I was going to say that!
You beat me to it.
An option is to pipe a mix of propane and oxygen into the tunnel, place a spark plug igniter into the tunnel and set it off at a distance.
What is the best way to extract or kill a mole tearing up your yard?
- Thread starter treitz3
- Start date
I was going to say that!
You beat me to it.
An option is to pipe a mix of propane and oxygen into the tunnel, place a spark plug igniter into the tunnel and set it off at a distance.
Yeah,.......no. I had a next door neighbor do something similar to that to eradicate ants that were seemingly taking over his backyard near the far end of his concrete deck. He didn't use propane but he used gas. He lit it from a far (using the gas trail) and whoosh! Ants gone to never, never land. He played it safe and after the fire had gone out, he doused the entire area for about 4 hours.An option is to pipe a mix of propane and oxygen into the tunnel, place a spark plug igniter into the tunnel and set it off at a distance.
About a week later, I get home and I'm blocked by all of the fire trucks outside. So I pull over and park up the street, wondering what in the heck is going on. Walk out back behind his house and he lost about 8 or 9 large bushes, half of the lawn in the backyard and three trees no longer had leaves on them. Everything was just black. House was okay (mine too) but wow. I asked the fire Marshall what caused this and he knew immediately what caused it. He said that it was a smoldering fire buried deep underground that the dousing of the fire after the "ant kill" my neighbor performed didn't put out. The fire somehow smoldered underground for a week and then found a source to come back up above ground and the rest was history. Both the neighbor and I were amazed at just how far ants can dig down and out.
I think I'll leave the propane and fire idea alone after experiencing that.
Tom
have you tried this?
from the net
I have similar problem with my backyard, my next door neighbour told me that you can buy some chemical products from lawn care supply or your local farmers cooperative.
It was not too bad 2-3 years ago, but really bad last spring. I am giving them a chance to move over to the other neighbour who does not take care of his lawn but if I have similar problem or worse this spring, I will try something.
from the net
I have similar problem with my backyard, my next door neighbour told me that you can buy some chemical products from lawn care supply or your local farmers cooperative.
It was not too bad 2-3 years ago, but really bad last spring. I am giving them a chance to move over to the other neighbour who does not take care of his lawn
but if I have similar problem or worse this spring, I will try something.
Got rid of him ? He's probably at your neighbors yard now...lol. I have a sonic stick. They just move away to a different part of the yard, Ime.
I have found another one with pretty rave reviews, however at a higher cost than the other one. This one does have gas.
http://www.amazon.com/MOLECAT-100-Extermination-Kit/dp/B009L0EA6K/ref=cm_cr_pr_product_top
If they hate hot peppers, I have plenty of those to go around. Liquid form, dry form, powder form......even Sriracha!
Tom
http://www.amazon.com/MOLECAT-100-Extermination-Kit/dp/B009L0EA6K/ref=cm_cr_pr_product_top
If they hate hot peppers, I have plenty of those to go around. Liquid form, dry form, powder form......even Sriracha!
Tom
Yeah,.......no. I had a next door neighbor do something similar to that to eradicate ants that were seemingly taking over his backyard near the far end of his concrete deck. He didn't use propane but he used gas. He lit it from a far (using the gas trail) and whoosh! Ants gone to never, never land. He played it safe and after the fire had gone out, he doused the entire area for about 4 hours.
About a week later, I get home and I'm blocked by all of the fire trucks outside. So I pull over and park up the street, wondering what in the heck is going on. Walk out back behind his house and he lost about 8 or 9 large bushes, half of the lawn in the backyard and three trees no longer had leaves on them. Everything was just black. House was okay (mine too) but wow. I asked the fire Marshall what caused this and he knew immediately what caused it. He said that it was a smoldering fire buried deep underground that the dousing of the fire after the "ant kill" my neighbor performed didn't put out. The fire somehow smoldered underground for a week and then found a source to come back up above ground and the rest was history. Both the neighbor and I were amazed at just how far ants can dig down and out.
