What are Gophers?
Gophers live underground in extensive burrowing tunnel systems. The tunnels can be up to 2,000 square feet with multiple mounds and holes on the surface. They are typically 5”-8” in length and have a lifespan of 1 to 3 years. They are also herbivores and eat roots, plants, shrubs and other vegetables.
Identifying Gophers
We all can see where there is disturbance in our yards and gardens. Unsightly dirt piles and holes are just the beginning when it comes to gopher infestation.
- Dirt mounds- They can be a small, couple inch diameter mound to a large 12” plus mound. The mounds can often be found right next to each other which can be a very large area of a few feet in diameter. The dirt is usually soft and crumbly. The gopher will dig new tunnels and then push the dirt up and out onto the surface. They will then close the opening will dirt. Because of this you will usually see a “door” mound in the middle of the pile.
- Holes- Open holes in the ground can tell you a few things. They can show you where they have popped up before and show the distance complex tunnels extend to within your yard. Even if they are not covered with dirt they can still be in use by the gopher.
- Dead plants, shrubs and trees- Beyond mounds and holes you can see the destruction a gopher causes from your plants dying. Gophers eat tender roots and plants and will burrow directly under a plant, shrub or tree and completely eat the roots. Sometimes you will find nothing but the plant laying on the surface with no root system left. They will also pick and choose a plant, even if they are closely placed to other similar plants in the same area.
- Difference between Moles and Gophers- Even though both rodents displace dirt/soil the damage can look different. Gophers leave much more dirt or soil on the surface. Moles are smaller rodents and tend to stay right under the surface. They push up dirt and grass and make paths that creates haphazard looking lines of dirt. Almost like a crack in the surface.
Why Are Gophers in Your Yard?
We all love our personal space and the yards we have created. Unfortunately, so do gophers. They don’t mind what size they are, what way it is facing the sunrise or if it is a concrete minimalist design. They will find something that they are looking for.
You will find them often in a lawn because it affords them an abundance of food, water and soft dirt to tunnel in.
- Food Source - Gophers eat tender roots, plants, shrubs and even tree roots.
- Shelter - Gophers areprimarily solitary, territorial, and subterranean. This means that they live alone, defend aterritory, and usually remain underground. They spend their time burrowing underground and searching for food. If food is plentiful, they stuff it in their “pocket” cheeks and bring it to a storage tunnel.
- Soil Composition - Gophers are burrowing rodents. They have strong arms and teeth for digging and tunneling. They will dig in any loose sandy soil, dirt, and loosely packed rocky composite dirt.
- Breeding - Gophers have 1-3 litters a year. One litter will have 6 plus pups. After about one week the pups are sent out on their own. The new pups will burrow themselves which quickly extends the already complex tunnels and damage.
How to Humanly and Naturally Get Rid of Your Gophers?
Some natural ways to deter Gophers are repellents including:
- Castor Oil
- Fish Oil
- Peppermint Oil
- Coffee grounds
- Tabasco Sause, Pepper Flakes
Certain plants can also be a natural way to deter gophers. Even though gophers have a wide variety of tastes when it comes to plants and roots. There are a few that they generally tend to stay away from.
- Sage
- Iris
- Daffodils
- Thyme
- Geraniums
Exclusion Fencing is another method to stop gophers. There are a few ways to protect your yard before gophers make their way into your property. Exclusion fencing is a small gauged metal mesh that can be placed in problem areas. This will help to keep the Gophers from tunneling in those areas. Placing exclusion mesh under sod will help prevent gopher burrowing up into the lawn’s roots.
Another method includes CO and Bait Treatments. High Pressured Colored Carbon Monoxide treatment is colorless, odorless, tasteless flammable gas that is slightly less dense then air. Non-toxic mineral oil is added to C.O to treat and trace your gopher infestation.
Organic Grain Subsoil Bait is a treated with Strychnine and is used directly in the underground tunnels. Bait is injected 6” to a foot down in the ground and is only released in the active tunnel systems. The bait is a mixture of (Milo) grain made up of sorghum and oat. Active ingredients: Strychnine 0.5%, Subsoil applications only.