Moles in Feb

[proessler]

Fresh mole digging in south side yard this week. A mound of fresh dirt 'bout 5" high! I'll have to use some H2O to flush him out, but it snowing today, have to wait til next week . Or maybe frost line will start to go down again. Dang !!

 

[kmcconaughey]

I hate moles. Never heard of them being out and about in Wisconsin this time of year.

 

[dfrisk]

KRAIG - Normally there's 2-3 feet of frost in the ground.

 

[wshytle]

Paul-

I've thought about flushing a mole hill/run but have never done it. Do they surface? I've also heard a small, out of balance windmill close to the ground will get rid of them. They don't like the vibrations. We have the critters year around here. Last summer I witnessed my cat reaching into the ground and pulling out a huge mole. It was lightning fast as cats will be and amazing to watch. I'm gonna try that flushing trick. I've noticed they are really active about a day after a good rain.

The robins are already here as well. they usually show up in March...crazy winter we're having.

 

[kmcconaughey]

Denny, yes I know that!

Up my way the frost usually goes even deeper...

I've flushed out striped gophers using a garden hose. They are not happy when they pop up out of the holes.

They look quite funny all soaking wet.

 

[dfrisk]

KRAIG - My Buddy is good friends with the Brother of the guy I bought my #72 from back in Jan '81. They are BIG IH fans BTW, Did in-the-field testing work for FARMALL.

Anyhow, My Buddy told me his friend built fence the early part of January. First time he's EVER done that. They normally get 1-1/2 to 2 ft of frost around there. Post hole diggers don't work well in frozen ground.

 

[proessler]

No more activity!! H2O works & then a good WACK

with a bottom side of a shovel when the bugger comes up gasping for air & spitting! Might take alot of H2o... PWR

 

[kmcconaughey]

Paul, ah! Wack-A-Mole. Sounds like great fun! When I flushed out the striped gophers with a hose I went all out and used a 12 gauge on them.

While not a mole story this reminds me of a story my neighbor told me a few years ago. He had some pocket gophers pushing up mounds in his yard (typical occurrence in our area) and at the same time had some friends visiting from a different state who were unfamiliar with pocket gophers. They were curious what a pocket gopher looked like so he decided he would trap one to show them (not that he wasn't going to trap them anyway.) Soooo, he gets his traps, shovel and other stuff to set the traps and heads out to the yard to set the traps with his guests in tow. He gets to one of the freshly pushed up mounds, carefully lines up his spade shovel and stomps it into the ground and lifts out the soil complete with half of a pocket gopher.

His guests were quite impressed. If only it was always that easy.

 

[jbaker]

I have been told but have not tested it yet, that a crushed up flouresent light bulbs poured down their hole will chase them off.

 

[proessler]

Jeff, don't let the GREENIES see fluorescent tubes broke with all that mercury & glass, OMGosh in our Earth !

 

[ljones]

We have two windmills "designed" to chase off moles, they are WORTHLESS, firearms work much better.

 

[kmcconaughey]

The absolute best thing I've found to get rid of moles and pocket gophers is to have a red or gray fox move into the neighborhood. Over the years we have quite a few that have hung around the property for a short time. Amazing how they can make a big dent in the mole and pocket gopher population in such a short time. A few years back there was one red fox that kind of became friends with one of our cats.

One time we saw them walking side by side down the path I have mowed out through the field and on several other occasions we saw them hanging out together in the yard. Was kind of a weird sight and did make us a bit nervous for the safety of our cat. Shortly after that a neighbor shot the fox because he was worried about his chickens.

 

[proessler]

Any fox would be welcome, saw red one a few years ago close to town (2 miles away) but he got too close to the road. Coyote den about 1,500-2,000'east on hill probably keeps fox away. A yearling coyote was road kill a couple years back & ended up 200' from our driveway.One fall,even had coyote in back yard 50' from house along edge of corn field @ 8:30 AM...