Mole Control Patrol

[MossRoad]

A few years ago I read something that said the average life of a house cat was about 13 years, while the average life of an outdoor cat was 3.

 

[ponytug]

We have cougars (mountain lions), bobcats, and coyotes, plus great horned owls and a variety of raptors. The owls will follow us as we move around at night, presumably hunting anything we spook, as will the coyotes and bobcats.

Our first two cats, which came with the property aged three, lasted eleven more years (disappeared, presumably eaten, though possibly old age) and thirteen more years (during Covid, probably of Covid) as completely outdoor ranch cats. I caught one of them once a third of a mile away in the middle of a neighbor's wide open pasture watching something. They were great company, and often followed us around for chores.

I don't know how they managed their longevity. Perhaps there is enough cat friendly cover around, or the dogs provide some deterrent at night? Luck?

All the best,

Peter

 

[2LaneCruzer]

We have voles in the garden. Pulling down the beans. Wifey is not happy.
I put out a mouse trap with peanutbutter. The dog carried it out of the garden/ 9:_(

This probably is too labor intensive for beans, but I made some wire cages out of hardware cloth to plant my tomatoes, and haven't lost a one to gophers since.

 

[hiddentacocatneddih]

Our outdoor cats range from 3-5 years old.

Bird of prey arnt an issue. Neighbors dogs have been in the past

We don't have coyotes around the house either.

 

[jpwazz]

Doesn't everybody have them?

I see runs dug up here and there. Sometimes they wash out in a heavy train and act like drains that cause problems down hill. But I have some areas that see like they got lost and went around in a maze pattern tearing up several square yards of lawn. If you step on that area, it almost all soft and you sink in.

I've run over those areas with a mover dragging a yard roller. That flattens it out for a while, but they come back. I've tried pellets (yellow cone/tube) and general insect control granules that are supposed to kill the grubs they go after. Stuff works for a while, but not very long.

Sonic things are fully useless. Snap/plunge traps are less than useless.

Other ideas?

for MOLES, not gophers(pocket, striped, etc.), not rats, not mice, not voles or shrews but moles, those little beggars that tunnel along just below the turf in your yard, the only thing I've found in 30 years that works every time is an "easy set mole eliminator" made by wire-tek.

 

[dodge man]

We had a cat that would get a mole on occasion and a lot of voles.

 

[2515R Dude]

I don't have cats, tried many things, not much success until i built this little gadget.
$0 since I had this 2 cycle gen sitting around. Welded extension to exhaust to be able to attach a rubber hose.
Works like a charm. Works on all pests. I make a 20:1 mix and add some seafoam just to let it smoke a little. It gives me an indication how tunnels run. You can see on the picture the smoke coming out of the ground.

 

[brewdog]

I'm surprised that you get moles with it. The product says that it is for rats and mice.

I'm also paranoid with poisons in general, due to the risk of a pet eating a poisoned rodent.

Once you see the tube design you soon realize that any other animals can't get in to the bait. RACOOONS WILL TRY but there are holes on the plastic tubes to tie it down with fence wire.

 

[2515R Dude]

Once you see the tube design you soon realize that any other animals can't get in to the bait. RACOOONS WILL TRY but there are holes on the plastic tubes to tie it down with fence wire.

What about your dog or cat eats dead mice?

 

[drssg]

I like the videos where someone detonates explosive gas to hopefully kill the mole(s).

"I don't like the damage that moles do to my yard, so I'm going to do WAY more damage, and maybe I'll kill a mole in the process!"