BEST GOPHER SOLUTION

[@GregSr]

Just yesterday I had an experience with a gopher. I was walking my dog through a small park and noticed new holes and piles of fresh dirt. My dog is a 7 year old Siberian Husky. She noticed the new holes also. As it turns out, her gopher tracking skills are very impressive. She became very focused on the smells and sounds coming from below the grass. She was just frozen in one spot and listening intently. I didn't think a gopher would poke its head out of one of the holes while we were standing there. Then suddenly my dog lunged at a hole and in the blink of an eye she had an adult gopher in her mouth. Then one second later I hear a crunch sound and she drops the gopher on the ground. It was mortally wounded and died in about 5 seconds. Then my dog acts like nothing happened and walks away. I underestimated my dog's hunting skills!

[@thecatofnineswords]

Sooooo fresh gopher for dinner then?

[@dcocz3908]

Same dogs with rats, after its dead lets go and play

[@brendonperkins8349]

Wolf instincts intensifies!!!

[@arboristBlairGlenn]

Great story, thanks.

[@tomispandacuddle]

Tbf the gopher had it coming

[@TheFrogfeeder]

I bought some gopher deterrent flares a month ago… not knowing anything about them and thinking there was some actual active ingredient besides sulfur smoke…so basically I bought a 4 pack of half sized road flares with a picture of a gopher on the packaging, for 3 times what regular full sized road flares cost…. Lesson learned

[@kenreynolds1000]

Did that too. 1/10 sized. They burn for less than a minute from what I saw. I did kill one, based on result, but it was spendy.

[@mikebowen1110]

Q a​@@kenreynolds1000a2 mi

[@johnbrownspiers8242]

That is a hell of an image of your father sitting out there in his garden just waiting for gophers to appear. Sounds like it was quite restorative for him as well

[@arboristBlairGlenn]

My dad. Yep. He loved his garden. Had a whole acre of veg. Watered it with flood irrigation through ditches by turning on the well pump. Fed a lot of people. We had about 4 acres of plums and just about every kind of fruit tree you could imagine. Grew barley out back.

[@ryanbeard1119]

What caliber?

[@gandalfgreyhame3425]

The BEST ever solution that I ever came up with was to plant an entire hillside full of gophers and gopher holes with oleander. Once the oleander roots established themselves all over the hillside, the gophers disappeared, poisoned, probably, by the roots. I tried these gas flares, gopher bait stations, even bought a gopher snake (I released it onto the hill where it promptly slithered away, never to be seen again). This was in southern California, land of mudslides and wildfires, and getting rid of the gophers was absolutely critical to keep the hill from sloughing off in a mudslide.

[@arboristBlairGlenn]

Interesting to hear how gophers could be responsible for a slide.

[@gandalfgreyhame3425]

@@arboristBlairGlenn During the rainy season, water would seep into the gopher holes and run through their tunnel network and saturate the top layer of the soil. If the groundcover was not deeply rooted, the entire layer of ground cover could slough off with the top layer of soil at the level of the gopher tunnels - this happened to a neighbor across the street from us - his backyard was a hillside covered with ivy groundcover, and one rainy season, the entire layer just sloughed off into the backyard of the people down below him. He blamed it on the gopher tunnels in his hillside. One of the other neighbors had a gopher thumper on his hillside, which was an electronic device that thumped the ground intermittently to startled the gophers and supposedly drive them off. I never tried this because I figured the gophers would just get used to this device, like a scarecrow. The other good thing about the oleanders was that they had really deep roots that helped to tack the top layer of soil down and not get loose during rain season.

[@stuckgrenadepin.225]

@@arboristBlairGlenn similar thing that is a problem with the nutria in Louisiana. They burrow into the levees and weaken them.

[@andyroubik5760]

I like your approach. No killing and organic. You are also creating habitat for other animals. Spread your wisdom!

[@chas4life]

I have an entire hedge row of mature oleander trees and the gophers are wreaking havoc on the lawn within feet of those trees. I think they know better, sadly.

[@tymz-r-achangin]

Loved hearing you tell the story about your dad. My grandpa had a1939 Ford 9N tractor and would hook up a hose to the exhaust pipe to give gophers and moles a permanent nap. My job was getting to use the pitch fork when we would see one trying to make a run for it. Will never forget the time and neither did my grandpa when he went to stomp on a mole at the same time I was thrusting down the pitch fork. That was the first time I heard my grandpa, who was a big man that worked in the boiler room at the paper mill, scream like a girly boy lol ... and yeah I know, who can blame him, right :)

[@KXNNXDY_]

This story made my day dude thanks

[@arboristBlairGlenn]

Enjoying these stories, thanks

[@frimmbits]

Ouch 😅😅😅

[@darinthune6728]

My grandpa did the same with a Ford 641 tractor, have a piece of flex pipe on the exhaust and into the gopher holes. We are farmers and he couldn't stand gopher mounds in his hay fields. Many hours spent gassing the gophers and his Golden Lab, Skip, taking care of any runners.

