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"No Blow" Gas Eliminates Burrowing Rodents
Al Dentone has found a way to eliminate burrowing rodents that’s safe, quiet and won’t anger his customers’ neighbors. Instead of liquid propane and oxygen systems that create underground explosions, he came up with his patent pending Eliminator that uses CO2, an inert gas that is heavier than air. “It settles into the tunnel, displacing oxygen. The rodent is eradicated by lack of oxygen,” explains Dentone.
  Dentone says the biggest challenge was designing the metal probe. He used a double wall that ensures the low-pressure gas outlet doesn’t plug with soil when inserted into the rodent tunnel.
  “With gophers, simply insert the probe in a tunnel and turn the handle to release the gas,” says Dentone. “A 30-sec. release of gas at 15 psi is usually enough. With ground squirrels, you need to cover the holes the night before. Pick the hole that is most used the following day, insert the probe, crank up the pressure for about 90 sec., remove the probe and cover the hole.”
  Dentone predicts 95 to 98 percent eradication initially with subsequent treatments reaching 100 percent. While the inert gas kills rodents in the tunnel, if it spills out of the tunnel it simply dissipates harmlessly into the air.
  “CO2 is on the OMRI certified organic product list,” says Dentone. “We are waiting for certification of our equipment. When we get it, it will be the first product approved for rodent control in organic production. Until now the only option they had was trapping or shooting with non-lead bullets.”
  Worker safety is another nice thing about the Eliminator. “There’s no problem with workers compensation, though in California, you still have to have an applicator’s license,” he says.
  Dentone uses the Eliminator in his own rodent eradication business. He is also selling the equipment, including the probe, regulator and 25-ft. hose, for $1,700. While some larger property owners may want to buy their own, he suggests it could also be the basis for a good business.
  “You can treat 30 gopher tunnels an hour,” says Dentone. “A 20-lb. tank of CO2 used for gophers at that rate should last about 3 1/2 to 4 hrs. or do up to 160 burrows per tank.”
  Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, IGI, LLC, P.O. Box 1876, Lodi, Calif. 95241 (ph 209 366-1859; toll free 855 901-2300; www.EliminatorByIGI.com).


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2013 - Volume #37, Issue #6