Cinch Traps Mole Trap Kit: Two Traps With Mole Tunnel Flags And Instructions - By - Made In America

I cannot begin to describe how happy I am with these traps. My quest for effective gopher control started at my local Home Depot. I purchased blood meal deterrent and poison pellets. Neither of them were effective at all. In fact, I worried terribly about the poison because I have 1.5 acres and many dogs and cats frequent the area. Next, I tried the standard claw/spring traps by Victor. They worked, but it was a hassle to dig, attach a string and tie them to a stake, and cover the holes to black all light. My husband and I both hated the way they caught the gophers, too. The gophers were hard to remove and the traps bent and were difficult to set after awhile. Next, I ordered the Victor Black Box traps after reading the reviews on Amazon. I caught three using these, but one was alive in it. The gopher was too small, I think. These seemed good, and much easier to remove the gophers from. However, I had to dig huge holes to fit the boxes in properly. I also needed pieces of wood, carpet, and lots of precision in blocking all the sunlight. There were so many times that I would find those boxes filled with dirt, even with carrots as bait. Such a huge hassle. I started to watch videos on You Tube about gopher trapping. I saw several people having success with Cinch Traps. I liked how the traps can be set and left above ground. Not much digging at all! And I noticed that the holes were left open. No light blocking issues, so no wood or carpet pieces. No bait, either. I decided to try them out. I went to the Cinch Traps website and I saw the recommendation that California residents should use the mole sized traps. I ordered two Cinch Mole Trap Kits. It took only three days for them to arrive and I excitedly got them out. Boy, the traps are STRONG. I was afraid that I wouldn't have the strength to set one. I watched some videos on how to set the traps and realized that the ground setting style was the way I could do it. Put on gloves, lay the trap on solid ground or a piece of wood, and it is pretty easy to do. But they are powerful, so be very careful where you place your hands. Do it exactly as they suggest. Since I have used these traps, I have killed fifteen gophers, including four yesterday. It is so much easier! I see a new pile of dirt and then dig it out to find the tunnel. It doesn't have to be the main run - just the most recent hole. I make sure the hole is open and clear using a longer weed puller tool (about 12 inches long). Then I set the trap and place it in. I make sure the cinch fits nicely in the hole and the large plate is above ground. And that's it! I love coming back to the trap later and looking to see if it's been triggered. You can tell without any digging - just look at the plate and see if the big metal arm has been released. The dead gopher is so easy to remove, too. Just pull the trigger arm over like you are going to set it again and the gopher slides right out. It's a powerful and quick kill, too. I bury the gopher right where it died and then move on to another recent dirt pile in another part of the yard. I am a 45 year old first grade teacher and mom who is feeling very proud of gopher killing successes. I won't use another type of trap again.

