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.