Iris issues mulch moles dividing Sibs

Me, too, stormyla. A neighborhood cat and I seem to be the only predators on the gopher community here and as a result, the gophers are doing quite nicely, though I know for a fact I killed 5 in traps. Any predator that eats gophers has my blessing, but I haven't seen any.

Fortunately they have not killed any iris, I have been just stepping on their tunnels, after that they tend to go away for me. I let the ducks and chickens walk around the iris. I wonder if they kill them?

1913cat, Chickens are great grub eaters. People who have them tell me the fowl have really cut down on their mole and vole populations. Have you kept fowl for long? Have you noticed a change in the vole population since having them?

I would think the ducks and chickens would be wonderful for your iris. Don't know about their effects on the 4 legged critters. though, but the ducks and chickens clean up insects and weeds and leave behind excellent fertilizer. Haven't tried it myself though. DH & I have given up eggs so it probably doesn't make sense for us to raise poultry. I used to toy with the idea before my cholesterol was ruled to be too high.

pajaritomt, Now I've read that eggs don't raise cholesterol. Another fairly recent scientific finding!!! Maybe there are some fowl and fresh eggs in your future.

Try bantams. I bet that they eat as many bugs.

I know that they have shown that eating eggs doesn't raise cholesterol, but other studies have showing that consuming too much animal protein is at the root of many of the diseases we have in the west. I gave up not only eggs, but all meat and dairy and feel much better for it. I love chicken but I choose not to eat them or their eggs for health reasons, but I wouldn't mind having a few for pets!

Sharondippity, I know what you mean about turning your ankle in one of their tunnels. A couple of years ago, my foot actually collapsed one of their entrances and my leg was under ground halfway up my shin. I'm glad that I wasn't moving too quickly when it happened or I could have snapped the bone. OUCH

Yesterday, some gals on the PNW forum (fellow vole fighters) were talking about a rodent called a Mountain Beaver. Luckily they only inhabit the PNW. When I went and read up on them, it said their favorite food was ferns. I've had whole ferns be pulled underground by the voles. You could see the very tips of the leaves poking out of the holes. http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/986953/#new

For a short while, there were moles here living in the groundhog's den. Every time I would plant a shrub near there, those buggers would tunnel under it, kick all of the dirt away and leave the plant suspended in mid air. For 5 or 6 days in a row I would have to fill in the dirt again until they finally got tired of it. Then the ground hog would come along and rip a new rhodo or azalea right out of the ground and throw it somewhere. Well, I waited till they were all in the den and gassed them. Goodbye shrub destroyers! I walk through the beds now checking for that spongy feeling under foot.