssssyyy. She has to touch everything, so I might use this as a last resort, but would like some other ideas too.
After I first posted this I went out bacl for a cigarette (yeah I know), anyway there was a big orange cat in the yard watching a hole. I really thought he was going to catch one of those darn things.
He missed! I had to stick around and watch him though cause I had 3 - 4 month old Game chicks in the yard. He didn't even seem the least bit interested in them, just moved on to another hole and watched.
He did pee next to the first one though. LOL Wonder if that will work. I doubt it though because I have a few cats using my yard as a kitty potty.

 

[wolftracks]

Does anyone else have some ideas I can use.
Bought traps, but need to do this at night when my grand daughter is asleep. She's just to interested in them
I know this isn't one little rodent. Theres just to much damage for one. I have 6 more mounds in back and 6 in front as of this morning.
I can't even just run a lawn mower. I have to go out and shovel and pound dirt and I think I'm jus getting to out to have to do this each time.

 

[mdbokc]

All I can say is that urine has stopped these little critters dead in their tracks every time for us. The older the better as it is more powerful. Collect in a jar and pour in your flower beds and water. Fill hose end sprayer and spray a 10 foot wide band on your yard area borders. Can't spray it too heavy. Keep at it and you'll have your coverage done in no time. Periodically reapply. When the critters move before I do (some years they get a head start) and have a heavy infestation of moles where the ground gets soft, etc. I just put a jar of it in a 5 gallon pail and poured it onto the yard area and they are gone. Then I go into the prevent defense mentioned before this.

I have gopher mounds to the left of me, the right of me and behind me (the highway is in front) and this has worked for the past 20 years for us. Some say it doesn't but I suspect (without knowing) they apply it too lightly. Won't bother people but they cannot stand it.

Good luck.

 

[cobrien]

Jack Russel terrier? or two? I can say my dogs would be very busy at your place...

 

[Barred Rocks forever]

Quote:
or you could ask a hunter who uses them to come to your property to take care of them

 

[chickenwhisperer]

Quote:
or you could ask a hunter who uses them to come to your property to take care of them

Great idea!

Im in Sac, and I would toatally be willing to rent out my dogs' services for a day.
He is proven effective against any kind of small, furry, digging animal.

Basically, pay me for gas and buy me lunch and your gophers will be no more.
Jackieboy does accept tips . . .

 

[Barred Rocks forever]

ya know you should post about your jack on my hunting dog thread i would link it to you if you like ?