Wire mesh to prevent gophers

[MattyB]

OK, I'm gonna start my new garden (someday) and instead of putting a wire cage in the planting hole of each palm, I think I'm gonna lay wire down over the entire garden and backfill rich dirt over the top.  This is no small feat but I think it'll result in the best protection and the best growth.  I have a few questions to anyone with experience:

1.  What is the lightest gauge wire I can use that gophers can't chew through?

2.  What is the recommened spacing or hole opening in the mesh so gophers can't crawl through.

3.  Will dicot roots be girdled and harmed as they expand through the mesh?

4.  What's the best source/product to use?

Any other ideas, experience, suggestions are welcome!

Thanks, MattyB

[Fouquieria]

I can't answer your question Matt.  On a few certain, select plants, I've pressed in chicken wire in the large holes.

However, DON'T plant 'Red Apple' groundcover.  Gophers LOVE the stuff.

-Ron-

[MattyB]

OK, that's good to know 'cause I was gonna in some spots.  I don't want those little bastards to come above ground and crawl into my fresh dirt then I'll be infected!

[Dypsisdean]

Matt,

I don't understand how laying wire, then soil over the top of the existing ground will prevent gophers from tunneling under from the side. And how will that get rid of the ones that are already there?

[MattyB]

Dean,  The plan is to fold up the edges and lay rock borders over the top to prevent gophers from breaching the "sterile" area.  I'll have to get creative in some spots where paths and trails meet and different levels collide.  Even if a gopher happens to find and sneak through a chink in the armor then I only have 1 gopher to erradicate instead of an entire colony gaining free entry.  Of course there would still be gophers underneath the mesh (similar to chicken wire in a hole) that could eat roots but they could only eat them to a certain point several feet away from the trunk and certainly not up into the growing point of the palms.  I just don't see myself digging large holes through the rock hillside and laying individual cages everytime I wanna plant a single palm.  Plus I've had excellent growth with raised beds filled with quality soil in the past so this is just expanding on that idea.

[BigFrond]

I was shocked to see some buck-tooth varmints excavating in my pristine backyard.  I have tried traps and smoke bombs before at my old house to no avail.  Right away this time, I headed straight to Home Depot and bought me a gopher poison bait.  Home Depot only have two type of baits.  Well needless to say, I bought the more expensive bait (chicken feed $).  The result was great.  Within a couple of days, I did not see any new holes or mounds.  It has been a month now and  there is no sign of the mofos.  It may be a little tough for you because you have dogs and a plantation size yard.

[Scott]

(MattyB @ May 25 2007,11:27)

QUOTE

OK, that's good to know 'cause I was gonna in some spots.  I don't want those little bastards to come above ground and crawl into my fresh dirt then I'll be infected!

Look at those nasty teeth! It just says infection.

My problem is a neighbors cat layin' out some nasty stuff, leaving an ammonia like smell.

Good luck Matt

[Tag]

This is off topic somewhat, but I wanted to share the story.  I recently purchase a bunch of seedlings from Christian.  I potted them up and put them in a shady corner on the side of my house.  I went out to check on them one afternoon and noticed that several had been partially eaten.  At first, I thought is was my dog or some type of insect.  I went to HD the next day and purchased some wire mesh to wrap around and protect them.  A few days later my wife noticed that a turtle was trying to gain access to the plants.  Luckily, the wire mesh thwarted any further attempts to eat my plants.  The turtle hung out all day until I came home and transplanted it back into the wild.

[BigFrond]

BTW, many experts said that gopher holes are only up to 2 feet deep.  This is false.  A few guys who worked on my first house told me that gophers also have a few holes as deep as 5 feet.  During the two months that they worked on my yard, they were able to exterminate 6 gophers.

[paulgila]

most rodents can squeeze their bodies thru a pretty small opening.i don't think they have any real bones ???

maybe we can catch one of the nasty critters & TRY pushing him thru different sizes of chicken wire :cool:

[MattyB]

Big Frond, how was the poison applied?  I have the dogs in a separate area so I'm not opposed to poison for this noble cause.  It makes me sad still but I'd be sadder to see a 10 foot tall Bizmarckia fall over.

[Gtlevine]

I've been trapping alot of the beasts lately. As far as the wire mesh, I have had gophers eat right through the palm heart on the surface, dig under the mesh and kill the palm. For the wire mesh to work it needs to be wrapped on the surface right up to the trunk.

Good luck Matt, but don't forget that even if you use wire mesh, stay aggressive with trapping.

Gary

[Dypsisdean]

I agree with Gary that there is no method that eliminates the need for trapping. After a while you get the technique and a sixth sense. At first I would only get about 1 for every ten traps set. But with a new technique I could show you, it got close to 9 out of ten.

