Back-fills: What do they mean? What do I do?
Back-fill in a 4-way set
We have the best traps on the market for MOLE and GOPHER control. One reason (and there are many) our traps are so effective is that you can see all the activity from the surface. If your traps look like these photos, you have been back-filled! It happens to the professionals too.
A sprung or back-filled trap is like a fishing hook in the water without a worm. Back-fills look ugly and can cause disappointment with the novice, but back-fills are not as bad as a sprung trap that causes the MOLE or GOPHER to become “trap shy.”
What happened? There are at least three problems that can cause a back-fill;
1) The trigger was rubbing against the surface of the tunnel.
2) There is a small GOPHER in a large tunnel and the GOPHER circumvented the jaws and the trigger.
3) The tunnel forked before the end of the trap and the MOLE OR GOPHER circumvented the jaws and plugged the
trigger, preventing it from releasing.
What should you do?
1) Clean out the tunnel completely.
2) Chop the face of the tunnel with a shovel to give the trap a different
position in the tunnel.
3) Use the digging tool to locate any tunnels that may be forking. If
there are forking tunnels, you must carefully shovel back to the
forked tunnels and set 2-traps!
4) Check that the trigger on each trap is completely free when they
are set in the tunnels. If the trigger is not free, gently pull out the
trap and look for dirt on the trigger. Picture a clock on the
circular trigger. The dirt clinging on the trigger is usually from
12 to 3 or 9 to 12. Using your digging tool to measure where the
trigger sits in the tunnels, carefully, scrape just a small amount of
dirt in the tunnel where the trigger is rubbing. Carefully clean out
the tunnel once more. Reset the trap, checking for a free trigger.
Check your traps regularly. If there is no activity for 2-3 days, you may have to give the MOLE or GOPHER some time to resurface. When it does, immediately set a trap in the fresh activity. Happy trapping!
