Worm vs Traps

Ok ADC guys. Who uses traps vs Worms? What type of trap do you use? Most of my work is moles. I use mainly Steve A. traps along with some OOS. I know OOS were the number one trap in the South for years. Poison worm are catching on by the Lawn guys. How about you? Are you starting to use poison worm now?

We have no moles in our area so I really don't care if I get hollered at. The representative from Bell Labs who markets their worms

gave a great talk at our state seminar. She explained how the worms worked and how to use them, but even Bell Labs has come out with

a mole trap so like everybody on here said, "Worms aren't a cure-all."

Paul:
I see they can not be used in 5 States.

Getting There, that's interesting. I have no idea why they would be banned, but then I never cease to be amazed at some of the

absolutely ridiculous laws that you guys tell me about.

In my state, you have to have a chemical license to use them. I don't have that license.so, I use OOS most of the time.

Paul:
Which came first, the Talpirid trap or the Talpired worm? On the web site it said. Not for sale to NC, AK, HI, NY and WA.

Paul:
Remember Carters little liver pills? Sold them of maybe 50 years, then found out they did not do a thing for your liver. LOL

We can use kaput here.

I don't like using poisons. There is always a chance for a non target, but even more, how can you tell if you have solved the issue? Without the body you are only guessing you got it.

Customers like to see or hear you removed a mole from the yard. When I sell the job I explain how I can't be sure the mole didn't decide to run next door unless I physically remove it from the lawn.

There is a guy in my area that charges 30% of my fee that drops poison and runs. If he was effective, customers probably wouldn't be calling for an estimate from me.

you have a body with a trap. the worm maybe the activity stops for a day or week or a month then starts up again. the same as before the treatment. come and go with many!!! all my customers say the worm may have worked but I have them back, I want a body.

A large number of my mole jobs are FOLLOWING a homeowner or pest control company who tried the poison worms. Other than reading the sales pitch, I've never seen or heard of any noticeable reduction in mole activity after using the worms. I have had MANY people tell me they find the worms pushed back out of the runs, lying on the ground right where they were inserted into the runway. I would bet that any "seemingly" positive results were most likely due to the natural behavior of the mole to move to other feeding areas due to normal activity. Same as those who think fox urine or other mythical remedies are successful methods of mole control.

Regarding legality..... I've read many articles about the Talpirid worms, and it appears there is NO ANTIDOTE for them. A response on a garden forum from a Bell Labs employee does shed some light on this. Note he says it won't kill a "normal-sized" dog. Also: "The product is highly toxic to people and pets and therefore must be only used in the underground tunnel of the mole where nothing else can eat it. World Health Organization lists the active ingredient as extremely hazardous and the US EPA lists it as highly toxic. It is a single dose poison capable of killing children and pets."

Show me a wildlife control person who can share this info with a client and suggest using them, and I'll show you someone who hasn't taken the time to learn how to trap moles successfully. Yep, it's the same person.

Link to gardenweb forum:

http://forums.gardenweb.com/discussions/1987146/tomcat-mole-killer

Comments are interesting.... and informational.

More helpful reading on this site. Section on mole and gopher baits.

http://www.petpoisonhelpline.com/pet-owners/seasons/summer-pet-poisons/

Thanks for the interesting reading Ron. That was the second time that I heard about Bell Labs having 300 moles on hand for testing.

I don't know if people are just naive or if they are just dumb. Bell Labs has very deep pockets and putting anything on the market

that was dangerous to pets, much less people, would make their pockets a lot shallower in hurry. I also found the line about zinc

phosphate interesting. I can't get any bird, mammal, rodent, or fish to go anywhere near zinc phosphate. I guess I'll have to stick

it in a blender and mix it with grain.

Thanks for posting Ron, some interesting reading!

You can use them in Michigan but if you are charging for the service you need a pesticide license. I experimented with them for 1 summer a few years ago and had no luck. The moles wouldn't eat them only push them down the runs a few feet. I still use only traps.

I think Ron might have been referring to me when he said ...."someone who never learned how to trap moles successfully." Thankfully,

I don't have to. After years of listening to and reading about mole trapping, I think I am just as happy that I have never seen mole

damage in my entire life. Are there any other parts of the country that are moleless?

Here's what I tell my customers: If it worked, I'd use it. And I don't use it.