I think I'll leave the propane and fire idea alone after experiencing that.
Tom
I just kept asking myself, "what would Carl Spackler do?"
The hot pepper idea works great for keeping squirrels out of the bird seed, but for me all it did was cause the voles and gophers to make more tunnels.
Back when I worked the oil patch in west Texas, one guy on the welder crew liked to put acyetlene down the ant holes then spark it off. A little thump in your foot confirmed the explosion. Ant-fracking?
I have moles too, and found a little poison dispenser that you stick down into the tunnel, then rotate a little handle which opens a small window releasing the toxin down into the tunnel. I have cats and they'll get a mole on occasion, but we live in a wooded area so the field mice are much easier to catch and more abundent. The down-hole dispenser gives me some relief my cats won't get into the poison.
I have moles too, and found a little poison dispenser that you stick down into the tunnel, then rotate a little handle which opens a small window releasing the toxin down into the tunnel. I have cats and they'll get a mole on occasion, but we live in a wooded area so the field mice are much easier to catch and more abundent. The down-hole dispenser gives me some relief my cats won't get into the poison.
Coming late to this thread. We had a huge problem with moles in our yard. I am talking about dozens of piles per season. Paid someone to trap them and the problem completely went away! We heard that they would come back but never did. It was definitely worth the price.
BTW, while they are unsightly, they are good for the lawn/garden as they loosen and aerate the dirt.
BTW, while they are unsightly, they are good for the lawn/garden as they loosen and aerate the dirt.
Several option, depending on your location and proclivities. I grew up in rural Louisiana so my options extended to creative extremes as a kid!!
First the dog/cat option works as long as there aren't many squirrels or mice around to distract them, and you might also have to cycle thru a few animals to get a good one.
I seem to remember some kind of "mole fence" that worked similarly to an electronic dog fence.
Now the last option is only for a certain segment of the population and is severely limited by where you live. Don't think it will work for moles unless you are a VERY patient person, but it worked wonders for armadillos and other pests.
http://www.dakotaarms.com/varminter.html
As for the anthills, just google the guy who does anthill art. He pours molten aluminum down the mound to essentially cast the tunnels. You can also look up an anthill excavation in Africa I believe that was something like an acre.
First the dog/cat option works as long as there aren't many squirrels or mice around to distract them, and you might also have to cycle thru a few animals to get a good one.
I seem to remember some kind of "mole fence" that worked similarly to an electronic dog fence.
Now the last option is only for a certain segment of the population and is severely limited by where you live. Don't think it will work for moles unless you are a VERY patient person, but it worked wonders for armadillos and other pests.
http://www.dakotaarms.com/varminter.html
As for the anthills, just google the guy who does anthill art. He pours molten aluminum down the mound to essentially cast the tunnels. You can also look up an anthill excavation in Africa I believe that was something like an acre.
we are in the middle of a forest in the mountains on 5 acres; so critters are everywhere.
we had mole problems, and did employ an exterminator successfully; then the State of Washington passed legislation banning commercial trapping which put the 'Mole Man' out of business.
so the moles came back, and I fought them for a few more years; then about a year ago we noticed a few Owls hanging around, making specific clicking noises. and now it's rare that I see any mole activity.
I like Owls.
we had mole problems, and did employ an exterminator successfully; then the State of Washington passed legislation banning commercial trapping which put the 'Mole Man' out of business.
so the moles came back, and I fought them for a few more years; then about a year ago we noticed a few Owls hanging around, making specific clicking noises. and now it's rare that I see any mole activity.
I like Owls.
Okay, an update according to one of my neighbors who has lived here for 30 plus years. The suspect is something I have never heard of before. A Pine Vole.
Short, grey and with a stubby tail. Apparently, they multiply often....which explains a lot. Any advice on that front?
Tom
Short, grey and with a stubby tail. Apparently, they multiply often....which explains a lot. Any advice on that front?
Tom
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