Update on 4-28-2014 Saw fresh mounds just one day after taking out 1 gopher. This mound led to their nest which was filled with grass almost completely encompassing the nest. Dug hole, placed trap laying camouflage with grass and another plant leaf, and plugged hole but left opening about the size of a penny near the upper end of the opening. No activity was observed until the next morning. Gopher plugged the entire area so my trap was buried. Although the trap was set, I had no gopher. I noticed my placement of the trap and camouflage rendered the trigger piece too stiff so this is probably my fault. While I was pulling my trap out, the gopher popped his head up in another nearby opening. So I dug up that opening, place the trap but this time using only grass as camouflage, and making absolutely sure the trigger piece was loose for better trigger sensitivity. Poked a hole the size of a penny then stepped away. An hour later, the trap was triggered and I have my gopher. Stick to grass as camouflage and make sure your trap will trigger easily in addition to proper placement. Two hours after catching a gopher in the morning, another appeared via a new opening and it would quickly become a third casualty. I have the routine down taking about 20 minutes to dig and setup the trap with grass, small opening, and proper triggering and placement. Hour later, victory! 4-26-2014 Tried Sweeney's from Home Depot with great disappointment. 0 for 2 and I quickly gave up on Sweeney's as the design appeared to be inferior. After watching YouTube videos and looking through other designs from other traps, I felt compelled that Cinch traps would do a better job. However, for those newbies like me, it's not as simple as just setting the trap and coming back with your gopher caught! Attempt #1, I placed the trap vertically down on a fresh new opening and even used some peanut butter as bait for the first time. The trap was tripped within 30 minutes but NO GOPHER which was then plugged by the critter. It appeared that peanut butter got his attention quickly the first time around. Attempt #2, placed trap with new opening but this time I dug enough dirt so that I can place the trap level down to the opening. I place some peanut butter and used some grass to nearly cover up the opening. Left for about a day and still no gopher. It appears the gopher associated the peanut butter with the trap and came nowhere near the opening. I removed the peanut butter and trap but left the opening nearly intact. About an hour later, the opening was plugged up. Attempt #3, saw another new opening and dug up enough dirt to set the trap down. This time, I DID NOT use any peanut butter and place some grass to cover up the opening around 50% density. Two hours later, the trap was tripped but NO GOPHER. However, the trap did not fully trip and instead the main long metal landed on some sand. I sense my strategy is improving and the gopher lucked out. I plugged the opening this time. Attempt #4, new opening appeared and I dug up enough dirt and this time with enough clearance so if the trap trips, it can fully extend. Placed fresh grass into the hole and scattered the grass over the tip of the trap and also the trigger piece near the tip as camouflage. This time, I plugged the opening with dirt and then made a small opening near the top to allow sunlight and air to get in. It appears that an opening does tip off the gophers to come back to investigate. With the fresh grass as camouflage and dirt to take the gopher's attention away from the trap, this should score me a win. Within an hour, VICTORY at last with my first catch! Some interesting things to note was that the gopher either ate the grass or pull it away to clear the dirt. I could tell because the metal piece that would trip the trap was pulled inwards. I quickly moved the metal piece to the edge to make the trap more sensitive to movement. The fresh grass just on top of the trap was food for the gopher and I could tell once I pulled him out, most of the grass was gone. At all times, I wore gloves so my scent does not deter him. Proper technique appears to be crucial to catching the gophers. Use of bait appears to scare them away. However, previous failed attempts did not. Use of fresh grass as camouflage and plugging of the opening with dirt allowing a small opening for sunlight and air appears to work well.

Please send me a trap that includes the essential rear trap wire. I've received a second defective shipment. Thank you for designing and a making an almost great product. I would be glad to update my review when I get a working trap. You should have my name address and phone number. I have provided several times. Thank you for a swift solution. Blessings to you and your loved ones. Thank you Candace W. Port Angeles, WA Followup 19 months later: part found in shipping container. I do not know why I was ignored. I called, I emailed. Finally I ordered from Amazon again and returned the defective trap keeping out one good one. They sent me another defective part missing trap. Could they have been messing with me? I guess I will never know. 19 months later, cleaning the garage I tore down the cardboard shipping box and the missing piece was wedged under the bottom of the cardboard flaps. I still have to get two sets of vice grips to assemble the dog gone thing. If they had slipped it into a plastic bag prior to shipping, put a rubber band around it, or a quick cheap wrap of Costco food wrap on it the piece would could not have gotten separated in transit. I've done everything in my mind to give them the benefit of the doubt. If they had just sent me the missing part or returned my call or messages I would have felt a lot more respected.

Order two pairs of these. Very effective the first few months. I quickly trapped six moles in the first three or four months (on a one acre property). *Much* more effective than the prior mechanical traps I've used in the past. I was thrilled with the early results. However, after the initial success, I've been stymied as of late. I haven't trapped anything in the last 3 months with traps in the ground intermittently. Two apparent issues: 1. Rust. I'm in a wetter climate. These things will rust. This wouldn't be a big deal accept for the fact that it results in extra friction on the triggering mechanism (requires more force to trip). I started staking the back end so the units wouldn't move but that didn't help (see next). 2. Spring fatigue. I've notice that, when set, the mouth of the trap where the mole enters has gotten narrower. Presumably the spring is losing its resiliency over time. Upshot is that I think the moles can no longer fit through the entrance of the trap. I see evidence of them trying to get through, but they can't and go elsewhere. I'm giving this four stars since it has been the most effective trap (by far) that I've used to date. They just don't last. Planning on ordering more since it's still the best option that I've found.

