FWIW, the imazapyr will breakdown as well. Not as rapidly as the glyphosate, but it certainly won't take decades. A raised bed will give a certain degree of protection, depending on depth. If of a reasonable depth - like at least 10 inches - there is minimal concern the plants will take up any of the herbicide - it migrates down, not up :-) And many annual veggie roots will not go very deep. The above advice is very reasonable. Just omit any root crops in the area this season. By next season, the soil should be uncontaminated. And adding a cover crop or good layer of compost this fall/winter will help hasten this process. "poisoned soil" - get a grip!!

From NH Hosta- The Recipe For Organic Vole & Mouse Control Large Area Applications Using A Hose-End Sprayer 1 - 2 Oz Castor Oil 1 - 2 Oz Dish Detergent Add the mixture to the jar of the hose end sprayer. Then fill the jar with water. Attach to your hose and thoroughly water every location that you want to deter the pests from. If your hose-end sprayer has a dial, set it to the highest setting. Small Area Application Using A Watering Can 1 teaspoon Castor Oil 1 teaspoon Dish Detergent Add this mixture to 1 gallon of water and thoroughly water the area to be protected. How To Apply The Organic Vole Control You want to water the ground, not spray it. You should thoroughly wet the soil so that the mixture penetrates a few inches into the soil. It is hard to say how much lawn and garden area the solution will cover. You just want to make sure you get the mixture into the soil. You Do Not Have To Re-Apply After A Rain You may want to re-apply in spring if you have damage during the growing season. Some people do and some don't. Mostly vole and mole damage is just a winter issue as the pests are desperate for a food source. When To Apply The Organic Vole Control You want to apply the mixture before the ground freezes and after you have cleaned away all the leaves from your garden. This is typically after a few frost's. This Castor Oil solution is organic and will not harm wildlife or pets. It just makes those garden pests move out of your gardens! Here is a link that might be useful: Castor oil vole control

Thank you MQuinn. I imagine you are right about the type then. The yard is terribly uneven and that is one if the things we (probably *I*) need to address. With 3/4 of an acre there is no way will the hubs use anything but his riding mower, but I did inform him after the initial advice from the responses that he should be mowing lower to let light get to it, as opposed to what we previously were doing). I am trying to get him to understand that more perrenial beds means less mowing and kess work for him. That battle wages on. I can probably get away with mowing our front lawn with a push mower, but the rest is just too big and he will need (and want) to use the riding mower. After I get those tests completed I will know if I should add compost, wait then add sand or just go straight for the sand. I am betting it could use some compost first, but I could be very wrong about that. We can lower the mower and I can ask him to mow more slowly so that he can adjust the height as needed to accommodate for the high spots. Not for all of them, I know that, but the bigger areas. Or with Bermuda, can he scalp it to help level it? I am guessing that would be -you know what -on the mower blades. It's new, so they are still steadfastly in love with one-another.

Well what do you know!! In the last few years, I've been seeing these phantom dead moles showing up in the middle of my lawn with no evidence of a critter that has killed them (i.e. no eaten bits). I don't spray anything anywhere and don't put out any poisons, so it couldn't be that. However, I do plant all new roses with the moisture crystals to guard against drying out and transplant shock in their first year. After a while they fade and the rose doesn't need them. That must be what is systematically doing in the moles. Can't say I'm sorry, since it doesn't seem to affect the bunnies or other more welcome animals or birds in the yard, and it doesn't poison the bees and insects either. Ya learn something new every day! Sharon, it probably couldn't hurt to plant with a light sprinkle of SoilMoist as you transplant the roses, but I wouldn't count on it to resolve the whole problem unless someone with more experience tells you otherwise. I've never had a problem with moles, but I've always planted with the Soil Moist so maybe that has avoided the problem. Sympathies on the moles/voles - it really can be devastating. Gotta love it when I mistakenly do something RIGHT for a change...rather than mistakes like stepping on or otherwise killing the poor roses. Cynthia