# Gophers!!



## turmeric (Jul 18, 2008)

I just found out yesterday that we have a gopher in our raised garden where I planted my saffron! I have to leave it there or it won't bloom. I'd be tempted to get it out (it's still dormant) but some smart person planted _garden-variety spring crocus_ right on top of it this spring! I thought, no big deal, mine will come up in the fall but now there's this bulb-eating gopher! Someone is going to come out Wednesday and hopefully kill it, but that's days away!

If I were either a good Christian, or a good gardener I would go get ALL the corms - regardless which they were - and replant them after the gophercism. Mine would still come up in September but they mightn't flower. At least they'd still be there.


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## Poimen (Jul 18, 2008)

Oh Meg you think that is a problem? Alberta is overrun with gophers. Those little guys are all over my lawn - laughing at me; mocking me; even imitating the silly way I walk to the church. Grrr!


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## rjlynam (Jul 19, 2008)

Have you considered using chicken wire? I'm not quite sure how deep you have to go, but I think the height of it needs to be a foot above ground.


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## turmeric (Jul 19, 2008)

It's too late for chicken-wire this summer, but maybe next year...


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## Poimen (Jul 19, 2008)

I heard Juicy Fruit works but I haven't tried it yet. Supposedly it 'gums' up their insides.


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## rjlynam (Jul 19, 2008)

Try putting some Bazooka bubble gum in the tunnel. Yes, they still make it. And no, you don't want regular ole chew gum. 

I think you will find the problem gets solved real quick.


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## toddpedlar (Jul 19, 2008)

Poimen said:


> Oh Meg you think that is a problem? Alberta is overrun with gophers. Those little guys are all over my lawn - laughing at me; mocking me; even imitating the silly way I walk to the church. Grrr!



Oh Minister of Silly Walks, do your gophers look like this? 







If so, you should try this:






and stop walking to church like this:


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## Poimen (Jul 19, 2008)

Todd:

Yes. 

Okay. 

Okay.


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## turmeric (Jul 19, 2008)

Bazooka bubble gum, hmmm?


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## kvanlaan (Jul 19, 2008)

Castor beans.

That's what my wife's granfather used on their farm in Oklahoma. He grew them himself, then used them with extreme prejudice.


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## gene_mingo (Jul 19, 2008)

These are like the ones I use. Just make sure you tie a string to the trap and stake it into the ground. Sometimes them gophers try to crawl away as they die.

Shop at Victorpest.com


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## JOwen (Jul 19, 2008)

shot 10 last night! Shot 50 a few weeks ago. Great fun!


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## turmeric (Jul 19, 2008)

Okay, I called in to a radio show called the Garden Doctor this morning and he says don't remove the corms but wait to find out exactly what kind of critter it is. If it's a mole, there's no point distrubing the corms as moles don't eat bulbs. Good news, I hope!


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## gene_mingo (Jul 19, 2008)

The traps in my link work for moles as well.


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## ReformedDave (Jul 19, 2008)

Just planted some poison........I Know it's bad but I hate those little critters!


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## Bygracealone (Jul 19, 2008)

toddpedlar said:


> Poimen said:
> 
> 
> > Oh Meg you think that is a problem? Alberta is overrun with gophers. Those little guys are all over my lawn - laughing at me; mocking me; even imitating the silly way I walk to the church. Grrr!
> ...



Did he say "kill the golllllfers" or "gophers"? 

We used those in ground sonic things and they worked... get them at Home Depot...


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## Backwoods Presbyterian (Jul 20, 2008)

I use to when I was in High School we used groundhogs as targets to sight-in our 30-06's for Deer season.


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## turmeric (Jul 20, 2008)

Backwoods Presbyterian said:


> I use to when I was in High School we used groundhogs as targets to sight-in our 30-06's for Deer season.


 
You do that before deer season? How are you gonna know when spring comes without them groundhogs? Good gried, Benjamin...


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## Ivan (Jul 20, 2008)

When I was growing up on the farm ground hogs use to eat a lot of our soybeans. They liked to dig their hole in the railroad that was about a half mile back of our farm. My dad gave me a .22 rifle and told me to "git 'em!" I'd find a spot where I wasn't visual (upwind, of course) and wait for the rascals to come out. 

Ah, the good ol' days!


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