Molehills in pasture.

[biffo]

I've had a menage or soil grader ( not sure if it's the same name in the US? ) hanging around for a while and tried it this evening on the mole hills. Some are only a day or two old and some are maybe a month old. It didn't make any difference as to age it just levelled them all beautifully.

As our land is sloping the frame didn't always sit exactly flat to the ground, so I just drove back and forward a bit until the surface was perfect, a bit like using a vacuum cleaner but more satifying!

It took about half the time as with a rake and I have enough manual work around here to prefer to sit on a tractor when I get the chance, don't need the extra excercise.

Jamie

 

[Squeak n Itch]

Winchester 9422, scope, and ultimately lead poisoning.

 

[charlz]

Pocket gophers almost never come up so shooting isn't the answer. I made my own 'gopher blaster' and it is pretty effective. Uses a fair amount of oxygen but it far more effective than poison or traps.

As for the mounds, as already suggested, a chain or blanket harrow will make short work of them. Dragging one with an ATV is pretty quick and you can hit the big ones a few times quickly to spread them out. If you are letting the grass get super tall before mowing this probably won't be too effective (it will knock all the grass down and make it hard to mow).

 

[alltoys]

Sorry to cut in.
Considering traps next, but where do you place them? I've heard at the end of the trails.

I use a trap that has no bottom to it. There are round ones and square ones. I use a trap that is square with no bottom and a small hole about half inch at the far end. Find a fresh mound of dirt dig it out so you can see the hole. Dig it out slightly so the trap will fit in the hole so all the 3 front sides will fit snug to the hole. Set the trap put lose dirt in front of the hole enough for the trap to sit on. Plant the trap to the hole press it in so the snare will lower into the soft dirt you just laid down. Put dirt around the trap so no light will filter into the front of the trap. At the end of the trap where the small hole is exposed tear up some grass put into the hole so little light will filter through.

This will drive the mole nuts seeing a little light and grass poking through the trap. He will try to push the grass back through the trap and snap you got him. Also because I have Coyotes going through my place I have to stake down my traps or they go missing. Coyotes love an easy snack.

It may take a little while but it works!!!!

 

[ddivinia]

Try to kill them suckers.

A Spike harrow will smooth things out.

 

[chazzy]

I use a trap that has no bottom to it. There are round ones and square ones. I use a trap that is square with no bottom and a small hole about half inch at the far end.

I have no idea what trap you are referring to. I've only seen (and have) open type one with two small sharp metal rods piercing to the center when triggered. But I've never been able to catch one using that one.

Can please post pics or website that sells what you are using?

 

[Therios Pendragon]

I have a farmer friend at work and I have asked him a ton of times for help with all the moles that I have here... I get at least two or three new ones a week and some of the molehills are... well... mountains...

He told me that there is only one thing that he has found that works... he sticks road flairs down the new holes... not sure that I am really comfy with this. I would bet that it would surely smoke 'em... not an issue there. But what about shoving a burning flair under my sod? I worry about my burn pile going underground as well...

Any thoughts on this one? I have tried all the traps, and gas, and ...

 

[J_J]

How about a nice blanket, one sand bag, one 22 mag rifle, with 3 X 9 scope.

 

[Egon]

I have pocket gophers.

For these little fella's you might have a long lay down time!

 

[J_J]

Bait for gophers.

http://ucce.ucdavis.edu/files/filelibrary/2161/17313.pdf

Release a predator. Release a wild gopher snake into an active hole. The snake will clear out a large area -- an acre or more -- before moving on to a new area. Sometimes they stick around for a year or more. Additionally, some domestic cats work well against gophers. Prefer females (male domestic cats don't typically hunt). Hunting tendencies also depend on the cat's species.