[@guineapiglady2841]

You people are sick!!!!

[@bxb590]

This process works great for ground moles and voles too. I used my shop vac to generate the needed wind. This year, I had none.

[@arboristBlairGlenn]

👍🏻👍🏻

[@chrisryan8863]

Would you mind following up if you had moles return the following season? I would think it would either kill them or drive them away for that time period but how would it prevent them from returning in the future?

[@williamogilvie6909]

When I had gophers in my back yard the method I used to get rid of them was to first push a plastic tube down the opened tunnel, as far as it would go. I aimed for 6-8 feet. Then I poured gas down the tube. Before pulling the tube out, I blew any gas left in the tube out. Then I lit a sulphur smoker and shoved it in the tunnel. I quickly buried the hole with a few shovels of dirt and stamped it down. Within a minute, the fuel - air mixture in the tunnel would explode, with a loud thump! noise. Any gophers that survived would go back to the neighbor's yard. It would be a year or more before they came back.

[@freddyrosenberg9288]

That's a good way to blow up a hole in your yard. There's a video of guy doing that with those results.

[@williamogilvie6909]

@@freddyrosenberg9288 You might be thinking about the Bill Murray movie, "Caddy Shack". The gophers I had dug long tunnels to get into my yard. When the gas exploded, it blew out all the plugs the gophers had put in and likely hurled a few scorched gophers a ways. I would sometimes see a gopher stick his head out of his hole in the next yard.

[@aufait-]

That's a great idea, but didn't the gasoline kill any of your trees or plants?

[@aufait-]

And how much gas does it take and what dimension was the tube and what's a sulphur smoker?

[@williamogilvie6909]

@@aufait- it never killed any trees. I used a 1/2" id tube, about 10 feet long. It has to be straight and rigid enough to go deep into the tunnel. Sometimes the hose bumps into the side of the tunnel and won't go in all the way. When that happens, I pull It out a bit and push It in a few times until it goes in 6 - 8 feet. It only takes about a cup of gas. I used an old style metal gas can that had a plastic air vent just the right size for the hose. After pouring in about a cup of gas, I would blow through the tube to empty out any gas, so it wouldn't dribble out when I withdrew the hose. Hardware stores sell gopher smokers. They look like highway flares. I would light one and put it in the tunnel with the fuse end sticking into the tunnel and quickly cover it. I fill 8n the hole and stomp it down. Within a minute, there is a loud whoomp! underground. Doom for all gophers.

[@roryk.3568]

When we were kids my friends uncle had a farm. One day he called my buddy and told him to grab me few buddies and head over to his farm. About an hour he met us at the main gate and handed each one of us a 22 rifle that didn't have one. He told each one of us where to stand ans spread us out in a long line. Then he over to the irrigation head and turned the valve on. Soon we realized the hose was going right into a gopher hole. Soon water started flowing out as the smoke did in your video. Soon the gophers followed. That was probably the single best couple days of gopher hunting I've ever experienced in 50yrs. We had about 30 acres of gophers to get rid of so he could get his cattle back in their.

[@robburton3255]

Great alternative to poisons. There are a lot of owls and hawks that fall victim to poisoned gophers. I try my best to avoid that. I love this simple idea. Trapping is a pain.

[@imonittonite]

This video put me on the road to ending the destruction from gophers, and digger squirrels on my farm. It's cheap, easy, and effective. Next I will be trying the AMDRO gopher gassers. They are cheaper than flares, just as easy to use, and made for the purpose. Thanks Blair. Merry Christmas.

[@arboristBlairGlenn]

Good luck

[@gheerock4077]

​@@arboristBlairGlenn did it work, did the critters die? otherwise, this is jus another American Bull$sh!t story-a typical American traits-that's why American Made Ford cars are garbage-made by lazy folks in the factory-its true i caught them napping instead of working.

