For years I had not experienced gopher / mole / vole? etc. problems with my fig trees. For some reason (we can pretend it's global warming if we're so inclined) many of my young fig trees have been killed by having their roots eaten. I had always provided the new fig tree plants with an above ground wire cage to protect them from rabbits, deer, etc., but I never had an under-ground destruction problem.  Now, I never plant any fruit tree without first lining the hole with wire mesh.  Needless to say, I don't use hardware fabric or anything with too tight a weave, as I want the roots to be free to go beyond the mesh. What I found that works really well (and is very cheap) is the rolls of paperless stucco wire. It rusts out in about a year or two and doesn't inhibit the roots from going wherever they want to go. By that time, the gophers may nibble a bit but they can't destroy the entire tree (so it seems to me). 

Regarding deer: if deer are eating your garden, I found that taking a bar of Irish Spring bath soap (very strong smell that I wouldn't allow in my home) is so offensive to the sensitive olfactory sensibilities of deer that they won't come near a place with a few bars handing around.  I use an ice pick and poke a hole through the center of each bar of soap and then run twine through the hole. I hang the bars from the twine right at deer nostril level and haven't seen a deer in the yard since.  Irish Spring soap is extremely cheap, available at many of those "less than a dollar" type stores.  After dust, dirt, etc. collect on the bars, I wash them and they're good to go (for years!).  

What size is the opening of the wire mesh that you have been using?  How many openings per inch?

I tried to use a 10 x 10 wire mesh (stainless Steel) from my local manufacturer -  http://www.bwire.com

Now after reading your post - I am afraid I have gone too tight with my weave.  So far, all is good, but as the roots and all start to expand I may have to swap in for a new screen dimension.  The good news it, the stainless steel mesh screen is doing a number on the deer - they cant get anywhere near my fig trees.


Has anyone used the bar of Irish Spring Bath soap?  I would be interested in giving that a shot as well!

Any feedback on this is appreciated - and a big thanks to Ken for the post - great minds think alike!!!

Yes I use Irish Spring soap, seems to work pretty well but not perfectly.  The problem here is that rains make it last less than a year usually.

But they are so cheap (at the 99¢ or Dollar Tree type stores) that it's not that big a problem to replace them now and again. Then again, you could put an aluminum foil "cone" hat to stop the water from doing too much damage.

nice tip about the soap    maybe squirrels will hate smell also

Ken,

I also use stucco netting to make my gopher baskets. I have used poultry netting in the past - smaller holes but thinner gauge wire - but found they rusted out in a year.

The holes on stucco netting are large enough (1-1/4 inch?) that a juvenile gopher might get through, but they last a long time. Just last weekend I dug out a nonperforming tree. After three years of daily watering, the basket was still tight and strong.

Now if I can just stop the ground squirrels. Last year they ate my freshly planted avocado tree to the ground. This year they're picking on the prickly pear. 

Ken, Thanks for the environmentally friendly tips!

I will try the soap and see if it can keep the deer away from my young walnut and chestnut trees.

Funny thing here in the N.E. we have lots of gophers and they have never attacked my figs.  Maybe because we have so many voles that they rule the winter fig eating realm..lol

Soap doesn't work with the deer around here (Northern California). I use rotten eggs. I take two dozen eggs, crack them, whisk them up, then pour them into a gallon jug, and add water til it's 3/4 full.  Then let it sit. Don't keep the lid on too tight or the jug will swell up and burst. The first time can take a while to go bad (2-4 weeks). Future batches will rot quickly. The deer don't touch anything sprayed with it - and it will hold up to light rain.

I make sure to tell all my friends "Don't throw out eggs. Bring them to me!"

Pino - We also have gophers and they will attack anything that is new and not wired. I keep their population under control with those firecracker-looking sticks from the hardware store that gasses them out. They are 100% effective with the gopher that is there. Next week, a new gopher shows up and we have to begin again. But if we manage to get the nest by gassing all of the system at the same time, we can go months and months gopher-free. Before using something as noxious as the gas sticks, I tried JucyFruit chewing gum and a whole variety of other non-toxic things -- nothing else worked.

We have invented an inexpensive baffle to stop cats, rats, squirrels, etc. from climbing up fruit and nut trees. It's good because it can be used  seasonally and stowed in the garage or shed when unneeded. As soon as the patent fellow is done with his work I'll upload a picture. 

A lot of great information and tips here guys - love the rotten eggs idea - will work on that one now!

.308!!!

Works every time!!!