Pumping engine exhaust fumes underground to kill gophers, woodchucks, and other burrowing pests is a lot easier with a simple new attachment that makes it easy to hook a garden hose up to an exhaust pipe.

The "Underground Exterminator" consists of a 4 1/2-in. long, heat-resistant rubber sleeve with a male garden hose fitting molded into one end. The sleeve fits over exhaust pipes on trucks, cars, tractors, and even ATV's. It has a funnel-like design that narrows down in stages to accommodate different diameter exhaust pipes. A clamp is tightened to provide an air-tight seal.

Once the sleeve is fitted to the exhaust pipe, you just attach an ordinary garden hose -- up to 270 ft. long -- and go to work.

To kill gophers, you locate the tunnel, stick the hose into the open hole, and pack soil around the opening to seal the burrow. The gas, which is heavier than air, moves quickly down the tunnel and dens, putting the animals to sleep as it spreads.

"Unlike trapping, this method kills more than one gopher at a time and also gets the baby gophers," says Batley. 

"To be certain that you've pumped enough gas into the holes, we suggest balling up some newspaper and stuffing it into the hole right after applying the exhaust. If you see the newspaper blowing around the next day, you know you didn't get them all."

To increase the killing capacity, some farmers branch the outlet hose using Y couplers to create several hose outlets for multiple applications. Batley suggests using three Y connectors, which provides four hoses.

He says the vehicle must run at idle in order to prevent engine overheating and possible damage to the Exterminator. "It's meant for exhaust temperatures of up to 225 F. Most trucks and cars run at between 125 and 150 F. We recommend using older vehicles and tractors which have higher carbon monoxide levels than newer models."