[@cat_luver16]

Yeah because they are the destructive ones 😂😂😂

[@Zaaxun]

Genius!! 😂. I work at a college taking care of the baseball and soccer fields and it's a nightmare getting rid of these things. It's absolutely caddyshack, if I had dynamite I'd use it. We have dozens and dozens of them. I'm going to try this thanks! 😊

[@rhondaparr5739]

Damn varmint cong

[@jayschafer1760]

Just tell the baseball coach that you have a new drill for his team to try, "Whack a mole/gopher," with smoke and baseball bats. 😁

[@convertino5oh987]

Did it work for you?

[@Javelina_Poppers]

My dad used to run a metal flex hose from the tailpipe of his old truck and just let it idle all day. Periodically he'd put a squirt of oil in the carburetor to create more smoke so he could see all the openings. One days treatment usually solved the gopher problem for a good while.

[@tomcaldwell5914]

I’ve done this and it does work, but as stated, go to the freshest pile first and follow up as needed. The first time I did it, I was shocked at the smoke pouring out of the holes, and even in a spot where there was no visible hole but obviously where the pocket gopher was close to busting through the surface. For me it was the best alternative to poisons, because I have a dog and would never expose him to anything that might cause great harm.

[@arboristBlairGlenn]

It is interesting to see just how many tunnels are connected. The smoke comes to the soil showing the whole network.

[@tomcaldwell5914]

@@arboristBlairGlenn It sure is interesting. You probably have made a lot of people happy after watching your video. Thanks!

[@qwertykeyboard5901]

Don't forget: Poisons also travel up the food chain, causing a giant mess.

[@willgaukler8979]

... safer than using poison for same effect ...

[@RataRevolution666]

@@arboristBlairGlenn Gracias por su útil información. Había fabricado este otoño un artilugio con una olla exprés vieja y con un pequeño y barato compresor conectado a élla que introduzca aire. No pude ponerlo a funcionar porque el tiempo no acompañó... pero tenía pensado quemar hierba compostada que hace mucho humo, pero no sé me había ocurrido que debería contaminar mucho más ese humo y que dure más. Gracias a su video me he dado cuenta que hay que contaminar más ese humo. Le añadiré algo de aceite y diesel... luego mientras funcione el compresor, mi perro y yo haremos el trabajo sucio por si sale alguna gopher fuera. Lo siento por éllas pero han acabado con 3 robles de 3 diferentes especies de 22 años y algún otro más joven, y acabarán con todos si no controlo esta plaga que aumenta de año en año. Me va a dar mucha pena. 🙂

[@harleyb.birdwhisperer]

We used a lawn mower. Took off the muffler, adapted the exhaust to a garden hose, and stuck the free end of the hose down the tunnel and left the mower running for 1/2 hour. Cheaper than flares, just a bit of gas.

[@justdoingitjim7095]

Glad you found a solution for your problem. Mine was a lot bigger, 3 acres of mole hills. When looking at it from the Google Earth satellite view it looking like miniature multiple B-17 bombing runs across the yard! Over the years I tried almost everything I heard of, but it wasn't until I researched it online and saw the "Molinator Trap" in action. So, I bought two and put them to work. I caught 7 moles on the first day I used them. I caught a few more each day after that until a week later I wasn't catching any. But, I wasn't seeing any new mole hills anymore either. I raked all of the existing mole hills down level and just kept an eye out, because I knew they'd be back. When I saw a new hill I'd put in a trap and catch it. Now I see maybe 3 or 4 new hills a year as new moles from neighboring acreage wander over looking to expand using existing (but empty) mole tunnels. A word of warning to anyone who might use this. Anchor your traps with a sturdy stake driven in the ground and attached with a stout cord! While you might have the occasional mole try to drag the trap he's caught in back into the tunnel, your biggest danger is cats smelling the mole you caught and taking it AND YOUR TRAP away to eat it under some bush. I found this out the hard way! The nice thing about the trap is it's made completely of stainless, so it never rusts!

[@kasdanasal]

My company uses a professional product based on the same technology as highway flares (albeit sized more appropriately). In my opinion it would be preferable to insert the flare and seal the hole back up, rather than use a leaf blower or similar mechanism. The reason for this is that the gas from the flare will propagate throughout the network due to fluid dynamics. A leaf blower is only going to pump fresh air into the tunnels alongside the smoke. While I'm sure for most applications this is fine, when dealing with an extensive network of tunnels you may be undercutting the flare's ability to do its job.

[@paulvolk5446]

We had a neighbor who would walk his alfalfa field hunting gopher holes. He's stop, scratch away the dirt, pour some gasoline in the hole then stand up set the gas can aside and drop a stick match in the hole and put his boot over the hole. The dirt would spew out all over at the explosion. We always thought he'd blow himself to kingdom come, but he was relentless on those gophers and it seemed to work.

