Issue link: http://winesandvines.uberflip.com/i/66128
GRAPE GRO WING for this purpose. Disking can destroy tun- nels and kill some gophers, too, he said. Generally, it takes more than one tech- nique to reduce gophers to a manageable population—a reduction of about 78%, Baldwin suggested. He warned that the traps must be fas- tened in place and marked with flags so it is possible to find them again. Wounded animals might otherwise drag the traps away; predators can learn to dig up dead animals conveniently marked by the flags. Baldwin recommended a Japanese hori hori gardening knife for digging out the holes to place traps, adding that he always wears gloves: Gophers don't seem to notice human scent, but they can bite. Baldwin added that you have to go through a vineyard at least twice, but kills are usually quick (within a day.) Baiting with poison Baiting with poison is another technique. Special probes that release bait are avail- able. Strychnine and zinc oxide are legal in California for ag use, and they kill with one feeding. Anticoagulants may take multiple feedings. Poisons can have secondary effects, however, if other animals eat the dead rodents. Baldwin said that baiting can be effective, and he has seen 30% to 50% control. "The effectiveness depends on what other foods are available to the gophers. They don't normally eat seeds, which are used as bait." The Macabee Gopher Trap's size makes it easy to set in a lateral tunnel. The first step is teaching vineyard workers to identify fresh gopher mounds: closed, with wet-looking dirt. Training by an expert increases effectiveness signifi- cantly. Then you can probe for the tun- nels—Baldwin uses a long screwdriver. He said that traps and aluminum phosphide pellets are the most effective controls. Killing gophers with traps Some traps are effective for larger animals but too big for gopher tunnels. Baldwin finds the classic box trap like the Victor effective for small areas, but they're big and bulky, requiring extra time to place in tunnels. Instead, he recommended puncture traps like Macabee Gopher Trap or his favorite, the Gophinator, which are small and easy to position in tunnels. Baldwin said that in trials he conducted, these killed 77%-93% of gophers. OneBirdGardSuperPROWireless can control birds inupto48acres "Last year we got the SuperPRO Wireless. Had the starling flocks been there, we would have lost $20,000-$30,000 worth of grapes," Manager, Hazlitt 1852 Vineyards r vineyard workers use probes to deposit poisonous bait into gopher tunnels. broadcast distress calls up to 1000 ft in all directions. And one Controller/transmitter can control up to eight 4-Speaker Wireless Receivers. No need to buy 8 complete Bird Gard SuperPROs. Each 4-SpeakerWireless Receiver protects up to 6 acres. Buy 2, 3, 4, up to eight 4-Speaker Wireless Receivers. You get not only wireless speakers, but also the distress calls randomly jump from speaker to speaker keeping the birds from getting used to the sounds. One BirdGard SuperPRO Controller/transmitter & one 4-Speaker Wireless Receiver is $799. Each additional 4-Speaker Wireless Receiver that covers up to 6 acres is $399. More and more vineyard managers are replacing netting with the Bird Gard PRO series. The Bird Gard SuperPRO Controller/transmitter can JWB Marketing LLC birddamage.com 800.555.9634 BidGar Wielr ess d Wines & Vines JUne 2012 39