Growing Together: Open Forum

What are some effective Integrated Pest Management strategies to keep gopher numbers down in the school garden? Any plants you've found they won't eat? Gopher wire is effective for our insides of beds, but they still tunnel around the bed perimeter. And traps were not very successful and are not used with students around...

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Jade Giotta
Living Classroom Educator
Santa Cruz Gardens
CA
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(We used to have a grounds crew worker who would feed the recently deceased ones to the hawks in field!)

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Jade Giotta
Living Classroom Educator
Santa Cruz Gardens
CA
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Original Message:
Sent: 03-25-2021 13:17
From: Jade Giotta
Subject: Let's talk GOPHERS.

What are some effective Integrated Pest Management strategies to keep gopher numbers down in the school garden? Any plants you've found they won't eat? Gopher wire is effective for our insides of beds, but they still tunnel around the bed perimeter. And traps were not very successful and are not used with students around...

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Jade Giotta
Living Classroom Educator
Santa Cruz Gardens
CA
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Hey Jade,

I have not used this tactic personally but I have heard anecdotally that finding the tunnels and putting castor bean seeds in them works. They will willingly come up and eat them and the ricin in the seeds kills them. They generally stay underground when they die and don't smell. I feel it may be worth a try since packets are only like $3 each and could be a super cheap and easy solution. Again, I have not personally done it but would give it a shot if I had this problem.

Hope this helps!

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Kendall Slaughter
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Original Message:
Sent: 03-25-2021 01:17:54 PM
From: Jade Giotta
Subject: Let's talk GOPHERS.

What are some effective Integrated Pest Management strategies to keep gopher numbers down in the school garden? Any plants you've found they won't eat? Gopher wire is effective for our insides of beds, but they still tunnel around the bed perimeter. And traps were not very successful and are not used with students around...

------------------------------
Jade Giotta
Living Classroom Educator
Santa Cruz Gardens
CA
------------------------------

Hi Kendall, 

Awesome! I am eager to try it at home.  I'd be more cautious to try it at school with children given the seed's toxicity.

Thanks for the tip!
Jade


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Jade Giotta
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Original Message:
Sent: 05-20-2021 11:38:46 AM
From: Kendall Slaughter
Subject: Let's talk GOPHERS.

Hey Jade,

I have not used this tactic personally but I have heard anecdotally that finding the tunnels and putting castor bean seeds in them works. They will willingly come up and eat them and the ricin in the seeds kills them. They generally stay underground when they die and don't smell. I feel it may be worth a try since packets are only like $3 each and could be a super cheap and easy solution. Again, I have not personally done it but would give it a shot if I had this problem.

Hope this helps!

------------------------------
Kendall Slaughter

Original Message:
Sent: 03-25-2021 01:17:54 PM
From: Jade Giotta
Subject: Let's talk GOPHERS.

What are some effective Integrated Pest Management strategies to keep gopher numbers down in the school garden? Any plants you've found they won't eat? Gopher wire is effective for our insides of beds, but they still tunnel around the bed perimeter. And traps were not very successful and are not used with students around...

------------------------------
Jade Giotta
Living Classroom Educator
Santa Cruz Gardens
CA
------------------------------