[@arboristBlairGlenn]

Gas in the soil Might not be good for the crops

[@brian6152]

Wow I hope no kids read this comment.

[@codysp]

My grandpa taught me this technique for ground squirrels on our farm. Even used it on a badger once.

[@GrocMax]

Try a lb of calcium carbide pellets+water+plugging all exits. We had large, destructive moles. Works great. And for extra fun wait a half hour then throw a match down a hole. Calcium carbide and water produce lots of acetylene, used in old fashioned miner's safety lamps, and Union Carbide's first product.

[@whitag01]

Works for moles too. I stomped down all the tunnels, then found the new ones the next day. Lit the flare and stuck it in the tunnel from the surface and covered it up. Smoke arising from all over the yard was spooky. Did this for a cpl of days and no more issues

[@toddburgess6792]

No blower? That'd be great, as I HATE leaf blowers and don't own one.

[@whitag01]

@@toddburgess6792 no blower

[@2olvets443]

Will they stay lit if the O2 is burned up?

[@whitag01]

@@2olvets443 didn't seem to be a problem

[@jimj9040]

@@2olvets443If smoke is coming up all over your yard that means there’s an air exchange. As that smoke comes out, what’s rushing in to fill the void? Fresh air…enough to keep a flare going at least.

[@unlisted773]

Just did this for moles. Three flares and the blower end of my car vacuum. Saw sulfur smoke popping up all over my yard. There must be carnage down below now. 👍🙂 Thanks for the tip!

[@arboristBlairGlenn]

My pleasure

[@georgesheffield1580]

I use snakes ,especially rattle snakes . Solves neighbor problems too .

[@kj7792]

Really bro 😮 why not get a better snake to stick in there

[@patricksnyder3446]

I prefer an adapter attached to my car exhaust that has a port where the garden hose attaches ! Slide the unattached end of the hose into the tunnel pack the dirt around the hose fire up the vehicle and let it run for 15-20 minutes pull the hose out pack the gopher entrance with remaking dirt and it’s done nice and neat!

[@MrRoundel]

I've used the flares over the past couple of years. It does work. But I haven't used the blower trick. Great idea. If I get to them when they are first trying to infiltrate the area, I get my point across and the problem disappears for a long time.

[@MrRoundel]

BTW, I used the flares in order to minimize the chances of a "friendly" predator getting poisoned. Thanks for the video.

[@arboristBlairGlenn]

Blower on low volume to push the fumes through this system is key. Not too hard or it will blow out the flame. Good luck!!

[@skiMTB]

I LOVE the idea that your dad has... just wait with a 6 pack and a .22!

[@michaeldougfir9807]

My brother in law, a rancher, uses the propane trick in my sistet's very large garden. Yes Blair it can start a fire. So, either my sister or I stand by with a charged hose. This has been very successful. And fun!

[@PowerTom286]

Besides the fire risk, you can't just blow up your customer's lawn and flower beds, hehehe!

[@arboristBlairGlenn]

I have seen that technique being done at the school field. Very loud!

[@jhandy4161]

I've used this method as well. You know you got some when you smell burnt hair.

[@pnwRC.]

I remember the school custodian performing mole control on the sports fields! The school had a 20 year old, used up pick up truck for the custodian that was in charge of the landscaping. He'd dig up a mole hole, & put the hose form the exhaust in said hole, & start that ole smoke generator of a truck. After 5-10 minutes, he'd shut off the truck, & remove the hose, quickly filling the opening with dirt. When he first began doing this, the sports filed was a wreck with more mole hills than grass. After a few weeks of these shenanigans' there were hardly any new mole hills in the fields. As the population thinned out, he'd do this task less & less. The next year during the off season, he re-seeded the patchy areas of the fields, & we had beautiful sports fields again!

[@heresmytake2782]

Great idea. I will try this for gophers and moles. Thank you!

[@frenchcreekvalley]

That has been working for me. The local fireworks store even sells a particular kind of smoke bomb for this purpose. I don't even use the lawn blower, by the way. I simply poke the lit flare or smoke bomb into the hole and cover the entry so the pressure of the flare or bomb itself pushes the smoke thru the tunnels.

[@lst141]

My grand pa had his garden full of gophers mounds. He would use sulphur cartridges, no evail, until one day I took the family small 8mm shotgun and I posted myself beside the mound. At 3 o’oclock of(every day it happened, at least in France) the afternoon the mound started pulsating. One shot one gopher. I got the second one the following day. For some years we had no more trouble.

