# I Hate Gophers and Moles



## rhyman (Apr 19, 2009)

I have been fairly lucky in keepeing the critters out of the layout by ocassionally spraying the area with a repellent which is basically just castor oil and water. Unfortunately, after I forced them to abandon the layout, they took up residence under my house over the winter. My house is built on a concrete slab foundation and the pex water lines run under the slab. Last week we noticed damp spots around the edges of the garage floor and in a couple of the bedrooms. We called in a leak detection outfit to investigate and found out we had multiple leaks under the slab -- all on various legs of the hot water lines. 

The plumbing contractor just finished doing an entire re-route of the water lines , both hot and cold, from under the slab to up in the attic. The pipes now drop down through the walls to the various rooms. It sure wasn't fun writing that check. It's going to take a big bite out of available budget for railroad equipment over the next few years.

Now, I can look forward to the dry-wall contractor coming in to patch the holes cut into the walls by the plumbing contractor. That'll be another check.

For anyone contemplating chasing critters out of your layout -- just be careful where you chase them to!


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## Jerry Barnes (Jan 2, 2008)

We have a drought here in Nebraska, usually they stay out in the pasture, but moved into the yard for the wetter ground. I did put repellent in the layout and poison in the tunnels, fought them all summer/fall, I think they won! Looking dry again. Saw a farmer running his center pivot to get the ground wet enough to plant his corn. Usually irrigation starts July 1.


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## work4fil (Jan 4, 2008)

I have tried poison, traps, and bombs. The best is traps, but the candy assed rat lovers outlawed them in Oregon and Washington. 

I have used the gopher bombs from Home Depot with a leaf blower. You do get an idea of where the tunnel runs. The downside is I started a thatch fire because it was too dry for the leaf blower bomb combo. 

My new neighbor told me he uses fertilizer. Just open atunnel and Drop some in, the smell runs them off. I tried it and lo and behold, they tunneled into his yard. 

As soon as I get get over to Idaho, I will buy some traps and those vermin are going to get it. 

Fil


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## Michael W (Oct 10, 2012)

I feel lucky, we aint got no gophers over here, just some spiders and snakes but hey at least they leave my trains alone.... 
Be careful with caster oil it is highly poisenous... 
I read about ultra sonic devices to keep the pests away might be worth looking into unless you got dogs and cats nearby... 
Kind regads


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## jbwilcox (Jan 2, 2008)

I tried everything with no success.

However, in the past two weeks our puppy, Jadie, has caught three moles.

John


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## HampshireCountyNarrowGage (Apr 4, 2012)

The moles I had in my back yard just laughed at those "Ultra Sonic" devises. In fact I had one mole tunnel head right for it and went around it. Now if they were really an ultra sonic devise it mite work, but the ones I've seen are just fancy nose makers.


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## John J (Dec 29, 2007)

My Mother got me a few of those ultrasonic pest chasers. 
Supposed to chase away mice. 
I had a mouse problem in the house. 
I got one of those gentle cage traps that take them alive. 
I removed the trapping gear and put in a mouse trap with Peanut butter on the trigger. 
I covered the cage with a towel to make it look like a cave. 
Worked perfectly. But they kept coming by the doz. 
One of my neighbors cat moved in under my house. 
No mouse problem now.


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## Scottychaos (Jan 2, 2008)

We have a Vole colony in the yard.. 
(Voles are different than Moles..Moles make tunnels and hills, Voles make holes in the ground, (and live in the ground) and eat plant roots) 

When we bought the house in 2006 I noticed all these holes in the front yard! no hills, no tunnels, just odd holes..I thought "snakes"? but that didn't make 
sense in this climate..eventually I figured out it was Voles..they have nearly killed a small tree that they live under.. 

The best thing I have found to get rid of them is simple mouse traps..(they are the size of field mice, but with pointier noses and smaller eyes) 
bait it with peanut butter, place it next to a hole..I always cover it with a plastic container with a brick on top, so squirrels/racoons/possums/dogs, etc dont get into it.. 
the hole, and the trap, are both under the plastic container..
usually by morning, I have one dead vole.. 

I fill in all the holes with dirt, tamp it down, then wait a few days and see which holes re-open..(they aren't all used, only a few holes are "active" at any one time..) 
they also make visible "paths" through the grass...but their "trails" are on the surface, not underground like mole tunnels.. 
when a "fresh" hole appears, I know that is an active spot, so that is where I place a trap.. 

repeat about 20 times over the past 4 years! 

The colony is noticeably smaller, but I haven't gotten all of them yet! and they move around.. 
I wont use poison, because we have cats..(they catch some of them..but the voles spend most of their time underground..) 

Scot


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## HampshireCountyNarrowGage (Apr 4, 2012)

I just found out that my next door neighbor is moving next month. Yeah so? Her cat has basically removed all of the moles in my yard. Not looking forward to her leaving. The little vermin will be back.


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