Gopher Expert Traps For A Living

Gopher Expert Traps For A Living MISCELLANEOUS EQUIPMENT Pest Animals 32-1-7 Thomas Wittman's "career in gophers" started when he was an organic farmer back in 1982. That's when he learned firsthand what a problem they can be. "I've trapped gophers daily for over 20 years and in 1999 started a company, Gophers Limited, focusing primarily on gophers and moles, but also on voles and ground squirrels," Wittman explains. "My goal was to find a trapping method that would be fast and effective enough to be a good alternative to poisons." Wittman's new technique involves trapping from the surface instead of digging down into the main burrow. He doesn't need to carry a shovel since he uses a small Japanese gardening tool called a "hori hori" to open up the tunnel. Then he sets a "cinch trap" which is designed for use on the surface. "Using that combination of tools, I spend less than a minute to set each trap. It speeds up trapping so much that I can cover very large tracts of land," he explains. "It's also important to have experience so you know how to place the trap in exactly the right position." Other control techniques that Wittman uses include repelling the pests with non-toxic liquids that he applies to the ground. One of his products contains castor oil. The gophers don't like the taste yet it's harmless to the environment. Alternately, one method of "excluding" the pests is by using pre-fabricated "Root-Guard baskets" that you plant into, and which keep gophers and other tunneling pests from eating the plant's roots. There are also gopher-proof underground wire fences that create a vertical barrier, or install horizontally under sod to prevent gophers and moles from popping up through the surface. "I don't use poisons because they can harm children, pets and other wildlife. There are plenty of other methods that work better," he explains. "One aspect of my business is teaching these non-toxic control methods to individual farmers, ranchers, and residential homeowners, as well as to commercial property owners and in school settings." Another beneficial option is establishing nesting boxes for barn owls, as an adult can consume up to 1,000 gophers per year (and these birds have been in steady decline in some areas). Wittman has a degree in environmental studies, focusing on ecology, and studied under the famous wildlife ecologist Raymond Dassmann. Gophers Limited sells cinch traps for $15 each (plus S&H) or $165/dozen; hori hori knives for $28 (plus S&H); Digger's Triple Galvanized Gopher Wire (60 in. by 100 ft.) for $135 (plus S&H); and pre-formed wire planting baskets (72 1-gal. baskets/case) for $140 (plus S&H). Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Gophers Limited, Thomas Wittman, 1500 Lakeside Dr., Felton, Calif. 95018 (ph 831 335-2400; twittman@cruzio.com; www.gopherslimited.com).

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