[@bertblue9683]

I'll give this a try. This winter, I had really good luck, good fortune, to stumble upon two with a fresh hole, unplugged. And within a minute or two, the peckerwoods showed their mugs and I shot them with my 22. Been fighting them for decades here and will give your method a try

[@mechengineer4894]

Steve Inman did a parody play by play of a nut that used way too much propane flooding a network of gopher tunnels. When he ignited it, his entire yard bulged out like a mini Mount St. Helen's and tore up his entire yard.

[@arboristBlairGlenn]

Need that link

[@chas4life]

I have been dealing with this starting about 3 weeks ago, and as much as I try to flood them out they never surface. In fact, some of the holes never even fill up - its like there is a vast cavern down there and I am pumping wayyyy more water into the ground that I think is a good idea. Plus I heard that water just softens up the ground and makes it more attractive to new tunnel building. So I'm going to try your method - it sounds like a better plan. And I am with your dad - HATE these gophers!

[@arboristBlairGlenn]

@@chas4life get em!!

[@ankereisenman4824]

On the highway construction project I work on, they plumb the exhaust from a small engine from one of the water pumps or something, and let it idle for hours to get rid of all the prairie dogs in a huge area. They denied my request to hunt them instead, said that since we have live traffic it was too risky!

[@lashonereleford7809]

Missouri here. I have electronic spikes throughout the perimeter of yard but I suppose the batteries have gone out. I'm going to try this as I see mounds all over the back of my yard. The most moist area. The only problem is, my leaf blower has no idle....once you turn it on, it's blowing like a hurricane. I'd have to purchase both the backpack blower and the flares.

[@arboristBlairGlenn]

Or you can borrow one

[@DanEBoyd]

You might be able to aim most of the air-blast away from the hole, with only a small bit of the air entering the hole. If you can get a car back there, just get some large hose, and route the exhaust into the tunnels.

[@Einwetok]

Or get a cheap electric one.

[@yetisdeuce1315]

Just use the exhaust or blower port of a shop-vac

[@suzisaintjames]

One commenter suggested a hair dryer. Be worth a try before spending $100! 💕🌞🌵😷

[@samuelscorso4820]

Blair, my Ent brother, trickster, gentle mentor, thank you for this and the hundreds of other real life skill shares. You are a treasure! PS- would dry ice under an inverted bucket work? Might be nice to not saturate the soil, the food chain with toxic compounds…

[@arboristBlairGlenn]

Very interesting idea! Try it and let me know. How about dry ice in a bucket of water for mouse control in an attic or basement? I like how you think!

[@Chiberia]

Sulfur isn't toxic... it's a standard chemical used to manage pH in soils

[@sampowell8472]

I have used dry ice on ground hogs. The gas is heavy. Cover the hole and they all just go to sleep.

[@davecarver1715]

I love your spirit and how you communicate well with others and I just wanted to give you two thumbs up then Keep On Keepin On

[@arboristBlairGlenn]

Thanks Dave, missed this comment last year😬

[@johnl4540]

You've shared a socially acceptable solution to a problem, but I'd rather use the 22. lol Thanks for sharing!

[@arboristBlairGlenn]

Yeah, that’s satisfying IF they pop their heads up and you’re ready.

[@wayneessar7489]

An orchard supplier here sells a propane tank, filling wand and sparker, it fills the tunnels with gas then you ignite it. Best on more open land I imagine.

[@arboristBlairGlenn]

That can start a fire

[@wayneessar7489]

@@arboristBlairGlenn I think the prey is Columbia ground squirrel so maybe the exploding is just for stress relief for the farmer or orchardist. I know nothing about it personally. Have the friends over for beer and propane?

[@Gordon_L]

@@wayneessar7489 Sounds like a good way to aerate the soil ;-)

[@wayneessar7489]

@@Gordon_L Of yes!

[@need100k]

Sounds like fun but I wouldn't want that kind of liability if I were the one selling that.

[@bigdog1150]

I tried flares for 2 years. All it did was drive them next door. They were back within a few months. Now I wait for new mounds, dig into the tunnel network and set lethal traps. Working much better.

[@Icansee4you]

A blow dryer will work just as well or any vacuum that can blow out the back. You just want to get some air moving through they're tunnels. I've used the mole and gopher bombs thay sell at the hardware store They work pretty well, I'll try a flare next time see how that works.

[@stevezastrow9252]

In the thumbnail, I thought you had a stick of dynomite. I was like, yeah, I saw caddyshack too.

[@UtiNo6]

Saw the thumbnail and thought "oh boy! We're blowing up gophers with TNT!!" Not as explosive but not disappointed.

