I have been advised by a friend that I have moles, not gophers. The round volcano-like mounds ID them as moles....... worm eating critters
I got lots of them around, ruining garden beds and worm systems, not to mention undermining my house foundation!! Time to start getting serious.

Any suggestions?? I have had some limited success with the battery operated stakes, that emit beeping sounds. The moles seem to become tolerant to it after awhile. I also forget about them, batteries go dead, and they disappear. I will not use poison. Anyone use traps? I welcome all ideas.

Hmmm, I had always thought the mounds you describe are in fact gopher hills Pete. The site linked below says if the mound is full circle and open hole it is likely a mole and if cresent and plugged a gopher. I have some holes appearing in the greenhouse that are sloped into the ground, small holes with no hills that I was guessing was a vole.

That site also says gophers and moles are strictly herbivores where voles are not so if they are eatin squirm seems it should be a vole.

The Wife has had good luck with gophers soaking a cotton ball with castor oil and poking it into the hole.

Here is a link that might be useful: Pest ID

"Moles are not a rodent, they are an insectivore related to the bat and shrew family, feeding mainly on earthworms, but they also feed on snails, slugs, millipedes, centipedes, but rarely vegetation. Moles eat live prey and cause little or no damage to perennial landscape plants." This is from the referenced link.
I am pretty sure I have moles. Maybe I will try castor oil. Thanks!

Well I am certainly no expert, just googled that up. Let me know if the castor oil works for you. She has used it on gophers in the lawn and garden and that lit out, to where I have no idea but no more sign of em.

We have been very lucky lately with the spectrum of critters from coyotes, rabbits, bears, raccoons and burrowers in that there hasnt been too much of a surplus. The one benefit of drought I suppose.

I located 4 electronic stakes. They have been charged and placed. I have had them work in the past. They claim to be effective to 25'. Seems to take 2-4 weeks to work. One was placed next to the bed. Hope the worms don't get annoyed and leave...

A wheelbarrow load of bedrun, full of "refugee worms", was relocated to a newly created 80 gallon rubber water trough bin. They were fed manure and rotten apples, and appeared thankful.

When weather allows , a spray of castor oil, soap, and cayenne pepper will be applied to all openings with a pump-up sprayer.

I'll try a trap in a safe spot under the house. The kind that looks like a miniature bear trap.

I quit feeding kitty.

Considering calling in Bill Murray. Fire in the hole....

My outdoor beds are raised beds built from the ground up with hardware cloth (actually wire mesh) at the bottom of the beds.

Moles can't get in.

chuckiebtoo

Chuckiebtoo, a 4'x15' piece of 1/2" wire mesh hardware cloth was laid down first, and the bed was raised above it. I guess it should have had walls! Cinder block or wood frame would have probably prevented the intrusion. Then I could have added a lid.

When I rolled out the red carpet on this bed a few years back, I had envisioned a "worm-tractor". I hoped to move the herd along the fence-line like a windrow wave. New hardware cloth would be laid in advance. The pallets protecting the fence would be leap-frogged along. A wonderful strip of wormy ground would be planted in behind..... California dreamin' that didn't work out as planned, and never got "finished" and never moved..... But the worms didn't care and generally did well.

This bed is an example of a poorly designed unsightly "bin" with inadequate security. It will be de-commissioned soon and all remaining squirm reassigned.

One last photo

Have fun and happy wormin'

Pete