Adaptor for Gassing Moles

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warmstrong1955
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Re: Adaptor for Gassing Moles

Post by warmstrong1955 »

Caddy Shack Alert!!!!

FYI...soot doesn't matter. Exhaust is mostly CO2, with some CO and NOX for fun, and that is what gets 'em.
And no fear of fire & flame!

;)
Bill
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BadDog
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Re: Adaptor for Gassing Moles

Post by BadDog »

Yeah, I know the soot is not the toxic part needed to achieve the goal. It was just the mental image that developed while considering use of a diesel that seemed humorous, at least in my mind's eye. As usual the humor in my head doesn't translate well to forum posts.
:oops:
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warmstrong1955
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Re: Adaptor for Gassing Moles

Post by warmstrong1955 »

BadDog wrote:Yeah, I know the soot is not the toxic part needed to achieve the goal. It was just the mental image that developed while considering use of a diesel that seemed humorous, at least in my mind's eye. As usual the humor in my head doesn't translate well to forum posts.
:oops:
The picture of a bunch of little gophers or moles climbin' out of there tunnels and out among the surface dwellers, and coughing out black smoke.....is humorous BD!
But I may be warped.......

:)
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SteveHGraham
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Re: Adaptor for Gassing Moles

Post by SteveHGraham »

Without the soot, it wouldn't be the same.
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SteveHGraham
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Re: Adaptor for Gassing Moles

Post by SteveHGraham »

The adaptor is here, and it's time to send the moles to happy land. How long should I run a car to fill a tunnel with CO?
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John Hasler
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Re: Adaptor for Gassing Moles

Post by John Hasler »

Modern cars produce very little CO. You'll just be suffocating them with CO2.
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warmstrong1955
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Re: Adaptor for Gassing Moles

Post by warmstrong1955 »

Never used a car.
With my 18HP garden tractor, I tried 15 minutes, but that failed once. I started doing 30 minutes, and have a 100% lill ratio since.
Take a guess....try 10 or 15 minutes. If they keep on mining....try a longer time.

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SteveHGraham
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Re: Adaptor for Gassing Moles

Post by SteveHGraham »

Thanks. I gave them about 5 minutes per hole. We will see how it goes.

I also tried filling a hole with water and standing by with a .22, but nothing happened.

I'm using my dad's Ford SUV because my truck has a huge exhaust pipe. I learned that the right exhaust pumps out a lot more gas than the left. Weird.
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warmstrong1955
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Re: Adaptor for Gassing Moles

Post by warmstrong1955 »

5 minutes doesn't get 'er done....try 10. Nothing to lose.

I have never had any success at trying to drown the beasts. Seems they know how to design drains, at least, with what water flow one can get out of a graden hose.

Venture a guess, the SUV has a crossover pipe between the two sides. One the least constipated wins.
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Elapid
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Re: Adaptor for Gassing Moles

Post by Elapid »

Those pesky rodents! I’ve been fighting them for years. I have a very old rototiller with a worn out smoky B&S engine that puts out carbon monoxide by the gallon. The muffler port has pipe threads for a pipe nipple that screws into the little muffler. The OD of the nipple is about 1-1/4” so I went to NAPA Auto and bought some flexible stainless steel exhaust tubing with an ID around 1-1/4. Didn’t cost much. I bought about 6’ of it and just put it down the mole hole and stick the other end over the pipe nipple from the exhaust port. I let the rototiller run for about 2 hours, I leave the choke on a bit to get as much CO as possible. I’ve seen gimmicks for attaching a garden hose to your car exhaust pipe to gas the little buggers but remember this: modern cars have catalytic converters and all manner of modern technology to reduce CO output so don’t expect to kill many moles with your car. Better to just run over them with the tires. Ditto for suicide by car exhaust, modern cars will prolong things for days.
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SteveHGraham
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Re: Adaptor for Gassing Moles

Post by SteveHGraham »

I didn't know modern cars had reduced CO emissions. I thought converters were for other gases.

I decided to look it up, and I found that modern cars put out 30,000 ppm on the low side, with much higher concentrations possible. I also read that a human being will only last a few minutes at about 13000 ppm. I would guess that a mole or gopher tunnel with a volume of a few cubic feet would reach that level pretty quickly when I use the mole adaptor I bought. I don't know how much CO these animals can take, though. I read that moles are tolerant to CO2, but that's a different gas that doesn't permanently bind to hemoglobin the way CO does.

I looked at diesel CO output to see if tractors were a better option, and I read that diesels put out very little CO.

I have a portable generator which obviously has no converter. I wonder if it's a better tool for this job.

Before I fix anything, I want to make sure it's broke. If the moles go away, then the SUV is the ideal weapon.

If I could run moles down with the car, I could also shoot them, which is easier and faster, and I would be doing it. I have never seen one above ground.
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warmstrong1955
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Re: Adaptor for Gassing Moles

Post by warmstrong1955 »

CO is what catalytic purifiers do best. They combine the CO with O2, and make CO2. They also convert some NOx's to nitrogen, and will remove some unburned or partially burned hydro-carbons.
They have been in use on underground diesel powered mining equipment far longer than autos & trucks.

It's not so much a matter of the CO2, as it is that the exhaust, mostly CO2, displaces the O2.
CO2 is not deadly, as CO is, but that doesn't matter. CO does add the the effectiveness, as it is absorbed into blood much more easily that O2.

Oxygen content of air, is 20.9% at sea level.
Drop it down to 17%, and your moles and gophers will have to be breathing fast.
Down to 15%, and you will have dizzy little critters.
At 13%....they will start passing out.
9%....they will become unconscious, and are headin' to the big gopher house in the sky.
7% and below......stick a fork in 'em.....it's game over in minutes.


From training I did often. I am a card carrying MSHA certified safety trainer.
(Probably TMI.....but there ya go.

:)
Bill
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