[@danburch9989]

Your video convinced me that those gopher smoke bombs are not large enough to smoke the entire network. Road flares have more "endurance" to smoke the entire network.

[@arboristBlairGlenn]

And they are not expensive

[@aussiefarmer8741]

I'm glad we don't have them over here, we have enough vermin to deal with. You have my sympathy my friend. Well done.

[@_DB.COOPER]

I use a Remington model 700 BDL 3006, 165 grain.

[@byronw6606]

awesome idea, we have a serious gopher problem in our yard and I've been looking for an idea that I can use and not worry about our dog getting into poison or traps.

[@arboristBlairGlenn]

It works

[@plushprince1020]

I do this but with a shop vacuum. Put the hose on the discharge. Instant blower. Take a water bottle with the bottom end cut off and tape it over the hose with the cap side of the bottle in the front. It seals the opening of the hole.

[@michaelsmif]

Wow. I’ve never seen that trick. I really hope it works. . . . We’ve been at war with gophers here in the Santa Cruz Mountains for years. They wreak havoc on our young fruit trees, and I’ve tried just about everything. . . . This approach may not be as fun as my Rodenator, but it’s simpler, cheaper, safer and a whole lot quieter. I’ll give it a try. Thanks.

[@arboristBlairGlenn]

Never a permanent solution but I did it on my lawn with great results.

[@arboristBlairGlenn]

How did it work?

[@anth115]

​@@arboristBlairGlenn if there weren't permanent solutions for pests then every house hold would have rats mice and gophers living in it. Exclusion is permanent when done right. In your case if done right it can last a long time when you smoke them out.

[@jonathanlanglois2742]

I had one that was trying to make a home under my front porch. I packed gravel real hard in a trench, and on top of that, I laid concrete squares that I had. There's a hedge just in front of that which basically leaves no space at all for them to dig.

[@arboristBlairGlenn]

Can be frustrating

[@alanrobinson4318]

Can a hair dryer, set on low temp, also provide the requisite air supply ? Not everyone has a leaf blower, but a hair dryer is cheap and easy to acquire.

[@Chris-Fennimore]

Thank you for the tip! We just bought a 40 acre Homestead in North Florida, that has signs (mounds) of Pocket Gophers. I'm gonna give this method a shot. 👍😎👍 Any tips on getting rid of Prickly Pear Cactus?

[@arboristBlairGlenn]

Welders gloves, a heavy jacket and a cool day

[@Einwetok]

Hit em with a torch to burn off the spines first.

[@stuckgrenadepin.225]

Find some ambitious kids. I used to make a killing over the spring summer and winter breaks in school digging out prickly pear. I have no idea why anyone ever thought that made a good decorative plant, but it sure helped a poor kid like me sock away a little pocket money for the next few months.

[@phillpauley6672]

I like the propane/explosion way better. It's much more gratifying.

[@donthespotter6550]

I poured used cat litter down all the holes and they were gone

[@lwilton]

Good to know! I've got gophers and ground squirrels infesting my yard. I'll have to try this. BTW, a very long time ago, in the 1950s, you used to be able to buy cyanide sticks to get rid of gophers. They worked like highway flares, but was somewhat more toxic.

[@johnfranks5369]

What I do is I find as many of the opening as I can then I cover them up except on in the middle of all of them. Then I light the flare and put it in the one opening as far as I can then I cover it up. Most Gophers sleep in the day time and come out at night. So doing this in the day time will catch them sleeping and will kill them. I have done this four different times in four different yards. It has worked every time

[@ernietrott3529]

My brother and I done this. Used a flare and pie tin. Haven't seen a gopher in over 20 yrs. No holes either.

[@nonyadamnbusiness9887]

I taught my dog to dig down from a fresh mound to the main tunnel so I can set a spring gopher trap in each side. An hour later we go back and the dog has a snack waiting for him. We killed thirteen when I bought my land two years ago and haven't seen one since.

[@edb3877]

Another way to do this is to get a lb. or so of dry ice, chip off some ice-cube sized pieces, put them in the holes, and cover the hole with dirt. CO2 is not breathable either and it is heavier than air, so tends to stay in the tunnel system for a while. There won't be much "smoke" from this unless the ground is pretty wet, so not all that visible. Agree that moles and gophers do not like the smell of the dead bodies of other critters in their tunnel systems, so I always bury the bodies of any that I have trapped in the tunnel system. Good way to dispose of them.

[@arboristBlairGlenn]

And you have had success with the dry ice?

