From

Location

Message

Date Posted

Choctaw, OK

Hey guys..

I noticed today that something is tunneling in the dirt around my 1010 Larue Plant. Its been pushing up the soil and if i stepped there i would sink a few inches as it is really soft...the tunnels are quarter size to half dollar size. I didnt see anything running around and the plant is fine...some of the root system may have been lost however. I am just not sure what is doing this and why it is? Anyone have any insight?

Case

7/20/2006 7:17:16 PM

Western NY

moles probably

7/20/2006 7:36:48 PM

Lexington, Ky

Cut a two inch slice out of the tunnel. Make your cut parallel to the pushed up dirt. Cut as deep as you can. If it's a mole, you will see a well defined "tunnel".

7/20/2006 9:50:27 PM

Mole runs are a lot more than a quarter to half dollar size. It's something smaller.

7/20/2006 10:41:28 PM

Long Island,New York

A molette?

7/20/2006 10:57:53 PM

Choctaw, OK

LOL...molette....

Well, if it happens to be moles, are they a real problem for the root system? the fruit is growing just fine. I collapsed most of the pushed up dirt by patting it down or spraying water on it. I will see if i can find out exactly how big that tunnel is.

I have seen three snakes in the garden this year...i hope they help out a bit.

7/20/2006 11:35:44 PM

Ctpumpkin@optonline.net

Snakes are cool. They eat the mice.

7/20/2006 11:40:07 PM

Okla

If it is moles then keep checking the patch from about 9 am till about noon. That is the time here that they were most active. If you find the ground pushed up for a little distance, then when you first go out in the morning or even better the after noon before, just step all along the runs smashing it down. Smash all the runs you can and try not to leave any of it up. Then when you go out during the times I put above and just set and watch you will see them making a new run and then you know where the mole is. Have a shovel handy and dig that sucker out quick. If you have to walk a little ways to reach it, then get to where it is and just stand there ready and not move until it starts pushing dirt again. We have gotten 4 moles that ways this year. I can say our patch is mole free at this time. We tried traps and mole repellants without any luck. My wife just happened onto how to find them and dig them out to get rid of them. They will not be very deep when they are pushing the dirt making a new run or opening the one you smashed down, back up. The last one my wife saw pushing the dirt and just used her hand and raked him up out of the ground and I was standing there with a shovel by where she tossed it. All I can say is it was one dead mole when it hit the ground.
They will cut your root system all to pieces if you don't get them. That is what ended our season last year with 3 plants.

7/21/2006 12:01:00 AM

Danville, CA (petman2@yahoo.com)

I agree that traps for moles are less than effective. I have caught two, one actually in a trap for a gopher that I had left set after catching the gopher a week before and the second by doing the "dig it out" trick mentioned above. I have a creek behind me and chucked him across it. Figure he couldn't swim back nor could he dig under the creek. Caught mine at 10am so timing seems right.

7/21/2006 12:28:45 AM

San Diego

moles and gophers cause serious damage very fast, you will know if it is one. Mounded soft soil that has been pushed up is a dead give away. The small tunnel could be a young one on the move. Hopefully it is something else!

7/21/2006 1:26:08 AM

Mt.Pleasant,Iowa

Talpirid worm shaped bait works great.I had moles everywhere then I got these and in a week or 2 they were gone. If you only have a couple it would kill them in a couple days.

7/21/2006 7:28:45 AM

case,another thought would be that your worms have mutated from the Agro-K and your secret brews.

Start wearing golf shoes in the patch, walk up and down the vines, stomping as you go !

Seriously,good luck, post the pic when you get the culprit.

7/21/2006 7:41:08 AM

President - GPC

Dan, I ll agree about the Agro-K mutation but gees wouldnt that be like swatting a bull flyswatter? lol

Good Luck on your moles/voles, I know that a decon type poison works....they did that out at the Fed center and got em all quick

7/21/2006 8:57:21 AM

Choctaw, OK

Thanks for the info guys....i will see what i can do. I noticed areas i had pushed down were pushed back up again the other day...i will push some down this evening and check in the morning tomorrow.

7/23/2006 4:31:01 PM

Okla

Casey here are a couple websites to read about moles to help you understand them a little better.
http://www.themoleman.com
http://www.victorpest.com/mole_gopher_home.htm
http://www.chase-mole.com/pages/alternatives/index.html
http://www.chase-mole.com
I have tried the spray repelllents without any luck. The ONLY way to do it, is either trap them or go out and catch them to get rid of them, or they will end your growing season like they done us last year!
Last year moles, this year drought. Guess it is not meant to grow giant pumpkins here in south central part of the U.S..
Best of Luck
Thomas

7/23/2006 4:48:58 PM

Choctaw, OK

I sprayed the plant with a bunch of water and pretty much collapsed all the tunnels around the plant...i think the mole got the idea and went elsewhere...but, i will keep an eye out for more pushed up dirt around other plants.

7/26/2006 10:38:00 PM