Moles

[Mufferaw]

Looking for rejuvenate some hay fields that were seeded to alfalfa brome in 2005. Sandier land. Trying to cut hay on some of this stuff is the equivalent to driving across the moon, plus hay production is quite low.

Any ideas on rejuvenating the land, without re-seeding? Someone told me 50-60 lbs of anhydrous would hit the moles pretty good but phos should be added to the soil. Couple years ago I ran the air drill through a couple acres looked pretty rough at the time but now is 2x productive as the rest of the field. Maybe just aerating the soil helps.

What have you seen that works??

[kato]

We use manure. Our hayfields are at least twenty years in, it's so long I really can't remember. One twenty nine acre plot is baled, and produced over three tons/ acre of baled hay. The other bigger part is still in the process, but looks good too. The mulch that forms over time seems to help a lot when a dry year comes along.

Mole hills are our biggest issue. Pretty bumpy out there, but the hay is still so productive it would be a shame to work it up. Any magic bullets for clearing them out? Besides the old coyote who follows the baler.. He is doing his best, but he can't eat them all. Lol

[rkaiser]

wonderful Kato.....

[DGoodrich]

Try doing this in early spring, then do it again every 3rd or 4th year. The more intense you get the animals the better they hammer down the moles. Rejuvenates pasture as good as any system, and if you can find custom cattle from someone else you can charge them a fee per head per day and make money while they improve your pastures. Add seed of whatever species you want to see more of in your forage stand to their loose mineral/salt and it gets even better.

I like Kato's idea of manure but that costs money in fuel and labor, and I'd rather bring in someone else's cattle - which is importing someone else's nutrients - and getting paid to do it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pPZfDSkRmOQ

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q0F5VEqXq4g

[kato]

I know someone who puts trefoil in the mineral, and it works well. What other seeds will go through and still be viable?

I see the cattle working to improve the pasture, which they have done for us. Also, my sheep have done an amazing job on their pastures too. I see us being burr - free in another year. Whoop!

However, we don't graze our hayland. We would rather bale the hay for winter, since it's so close to home.

[Intrepid1]

I am having problems with pocket Gophers (moles) too. some hayfields are losing legumes and hard on machines. The fields are too big to trap (unless someone is willing to trap!!!!) and surrounded by pastures. I have heard that anhydrous works good if able to band it in single rows. Has anyone seen a machine that might do this?

Thanks

[DGoodrich]

Anhydrous will nuke your soil biology and cause long term soil fertility problems. Kills moles sure, but not worth the detriment of topsoil in my opinion.

[Intrepid1]

Do you have any suggestions what else might work?

[Mufferaw]

Just curious how would anhydrous create long term fertility problems? Some of the hay land is produced 1,500lbs/acre this year can't really go much lower than that. Ideally if you could add phos when banding would be ideal I would be guessing there would be very little in a hay stand after 6-7 years because we keep exporting the nutrients.

[grassfarmer]

I'd read lots about the damage anhydrous does to the soil too - but I also know folks that have used it continuously for decades and get just outstanding crops every year for swath grazing using zero-till. They apply 50lbs a year of N and the crops just get better. Sometimes we let our paradigms trap us.

[Intrepid1]

The moles do a huge amount of damage, greatly reducing the legumes. Isn't nitrogen commonly used on fields???????????????????

[grassfarmer]

Are we sure we know what is causing what Intrepid? Are the moles directly causing loss of legumes or are you losing them anyway plus you have a mole problem. If you use nitrogen on legumes that will weaken them by strengthening the other plants.

[Intrepid1]

I have a ranch in the foothills and the hayfields are surrounded by native grass. The moles like the most productive fields and are very thick there. I live in the chinook zones and the soil is very shallow. I use direct seeding and try to avoid deep cultivation or the rocks start growing. If anyone would like to volunteer to trap moles on a quarter section of hay land the help would be much appreciated!!!!!

[Mufferaw]

From what I have seen alfalfa thins out on lighter sandier soil regardless if there are moles or not. On heavier land the alfalfa is far more persistent. Similarly moles like the lighter soils better - easier digging I guess. I have never added N to hayland other than a couple acres this year - alfalfa was always the N source. Best results I have seen for jump start hayland is pig manure. Adds all the macro and mirco nutrients.

[Intrepid1]

What I am considering is just single line (or every 25ft) of the ammonia to be release into the tunnels the moles create as one drives along and reduce their numbers. Wondering how to build or find a machine to do it.