Is it still possible to get laundry soap powder? Gopher holes of various sizes are showing up everywhere as I am tending my way through the iris beds. I was wondering about dumping a cup of soap powder in the holes, if it would be a deterent and if it would be environmentally ok. Dish and laundry detergent go into my septic system all the time. I was also wondering if this would work for the voles. It would be difficult for them to kick it back out. One year I tried dropping globs of toilet tissue soaked in ammonia in their holes. They didn't like it but they kicked the tissue back out of the hole. Soap powder can be very smelly. If it goes well down into the hole, they can't dig it back out.
I have no idea about the soap. At least the voles will be clean and smell nice if you do.
My husband is a fiend about moles and has tried pretty much every idea for getting rid of them. One year, he was told to put castor beans in the holes. The beans are poisonous and he was assured the moles would eat the beans and that would be the end of them. Later that summer we had the same moles plus a great crop of castor beans growing in the lawn!
LOL Meggie at castor beans! I bet that was an odd sight to see! I also LOL at the clean and nice smelling voles!
I'm not too sure about powdered laundry detergent but I do know they still make powdered dishwasher detergent. I think that would have the same effect.
Good luck! I know they are stubborn creatures to get rid of.
A couple of weeks ago I tried mouse traps with peanut butter. The itty bitty ants had a blast and I caught one mouse. About 2 years ago, I had something digging directly under the irises in my pastel bed. It drove me nuts and I annoyed the tarnation out of that critter. This includes emptying a full foam spray can of mousse into its tunnel. The critter finally moved to the other side of the driveway.
One box of dishwasher detergent would be good for about 5 or 6 holes. I'd need a case! Laundry detergent used to be sold in big plastic buckets the way kitty litter is sold.
Speaking of dishwashing detergent, and this is off the topic,... I used to work with mentally handicapped people in their homes. One of the guys was starting up the dishwasher while I was sitting at the table getting the paper work done. Evidently we were out of the dishwasher detergent because he used the Spic + span instead. I wish you could have seen what this dishwasher did with the Spic + Span! The washer was ooozing froth out of all possible sides. Froth was slithering down the front of the washer and snaking out all over and across the whole kitchen floor. It was a prime time Lucile Ball moment!