We have a mole problem. A really, really bad mole problem. Essentially, every inch of our 2-acre lot is crisscrossed by mole tunnels. This has been going on for 15 years. I previously purchased the Victor Out O'Sight traps, the Victor plunger traps, and one other type of trap that I do not see on Amazon any longer - it was sort of a jawed trap with a circular trigger mechanism that hung precariously between the jaws. All of these traps averaged maybe one mole "removal" per season, and some years I went with no successes at all. I think I killed two at most over the course of the spring/summer/fall season in the jawed trap I mentioned last. With the Cinch trap, however, I have dispatched a total of four (four!) moles in as many weeks. It is finally looking like this problem might be tractable after all. I admit I feel a little creepy when I feel so excited when I check the traps in the morning and find I've had a success. However, these moles have destroyed a patio and brick walkway with their tunneling, and are a persistent destructive presence in our garden and ornamental beds. Anyway, I have a couple of tips that I think have made my run more successful this time, in addition to using the Cinch trap. First, I move the traps frequently, every couple of days, or at least once a week. By doing this, I think I (1) keep the moles on their toes because suddenly the trap that they expected is no longer there, only to appear elsewhere; and (2) I am finding the "highways" (as opposed to one-off branch tunnels that the moles may use only once) just by virtue of moving them to different tunnels so frequently. Chances are, one of these moves will be to a popular tunnel. Second, a tip on setting the trap: I carefully and gently excavate the tunnel and shimmy the business end of the trap *into* the tunnel, rotating it clockwise and counter-clockwise until the trigger is just inside the tunnel. Then, holding the pin, I make sure the trigger is able to move freely forward and backward and is not blocked by roots or soil (hold the pin while doing this and watch your fingers!). This ensures that the trigger will trip easily and without a lot of effort when the mole touches it. It takes some practice to get it to the point at which it is sensitive but not so sensitive that it will go off without any moles present, but patient positioning is worth it. I then sprinkle some dirt over the entire thing, just a loose covering to camouflage it somewhat, not compacted at all. Third: I have not had any success at all placing the traps next to concrete pads, the house foundation, etc. I had always heard this was the best place to place traps, but this has not been fruitful for me. There are many tunnels in these places, but for whatever reason they aren't good for my traps. YMMV. Fourth, I have found I have better success in areas which we water frequently - the aforementioned garden and beds. I expect the moisture encourages grub and worm growth, giving the moles a reason to visit. Finally, and this may be the key to the success - I place two traps on a tunnel, facing opposite directions, and fairly close to one another. The traps are designed to be pretty much unidirectional. If a mole comes from the wrong direction, it won't spring the trap while the mole is between the jaws. So by placing the traps with the triggers pointing outward, separated by maybe a foot, one trap or the other will spring regardless of the direction from which the mole is coming. Anyway, I realize all this makes me sound a little crazy, but if you've ever dealt with a real mole infestation, you *do* go a little crazy - it is very frustrating. Regardless, happy hunting and good luck!