[@SeanSalas]

I don’t have a yard… but I watched this & enjoyed it.. why? Lol recommend it he’ll watch ANYTHING!😂

[@ElectricityTaster]

I would get my uncle to sit on one of the holes, feed him beans, and wait.

[@arboristBlairGlenn]

😳

[@woodson21]

Man I wish you tube was around back in the day (not really but for this I’ll allow it), I would love to have a video of your dad sitting there, crushing beers and popping any gopher who sticks his head up.

[@johnmartin992]

I use to do the same thing here with the woodchucks. But did it at dusk then capped the holes overnight.

[@unclefrogy743]

the flare would be better then the gas engine exhaust especially an old smokey engine. that is similar to a sulfur candle once a common device sold at hardware stores to get rid of rats and mice and other things under houses and enclosed spaces. nice thing about using burning sulfur after the smoke settles out it will just be another soil amendment and harmless unlike other pesticides like the common bates sold for gophers which would remain toxic for some time and dangerous and attractive for other animals

[@arboristBlairGlenn]

Agreed

[@Glasher1]

Just being curious but what about two flares and a hand-held hair drier? My thought would be that there would still be ample pressure yet more dense sulfur smoke. The smoke may just take slightly longer to permeate the tunnels, but much thicker .

[@robertfree8682]

I believe you are correct about the pressure and density of the smoke. I have been killing burrowing rats and voles for years on my place in the Puget Sound area. I've used road flares and the Gopher Gasser flares. My fan is a little rechargeable hand-held fan from Amazon. It's one of those little personal cooling fans. I use its lowest setting and it moves the smoke into the tunnels just fine. After smoking the entry hole I close it up with some dirt so if anything survived I can tell.

[@wrecks2007]

Not sure but I'm guessing that should not be done if there are any edible plants nearby.

[@arboristBlairGlenn]

Not sure but I would guess it’s not an issue.

[@geekay4703]

"Check me if I'm wrong Blair but if I kill all the golfers they're gonna lock me up and throw away the key." Bill Murray in Caddyshack

[@arboristBlairGlenn]

👍🏻

[@wompwomp9]

Good information. I really enjoy learning from you.

[@jcraigshelton]

Your dad was wicked smart! When done at night, this will take care of yellowjackets too. You don’t need the blower for that but just put the fusee in the hole and let it run. Gases them to death.

[@debbie2011]

Those gophers can really destroy a nice lawn. Good to know this technique.

[@stuffbywoody5497]

I've got a few expired maritime flares that I'll use to try this out. We got a rat problem this year and they have tunneled under the shed.

[@arboristBlairGlenn]

Easy to do

[@mustangtonto5862]

Great idea. Will it work for ground hogs?

[@tymz-r-achangin]

So does ground hogs have to breath air into their lungs to stay alive? Well, there's your answer for if the smoke and toxins from the flare will work on groundhogs.

[@markspc1]

That was a great way the get rid of gopher. I use an old lawn edger. I mix half cup of motor oil in the gasoline and put the exhaust in the gopher hole. Let it run until the tank goes dry. It gets rid of gophers for a whole year !

[@jimmyers264]

Mom told me that my grandfather used his old Model A exhaust. After a while he noticed smoke coming up in the vacant lot across the street. Can't help but wonder if the flare is necessary? Would the exhaust from the blower motor or an old lawnmower work as well?

[@arboristBlairGlenn]

The flare is convenient and requires no set up.

[@josea5949]

I used to do this same thing. However I would close up all the holes starting at the far end til I got back to the newest hole. If they didn't come out, the smoke would get them.

[@kevinsantascott3688]

I used to do this too, but I always used my garden hose down the hole to make the hole be wet and not let smoke seep into dirt. 30 min flare works best. But 15 min ones work great too.

[@jimpeel]

I used to work in Aerospace and we machined magnesium. I would take a handful of the magnesium chips, stuff them down the hole, light them on fire, and then blow the white-hot gases down the hole by putting my vacuum cleaner on blow. Worked like a charm.

[@arboristBlairGlenn]

Same concept but magnesium is a bit more expensive than a Highway flare

[@jimpeel]

@@arboristBlairGlenn I got it for free.

[@ianwilkinson5069]

Do this on or adjacent to any property I own and Its not really that hard to take a shot from 900-1100 yards, the best part is they wouldnt have any forensic data. There are things you can do to make sure the bullet fragments on impact and nothing can be recovered from it.

[@CoalCreekCroft]

I've got LOTS of pocket gophers and only this week had one pull down a big sunflower and destroy some bean plants. Hoping that was, as my idea, a stick of dynamite (local Feed & Grain don't stock it, however). Collateral damage might be too much so will just let my cats continue to hook 'em out like popcorn.

