HD has a tool that will put the bait underground. About $30. It has worked every time I have used it.

Moles don't damage fruit trees and mostly just harvest earthworms and grubs- at least until this protein rich food becomes scarce. They do damage lawns, although I don't know if it is from eating the roots or if is caused by the drying out of roots from their tunneling. For annuals I sometimes have to tamp down the soil every few days to keep roots in good soil contact when they are active. I've never needed to do this for fruit trees here of any age.

Do they have gophers in KY? I thought they were only a CA pest. They can certainly be a huge problem for most species of fruit.

Gophers can indeed make short work of young fruit trees. There is an online company selling a trap called a gophinator that I have had the best luck with. They sell a mole trap also, basically a smaller version of the gophinator which is what I use on my small pocket gophers here in Ca. The standard mole trap is the size I use.

Jean,

From your post I'd definitely identify whether you are dealing with gophers or moles. Not at all the same animal, or the same consequences to your fruit trees.

As mentioned, moles are harmless to trees and may actually be beneficial by eating larva of pests potentially harmful to trees (i.e. cicada larva). It's true some people don't like the evidence of tunneling on their lawns, but they don't do as much damage as yard chickens IMO. Personally, I leave moles alone. Plus, Mole was such a kind animal in Wind in the Willows :-)

Not so with gophers. I've not had a problem with gophers here, but from what I've read, they can easily destroy trees.

This post was edited by olpea on Mon, Feb 9, 15 at 9:31

Ill second the suggestion of the gophenator traps. We have massive gopher issues out here in agricultural Arizona with pocket gophers. Ive spent the last 5 years killing hundreds of them. Nothing works better and lasts longer than the gophenator traps. That they are made out of stainless steel is priceless. Most others are made out of mild steel and quickly rust. And heck yes gophers will kill a fruit tree in short order. Trapping is the only option that really works here.

I can't find anything about gopher problems in KY when I search for info. I don't think they are an issue there- all the articles about dealing with this pest that I can find come from the west.

Do you have Japanese Beetles and June Bugs in KY? I do, so I have a ton of moles! They only hurt (small) plants if you don't notice the tunneling by the roots. Step around your plants to check that frequently, and you're good to go with them, imho. They do hurt the grass more for me, but mine tunnel all winter in the grass and I don't mow and tamp the ground down often then. It does fine if it lives to be mowed, lol.

Oh! I have both moles and voles that use the mole tunnels, btw. If you have voles, too, you are going to need to do more to protect the roots than for moles alone. Voles are a PITA.

Giant gopher baskets. Then you don't have to do any killing! See my post under basket-weaving :)

I use gopher baskets. The gophers still got a few of my trees recently. They either climbed inside of the basket or the basket broke down over time.

Ooh, sorry to hear it Thomas! There are "barn cats" programs (here's one: http://www.barncats.org ) that take in feral cats who can't be socialized into house pets, and who would otherwise be killed at shelters. You provide a little outdoor house for them (or sometimes the barn cat agency does) and feed them, and they do your pest control for you. I think it's a great arrangement, but I have a cat who would not appreciate the addition of a feral cat to his territory. I have a small yard but my own housecat used to bring in 8 to 10 gophers every summer (and ate more outside and in the garage) but he's 16 now and slowing down on the job.

MrsLizzy, No one lives at the property so getting a cat would not be an option. Maybe an owl box might help? There are lots of rattlesnakes to help control them in the summer but they disappear when the weather cools off.