How to kill Moles

Moles, Pocket Gophers and Mt. Beavers – How to kill them?

In the Pacific Northwest, we also have Mt. Beavers, and not only do they act like tree climbing marmots, these big toothed gophers climb trees and can fall rhododendrons, holly ... you name it. They even ate a poisoness Yew.

I tried using popane fuel to inject into the holes, poisons what not. Nothing worked. Oh yes, one tosses in a match to blow the hole up! Now I had a more inventive friend of mine, a former railroad engineer and he suggested that adding oxygen to the mix could increase the explosive power. He then explained how Acetylene was far better then propane.

So with this edit we dragged the welding tanks to the holes and topped them up. Tossed in the match ... and the whole damn garden erupted like Vesuvius. I never did that again.

Now Peta and animal rights groups will probably fire bomb my home for this inexpensive but working solution for moles. Use a deep dibble stick to drill a hole to the gopher/mole hole and add a Tbl. of LYE, (Drano) throw in a Juicy fruit gum and I guarantee you results. Cover the hole with dirt or it won't work. Cruel Yes, but so are the blood thinners in the poisons ... and they can work their way into the food chain. No other answers!

COMMENT I received on the above “Wow, you are quite the environmentalist.”

Thanks. I appreciate that! :-)

One does what one can. When one is hired to take care of a garden and finds 100 plus molehills sorta ruining the picture, environmentalism goes out the window.

Moles actually are a good indicator of the health of the soil and the prescence of food, worms, root weevils and lawn grubs.

Sadly the lawn owner does not appreciate their beneficial efforts, nor do I see a landscape advantage in having these earthy upheavals in my garden plan. I dare say my further article on my dealings with them would shock you.

Actually, I am an environmentalist and so is Wayne, the guy with the acetylene tank, but sometimes one just snaps. One other thing, these runs invite other tenants as well -- some that can eat or damage the plants or bulbs. Read mice, voles and rats ... and there goes the neighborhood..

Now on mice I do have an organic treatment. Simply leave a (covered-rain proof) supply of instant-flaked potatoes out. Provide a basin of water nearby. The mice will eat the flakes, drink the water and EXPAND! No side affect to the raptors or other critters who will find the stuffed dead mice. Much better than the blood thinner baits that can go into the food chain!

I still haven’t put out the deer traps yet
Such a nice guy am I!