As far as the bait goes. You find a tunnel, and then with a spoon put it as deeply inside as you can get it. Then you can cover it. The bait is not something that dogs and cats really have a desire for. The stuff I used was like corn or something with poison on it. However, I was most worried that a sick and dying gopher would come above ground, or be disoriented and get caught by a cat, who would then eat it.

[MattyB]

Gary's problem is precisely why I thought of doing a mass mesh laying.  If a gopher eats some roots and then hits a barrier it's gonna have to travel laterally for a long distance all the way to the edge of my property before it can then surface, walk on the surface for a distance and then burrow into my sacred area.  It seems like it's gotta defeat them or at least slow them down dramatically.

[STEVE IN SO CAL]

Don't even do the wire. I did it with a lot of the first plantings here, and I regret it. I've got a Biz that has filled in the 'basket', and I can only imagine how it's roots a re being cut as they expand in the aviary wire.

IMHO, you're over-engineering.

First of all, let's say you were able to trap all of your existing gophers. They would still return, as the youngsters are booted from their nests when old enough, and you'd be infested again. They travel at night, above ground...so let's solve this first:

Attach aviary wire to your perimeter fence(3')...and trench it in. Also, if you have any tall trees in your yard or neighborhood, install some owl boxes...these birds will do more to reduce gophers than anything else. It's their primary food source, and they're good at it.

Now to keep them from burrowing in from next door:

Rent a ditch witch, and trench around the perimeter of your property...install more aviary wire in the trenches.

There is a bulb/flower from Greece called White Squill that is a rodentcide. It is from a mediterranean climate, so it needs no irrigation(only winter rain). Plant these all around the perimeter. They are a stunning plant, so you get that benefit as well.

And finally...get good at trapping. No matter what you do, you'll need to trap sometimes. I use the Black Hole trap with great success. There are some tricks to it, and I can help with that.

While what I just wrote sounds like a lot of work, it's nothing compared to what you're planning now.

And someday, when you're really good, you can make your bride a gopher stole;;;;

[MattyB]

Steve, that picture is sad and funny.  I don't have a perimeter fence and there's no way I'm trenching 3' through rocky soil so, although it's a great idea, that's out of the question.  The above ground night walk if disturbing though...hmmmmm  I'm not sure what you're worried about w/ the Bizmarckia roots though.  The roots come out of the side of the trunk at their ultimate diameter so they're not expanding at all.  I think they'd just find their way through the mesh and on down.  Is your Bizzy showing signs of stress besides the cold you have in your arctic climate?  They walk around it night?  Really?  Sh!t!  Homey don't play dat!  I've gotta get me some gopher goblers.

[freekypalmguy]

From the pics you posted of your new home, you will probably be fighting rabbits as well (I hope not). I've had them eat Chamaedorea, Cycas, Chamaerops, Nannorrhops, and a few others. Some plants, they will just chew the frond off and leave it on the ground (after they figure out they don't like the taste ) So, anything small and tender I put a ring of chicken wire around (about 2' high) untill the plant is established and larger, then they don't bother them. For gophers and squirrels I use poison and wire traps from Home Depot. The key is to be persistant. I usually take my morning walk (java in hand) and if I find any new activity, I place a trap immediately. Also get yourself a good pellet gun.

[BS Man about Palms]

I HATE GOPHERS AND THEY PROBABLY THE BIGGEST THING I WILL FEAR ONCE I START PLANTING...  I SUSPECT I WILL HAVE RED EYES FROM STAYING UP ALL NIGHT WITH A PELLET GUN.

Or bees, dunno which

[paulgila]

yer gonna plant something?

[Jeff Searle]

(MattyB @ May 25 2007,13:38)

QUOTE

OK, I'm gonna start my new garden (someday) and instead of putting a wire cage in the planting hole of each palm, I think I'm gonna lay wire down over the entire garden and backfill rich dirt over the top.  This is no small feat but I think it'll result in the best protection and the best growth.  I have a few questions to anyone with experience:

1.  What is the lightest gauge wire I can use that gophers can't chew through?

2.  What is the recommened spacing or hole opening in the mesh so gophers can't crawl through.

3.  Will dicot roots be girdled and harmed as they expand through the mesh?

4.  What's the best source/product to use?

Any other ideas, experience, suggestions are welcome!

Thanks, MattyB

Matt,

 I can suggest something......MOVE!

Jeff

[paulgila]

don't say that,jeff! i single-handedly moved all those belongings & i don't wanna have to do it again

[BS Man about Palms]

single-handedly? ??? I think Jen would argue that.

[DoomsDave]

(Fouquieria @ May 25 2007,14:13)

QUOTE

I can't answer your question Matt.  On a few certain, select plants, I've pressed in chicken wire in the large holes.

However, DON'T plant 'Red Apple' groundcover.  Gophers LOVE the stuff.

-Ron-

Egad!

Something destroys "Red Apple"?  Glad to know something can . . .

dave