After being trapped indoors for most of the winter months, spring is a time of celebration and rejoicing. With the transition from cold, gloomy weather to nice, warm temperatures also come much-needed rain and a lawn or garden one can be proud of. However, one aspect of spring will drive most lawn experts crazy: Mole and Gopher activity is back….
After all your hard work and effort to grow a luscious lawn or a beautiful garden, the last thing you want to see are tell-tell signs of mole and gopher activity. This article will discuss some myths in the world of lawn care when trying to battle these varmints.
Myth 1: Insecticides to kill all your grubs will rid you of the moles and gophers.
A long time ago, someone, somewhere, decided that moles and gophers were only in your yard to eat all your grubs. They went on to hypothesize, which they later proved with questionable logic, that buying expensive grub killers would, in turn, rid you of those underground devils. Seems too good to be true, right?
That is because it is false.
Moles and Gophers are not fussy eaters. They dine on about 100% of their body weight in insects, worms, and grubs each day. This includes earthworms, beetles, and larvae, as well as grubs. So, you can see that buying a bag of insecticide that only kills grubs will not solve your problem.
Myth 2: Sticks of gum will kill your moles and gophers.
The idea behind this one is simple. If you place a few sticks of gum (juicy fruit, Bubblicious, spearmint) in the active tunnels, the moles or gophers will be attracted to the scent and eat the gum along with the wrapper. They will not be able to digest the wrapper, which will eventually kill them.
Ok, who came up with this one, and how did they figure it out?
Once again, too good to be true because it is. Have you ever seen a pest control professional solve a mole problem with just a pack of gum? I have not either. It might work; it might not. I suppose a $2 pack of gum is cheap enough to try it, but there is no science behind this one.
Myth 3: Underground sonic waves or windmills repel them.
I have tried this one because I was inexperienced and desperate. The sonic wave spike looked cool on the shelf, I had fun driving it into the ground, and the periodic “beeeeep” was only slightly annoying. It did not equate to fewer moles or gophers, though.
Like the underground EMP defense, there is the windmill method. The windmill spins, as it is designed to do, and that spinning sends vibrations into the ground chasing away those annoying varmints. The only thing this does, without a doubt, is dress up your lawn.
Once again, the science on these two methods is out, and the results are inconclusive.
Fox urine, broken glass, human hair, pickle juice, red pepper, castor oil, human urine, car exhaust pumped into the tunnels, and flooding the tunnels are also methods that one could try to get rid of the moles and gophers. These are all myths that many people have tried but will usually do nothing to solve the problem.
At Emtec Pest Control, we are committed to safe and responsible pest control. We understand that your family’s safety is your number one priority, so we make it our priority, too.
If you have any other questions about any of these pests or pest control for your home or business, contact your Oklahoma pest control experts at Emtec Pest Control by calling us or by filling out our online contact form.