For the last few years, we had a really bad Bottas Gopher infestation near our gardens -- they're thick in this entire area of NM. We started out with a bunch of the MEDIUM sized traps, which were perfect for the gophers at that time. Now, this year, we'd driven the population down so low, we're now only seeing new much younger ones migrating in from elsewhere. Probably juveniles kicked out or something. Anyway, the larger traps just weren't working so well because the distance between the tines and the trigger was too far and the newer tunnels were rather smaller. From experience, we already know that proper trap placement is key to success. So anyway, I thought I'd get a couple of these smaller traps to deal with these new, smaller interlopers, and once again we've seen results not in days but hours. One gopher down, one to go. And now we have both the medium and small traps so we can use whichever one makes the most sense given the size of the tunnel we uncover. To reiterate somewhat what I put in my review of the medium traps: If you see the classic disturbed soil signs of gopher activity, your top tools are going to be a shovel to clear away the dirt and try to open up a the tunnel area and something like a crowbar, rod, or pry-bar to find and truly open the tunnel. Sometimes you might find the tunnel goes in two directions. If that's the case, it's best to put a trap in each, although sometimes from the pattern of the original disturbed soil, you can tell roughly which one is where the gopher has been working from. Setting the traps isn't that easy, but I've found that by pre-arranging the hold-down wires and using my leg, it's not that hard. Just be careful because you -can- break a finger. These traps are -strong-. Then holding down the S-loop on the back right of the trap, insert the trap into the hold until the trigger ring is inside the tunnel. There's a chance you might have to clear away a little more dirt to widen the opening. I also make sure the straight lever wires are oriented with their hinge-loops facing up, so that when the gopher triggers the trap, they can swing up and away freely. If you come back and the trap isn't triggered but the tunnel and hole are filled back in again, check to be sure you were in the right tunnel and/or that you're going straight in. Many times we didn't see that the tunnel may have gone in a few inches, then off at a sharp angle. Anyway, set the trap(s), come back every few hours or so (esp at dusk and dawn) or at least once a day to check. That's about it. These traps do require a little maintenance if you want them to last a long time. I recommend periodic cleaning and perhaps some 3-in-1 oil on the springs and hinges. We do that a few times each season, more often if they've been in the rain. And hey, if the aluminum tarnishes or the prongs and workings get a little rusty, it almost doesn't matter as long as the trap still works.

Forget the traps, its a waste of money, poisons also are bad. OK heres what we do, ( if you can.) Plug ALL the gopher holes/mole holes with mud, or anything heavy to plug their exit holes. Go buy a 275 gal or so water tank, (you can find less then few hundred, probably on your local craigslist mine were 60$ ea 275 gal.) Fill the tank to the top with as much water as possible. Take a guess at where the "End" of the tunnels end, drop your 3/4 waterline inside that hole. Then with the other end use standard garden hose and flood the front. It might take anywhere from 5 to 20 mins until you start seeing them, but this method works 100% if you can cap all the holes with something heavy. Soon youll start seeing the ground "move" up and down as the moles are digging to the surface trying to make new air holes, this is a good time to bust out your dog if he likes kilin varmints. I went an invested in a 3 foot long BBQ fork, (yes kinda rough for the fain t hearted.) But when these varmints do thousands of dollars worth of dmg to my plants, it makes me feel ALOT better. =). Best part is you don't even have to TOUCH them you just "stick it and forget it". Or 1 poke and scoop them up dead/dying and catapult them to a disliked neighbors house. 8) Not only does it kill them, but displaces any survivors, AND kills the babies, ALL WITHOUT POISON/TRAPS. GL!

After all the rave reviews, I thought I'd finally found the answer to my awful pocket gopher problem. I live in CA so bought the two, medium size traps. But gopherzilla in my backyard is trap smart and has just pushed dirt in the traps to set them off, not even trying for the carrot I put as bait right behind the trigger (and even setting the pins so it would only take a small tap to set it off!). Covered the large holes I had to dig to insert the traps and everything. Just catching more dirt all the time. I think this thing now knows if he feels air, that we've set traps, so he isn't tempted by any food, chewing gum, or poison pellets and just packs the dirt in. And I mean he really packs it in - like cement. The only thing that has seemed to work is trying to flood him out, but then you are playing whack-a-mole and you have a 20% chance of hitting him before he pops back inside. He's ruining my backyard and garden with holes/tunnels that run at an angle downwards for sometimes 2 feet or more. Lost a huge truck-sized screwdriver down one that must have been 4 or 6 feet down. Never did recover it. Starting to feel like Bill Murray in Caddy Shack. I just want to blow up my yard and see how the little %#@ likes that!! Sigh. Disappointed so far with these but will keep trying... hoping these rodents will slip up and make a mistake.....whole neighborhood overrun last year with these things when they started digging two blocks away at an old Rockwell site. So I know if I could just get the hang of tricking these gophers, I could make some money catching everyone else's!

Tengo problemas con los topos, no es fácil conseguir estas trampas en las ferreterías locales Excelente producto, funciona perfectamente