Learn How To Get Rid Of Gophers On Your Property
What's the easiest way to get rid of gophers? If you're asking this question, you're likely dealing with a pocket gopher problem. These pesky creatures can do a lot of damage to your property and can be challenging to get rid of. In this blog post, we will outline the easiest way to get rid of gophers and some products you can use to achieve this goal.
We'll also provide tips on preventing these rodents from returning in the future!
How To Identify Gophers
Gophers are tiny, burrowing rodents that can cause extensive damage to your yard or garden. They are proficient diggers, and their front paws are equipped with long, sharp claws that enable them to tunnel through the ground quickly and easily.
Gophers, including their tail, typically measure about 5-14 inches in length. They have soft fur that is usually brown or gray in color. While gophers are found throughout North America, they are most common in the western United States.
Gophers primarily eat plant roots, which they obtain by digging through the soil with their front paws. As a result, gophers can quickly destroy a vegetable garden or flower bed. They also tunnel underground, creating mounds of dirt that can damage lawn mowers and other equipment.
Gophers can be identified by their brown color, small ears, and long front claws.
How To Inspect For Gophers
If you suspect you have a gopher infestation in your lawn or garden, you can do a few things to confirm their presence. First, look for gopher tunnels. These are small, dirt-lined tunnels running through the lawn, usually about 2 inches in diameter. This is one of the easiest ways to spot a gopher in your yard.
Additionally, gophers are often active at night, so you may hear them moving around beneath the ground during or after sundown.
You may also see fresh dirt mounds near these tunnels' entrances. Gophers burrow underground in search of plant roots, so they can often cause significant damage to a lawn or vegetable garden.
If you find evidence of gophers on or around your property, it's crucial to take action to eliminate them as soon as possible. Otherwise, they will continue to disrupt your garden, damage your plants, and make it difficult for new seedlings to take root.
Fortunately, there are quite a few ways to deal with gophers quickly.
What's The Easiest Way To Get Rid Of Gophers?
If you have confirmed that gophers are present on your property, there are several steps you can take to get rid of them.
Many people are surprised to learn that gophers are diggers. They can dig tunnels and runways that measure up to hundreds of feet. This is why eliminating them as quickly as possible is essential.
The best way to do this is to dig a trench around the perimeter of your yard or other areas you wish to protect. This will discourage the gophers from digging any new trenches.
You can also live-trap the gophers and release them into the wild. However, this may not be the most convenient option if you have many gophers. Another option is to use gopher repellents.
These repellents usually contain strong smells that gophers dislike. The downside is that you will need to reapply the repellent every few weeks.
Smoke bombs are also effective at killing or scaring the critters out of your yard. We'll go into a bit more detail about each below.
Finally, you can use a gopher trap. This trap will kill the gopher instantly. You will need to bait it with fresh vegetables or fruits.
Gopher Control Products And Methods
Gopher Traps (To Kill)
A gopher trap is likely your best bet if you want something straightforward. Gopher traps come in a few different varieties, but they all work by baiting the gopher into the trap and then killing it instantly. One of our most popular types of gopher traps is Victor's Easy Set Gopher Traps. They can be used in many soil types and are completely non-toxic.
Live Traps
If you want to trap the gophers humanely, you will need to purchase a live trap. Be sure to get one large enough to accommodate the size of the gopher. Once you have your live trap, bait it with fresh vegetables or fruits. The gopher will enter the trap in search of food and will be unable to escape.
You can then release the gopher into the wild, far away from your property. Wear gloves and a mask when handling the trap, as gophers can carry diseases.
Gopher Repellents
Gopher repellents usually contain strong scents, and gophers dislike the smells. We recommend Gopher Scram Repellent because it is a natural granular product then can cover nearly 14,000 sq ft. It works by using castor oil to interfere with the gopher's sense of taste and smell.
Gopher Bait
While it does have a highly restrictive label, Martin's Gopher Bait 50 is extremely effective. It is for subsoil applications only and is formulated from grain treated with strychnine.
Smoke Bombs
These gaseous products are lit and then dropped into the gopher's main burrows. We strongly recommend Revenge Rodent Smoke Bombs or Giant Destroyer Smoke Bombs.
How To Prevent Gophers From Returning
The best way to prevent gophers from returning is to take away their food source and make your property less appealing to them. One way to do this is to spread coffee grounds around the perimeter of your garden. Gophers dislike the smell of coffee, so this may help keep them away. Similarly, you can spray peppermint oil near all gopher tunnels to repel them with a strong scent.
You can also add a strong blast of water from a garden hose to any fresh dirt mounds you see. The sudden impact and flooding will often scare off gophers and discourage them from returning.
Another method is to use gopher baskets, which are wire mesh cages placed over new plants. The cage will prevent gophers from getting to the plant, but make sure to choose a size that will allow it to grow naturally. Hardware cloth acts similarly in function to gopher baskets.
Finally, you can also use dryer sheets to dissuade gophers from setting up their homes in your yard. They also hate the smell of the sheets and will avoid them.
Placing gopher bait near their tunnel entrances is one easy way to scare them away from your lawn.
Get Rid Of Gophers With Do-It-Yourself Pest Control
We hope this pest control guide has helped you learn a little more about gophers and how to get rid of them. As you can see, you can use a few different methods to control these pests. Be sure to try out a few different techniques until you find the one that works best for you. If you need some pointers, call us, and we'll be happy to help!
Do-It-Yourself Pest Control is here to help with all your gopher problems. We have a wide variety of gopher traps, repellents, baits, and smoke bombs. We also have a team of experts who can answer any questions you may have about getting rid of gophers. Give us a call today!