Propane gopher torches

[pennwalk]

The guy that farms our land was telling me that his neighbor has one of those gopher killers that he used to use on his farm. The police made him stop. That was a few years ago when we were nervous about terrorists infiltrating. I'd like to borrow one of those things the ground hog damage we have is terrible.

Chris

 

[nomad289]

Blowing up golphers sounds like great fun. I've tried traps and poison smoke bombs; but found the most effective method by far is the poison bait you sprinkle into the hole. It is wheat grains impregnated with strychnine, I believe.
Works well for me, and rodent die underground where my dog can't dig them up and eat them. Neighbor tried the propane method and caught the field on fire.

 

[Gittyup]

I use plain chlorine bleach and bottled ammonia. I close off all the holes except for one. In the remaining hole, I place a piece of flex pipe as far down as i can go, then fill dirt in around the pipe. Pour in the fluids, half of each, then the other half of each, and then quickly cap the pipe. Works every time for me. Chlorine crystals would probably work even better. It's not so dangerous. I don't hang around and sniff at the pipe.

When I was a teenager, I mixed bleach and ammonia trying to get the mildew smell out of some mops at a supermarket I was working at (I just didn't know how stupid I was being). Well, they had to close the supermarket for several hours. The manager was mad as anything. He didn't fire me, but instead made me stay in there and clean the floors with the "clean" mops. Lungs will probably never be the same.

The only good ground hog is a dead one! I hate those varmints!

 

[Wayne County Hose]

I just set a 110 conibear (220 for a big'un) and walk away. Conibears are body grip traps. When the woodchuck sticks his face on the trigger, it fires the trap and snaps his neck.

 

[barneyrb]

Dad used to clean the hole out and back the '56 one ton chevrolet up and had a flex pipe to run exaust into the hole. That old truck smoked so much after a little while it looked as if there was a fire underground. Today with $4 gallon gas this could get expensive!!

 

[swines]

I use this Revenge Mole & Gopher Bait, Mole Control, Pest Management - GEMPLER'S

And one of these Bait Applicator -- Mole and Gopher, Pest Management - GEMPLER'S

The applicator lets you put the bait directly into their tunnels so it cannot be eaten by other animals. You'd be surprised at the multi-level tunnel systems I've found - you can tell when you find a den (probably with color tv, beer fridge, etc.).

Doesn't take long to treat a fairly large area as the flatter side of the mound has the tunnel.

 

[Chas in Mendo]

I use a home made propane gopher blaster and it works well. One of the main reasons I went with propane is because when propane is burned the main component released is water vapor. With most other types the chemical used stay in the ground and I am certified organic. Even when you use the exhaust of a vehicle burning petroleum products you have sme very nasty byproducts of combustion that remain in the soil to be absorbed by any food plants you may grow. I am much more liberal in the applications in my ornamental planting aroudn the hous but for food crops I don't want to take any chances, traps and propane, to me, are the only alternatives which leave no undesireable residues and propane is so much more effective than traps.

 

[racerjer]

I saw member say he built home made propane/oxygen gopher gun...can't find it again.

 

[TCJatko]

This thread rminds me of the movie Caddyshack.

 

[Dr Dave]

My neighbor has a mole cannon, cant remember the brand name, we have used it several times, it works great. But the sheriff dept said to call before use, they had several calls, the first time we used it. It would not be hard to build one.

Dave