Frank" "frank wrote:
On 2/11/2017 8:36 AM, Terry Coombs wrote:
Frank" "frank wrote:
On 2/10/2017 8:42 PM, Terry Coombs wrote:
I got 'em . In my gardens , in the woods , under the house , and
other places . I'm not sure what they are , whether ground
squirrels , moles , or gophers . I do know my dog (mountain cur)
loves to try to catch them , digging up their tunnels and shoving
his nose in them sniffing . These tunnels are about 2"-4" below
the surface and leave a hump - where there are a lot of them close
together the ground is soft . How do I figure out what they are ?


Sounds like moles. The only thing I found to effectively eradicate
them where phosphide based poisons put in tunnels.


Well , I'm not sure I want to eradicate them ... for many years I
used insecticide granules up here to control ticks and chiggers but
quit when we got bees 3 years ago . Since then there has been an
increase in insect life here , which is both good and bad depending
on your viewpoint . We saw very little sign of moles (assuming these
are moles ...) during that time when I was poisoning the soil . I
suspect the increase is a sign of a healthy ecosystem in the soil ,
and I also think they are benefitting the soil by loosening and
aerating it . Hey , if they wanna do my plowing for me ... but the
bottom line is that if they're not eating my plants and are eating
grubs and other invertebrates I might as well let 'em . Besides , it
may very well be impossible to get rid of them . They're all over
here in the edges of the woods , along the (dirt/gravel) roads , and
it would be a massive project .

I got rid of them because they made the lawn unsightly. I did not
mind them in the back yard but around the house it was messy. Killing
grubs with insecticide may abate them from too much damage. I guess if you
can tolerate them, let them go. I don't know how far
they will multiply.

We don't really have a "lawn" , at least not yet . Our place is basically
a clearing out in the woods about the size of a city building lot . The rest
of our 12 acres is covered with trees (oak . hickory , maples , and a few
patches of cedars) except for the power line easements .
--
Snag