I didn't really respect the damage a gopher could do.  We did plant most trees in gopher baskets, but even then, the critters got to them.  I have lost so many treasured trees by planting them in ground.  Hey!  This is the climate they love!  And there are the owls and the other predators!

But while JD and I sleep, there is evil attacking.  We don't figure it out until we see a dead stump.

We have a lot of acreage, and we just learned, this is hard!

How do we protect?  I'm thinking, electric fence!

Suzi

Suzi, good hear from you even if its not the best of news. I assume every other aspect of the move has been good.

Ditto,
I know you will figure a way, you don't fool with "Motherfigger", LOL

OBTW- the grapes are doing great!!

Mike, thank you!  We did rock out on a bargain with incredible views and seriously non negotiable steep planting areas.  There are critters!  Many Critters!  Color me confused~  OMG A rattlesnake almost got me, before I got him with my 45!

Suzi

Danny!  I sent you the best!  Happy they are doing their thing.  You have the right climate.  I did a lot of research and only grow hot climate loving grapes.  Which one is killing it?  Tempranillo?  or Toriga National?  I think both!  Those grapes will make good wine for you!  Clip off the clusters for another two years.  The roots need to grow!  Sucks, but that is how you get good wine!

And this is the fig forum, and I do not know what is destroying my figs!

Suzi

Oh crap Suzi ! After all your hard work ! How many did you lose? I hope you find out what ate them.
It's good to hear from you again though and I hope the move went well. 

Sweet Patty!  You have been through more than most of us.  So I lost a few fig trees and cuttings.  Not a big deal.  Spring will come!  I really was ready to taste some of the figs, but I still have no clue about the predators.  My 45 will smash a rattlesnake, and we have a lot of those, but ...gophers......

OK, now research this for me.  Moringa Oliefera aka The Miracle Tree.  I have planted seeds which germinated in 4 days, and the leaves are delicious!  Just a side hobby that you should take up!

I love you more ;-)

Suzi

Suzi, I'm thinking the same as you. I have a huge racoon and and possum problem. They've broken my trees and knock over my pots every night. I've got to do something about these critters!

Suzi , that's all I need, another fruit to grow !! LOL , my hubby has been very tolerant thus far . 
We did get to plant blues ,pomegranates and prickly pears (opuntia) in FL last fall . We planted a fruit cocktail tree also. Our kids and grandkids have been picking fruit this summer . Pomegranates are a bit young yet. Prickly pears are getting to be a nice size also.
Let me know when you'll start with cuttings again , I might have something you'd like . 
Been years since I fired a gun , I plan to take it up again when in FL. Target practice. I used to be a dead eye too!  But as I said - years ago. Thank goodness you are a "dead eye" my friend ! 

Heheh , now I'll have to do some research . Moringa Oliefera aka The Miracle Tree you say ?  ; ))

Don't kill the snakes! They are not fun and they probably frighten you, but they are the best natural predators of the gophers - rattlers, king, gopher snakes... and owls.  I have them all here too, and they keep the gopher population in check. Electric fence will do nothing.

It's a never ending battle. Get some good traps (gophenators - stainless steel, easy to set, effective, and easy to remove the carcass) and let the wildlife do their thing too. You'll always have some, but upsetting the natural balance is the last thing you want to do, or the gophers just get worse. ONe hungry snake is worth it's weight in traps.

 

Gina, a rattlesnake is the only one I will kill, and I will!  We have some adorable huge king snakes and weird...gopher snakes, and they will survive, but not the venomous rattler! 

No need to mess around.  The rattlesnake will kill your grandchildren, and it will NOT protect you!

Suzi

Nice to hear from you but sorry your plants are being destroyed.  Maybe get a trail cam and set it up.

Suzi nice to see you again here. Just want to ask do you own big gun to shoot those bustards.

I wonder how an electric worm digger works on gophers...

You have to get "religion" - that means that killing gophers of job "one" every day.

They should look like this, mounted on a Macabee "Old Reliable" gopher trap.

Yep. Trapping is most effecitive. But.. the next generation macabees are gophinators. Stainless steel, easy to set and place, and easier to remove bodies. They have a lower profile in the runs so gophers dont notice them as much - so you get a higher catch rate. I've used both and there is no comparison. Some stores carry them, but it's easier to order online.


As for snakes, if there were children around, I'd probably take a different view of rattlers too. Around here it's very sad because too many people kill anything that slithers, harmless or not.

Gophinator video. You can see how relatively small and very effective these traps are. Best I've ever used.

Good to see you're back on. I bet you've been ultra busy with the move and planting. That's a shame to have lost some of your trees. You'll have to let us know if you need replacements. I'm sure some of us can send you replacement cuttings.
We don't have gophers around my neck of the woods so I'm not sure how to keep them in control but would planting certain plants with poisonous roots deter them? It's a shot...oh wait ..that's what the 45 is for. lol

the snake should do her job and get fat on these guys.

Well, I guess we'll have to get some of those traps!  That dude in the video got 44 gophers!  Wow!  Scary!

Suzi

Gina,

What do you do with the dead ones?  Make soup or something?

JK!  ;-))

Once in my life, I tried on a coat with chinchilla inside at Saks.  Wow!  Delicious!    Not sure how gopher fur feels, and actually, I hope I never even feel it!  YIKES!

Suzi