[@arboristBlairGlenn]

Give this a try

[@CoalCreekCroft]

@@arboristBlairGlenn May do so. I still like the dynamite idea for the spectacle itself. Bunch of spoilsports around here (Landowner, neighbor cattle ranch, county deputies, etc.). Cheers.

[@johnossendorf9979]

Wow! Look at you kneeling like a guy with virtually no arthritis! I'm jealous! It's all on me for not listening to older guys years ago when they told me I would regret abusing my body, but I was a young guy and thought I was invulnerable.

[@keithwood6459]

I tried this some years back. Worked pretty well. None since then.

[@buckdashe2571]

My neighbor used to call gophers “nature’s little aerate machines.” My cat called them”lunch.”

[@VictoriaAnnan-s5s]

I love your channel

[@arboristBlairGlenn]

Thanks. I try hard to keep my videos different and with unique content for those of us who love trees.

[@peedee4065]

Excellent video, thanks! Things that annoy me are when posters wanna wax philosophical before they actually show the solution; puhleez, just show us the good stuff immediately. Additionally, I appreciate your voiceover commentary: you're showing us what to do while telling us the various considerations. Wish more videos were like this.

[@1ntwndrboy198]

I used cotton balls with a little peppermint oil in their tunnels. Rodents are allergic to mint. I also grow mint.👍

[@arboristBlairGlenn]

Great idea! I’m going to pass that on to my clients. I would like to collect all the different ideas for this invasive critter.

[@shirleybalinski4535]

We used a VW & a hose years ago on the lawn.

[@LoonyDoll]

If I had gophers, they'd be safe. I'd be laughing too hard to do anything with them, since I imagine every time I think about them, I'll remember this anecdote...

[@JT-ir6vw]

Man i loved back in the day sittin out with the .22 blastin those lil bastards while my dad drank beer on porch. Good times!

[@Obliticus]

So what effect does the sulfur have on your garden soil? In general sulfur is pretty toxic... is it really that much better than the poisons?

[@glasstuna]

It does acidify the soil and too much of it can kill plants but this small amount won't harm the soil.

[@jbw9999]

Wouldn't smoke bomb fireworks work too? They're a bit cheaper than road flares I think.

[@arboristBlairGlenn]

Highway flairs are pretty cheap and there is a lot of smoke but maybe? Try it and let me know.

[@kpny8484]

I wonder if this will work for moles too.

[@PowerTom286]

Hi Blair. That's a great way to bruise them off.

[@Michael_the_muffinman]

I have moles in my yard. I’m ordering some flares now. Hopefully it works.

[@Bill-YellowDogWelding]

Apply something that kills grubs. No food, no moles. They will be your neighbors problem.

[@Michael_the_muffinman]

@@Bill-YellowDogWelding I just got a bug spray to connect to my hose. I have a dog so I’m waiting to put it down before I go out of town for a weekend. I’ll have to check the bottle if it kills grubs I was originally thinking killing bugs that will get on my dog. Plus I live in costal Virginia so anything we can do to prevent chemicals in the water is important around here.

[@josephastier7421]

Use that leaf blower AND your truck exhaust. If that doesn't stop the gophers it will at least slow them down.

[@greenmantis2158]

I have a Milwaukee vacuum. That will work nicely

[@raphlvlogs271]

it will also help biologists better study animal behaviours.

[@choochootrain7540]

Will the flares, the smoke affect the fruit trees? The mounds of dirt are within 1-2 ft from the fruit tree. I want to try this method, but I’m afraid it will damage the roots of the fruit trees. Anyone have a suggestion? Thank you

[@wolfmantroy6601]

Cyanide pill in a dixie cup with a little water in the bottom. Place the cup in fresh gopher hole and cover with grass. Cyanide gas is heavy. Kills them great.

[@88SC]

I got bit by a gopher when I was about five - lucky it wasn’t rabid. Our orange ginger cat, named “Bogasso”, had one cornered and was sitting there nonchalantly, while it had nowhere to run. I stupidly reached for the gopher and and it layed my finger open! It was my own fault, but I do get a little satisfaction seeing its brethren getting dispatched like this.

[@arboristBlairGlenn]

Made me laugh. Thought of that KZbin video about the two boys “you bit me Charlie”.

[@avstryker]

Used to do the same thing with our old Farmall tractor.

[@heregulmithal7063]

I have used a water hose and when they popped up , whack with the shovel.