The Ultimate Guide on How to Get Rid of Gophers in Your Yard

The Ultimate Guide on How to Get Rid of Gophers in Your Yard

Digging takes energy: according to one study of gophers, burrowing requires 360 to 3,400 times the energy it takes to walk on the surface. Digging also destroys. Learning how to get rid of gophers in your yard is crucial for those attempting to maintain a healthy lawn when a burrowing pest moves in.

Gophers can cause the following damage:

• Damage irrigation lines

• Divert water by burrowing through dikes and ditches

• Degrade levees and canals

• Cause structural failures and soil erosion problems.

• Harm tree nurseries, orchards, and vineyards, especially during the winter, when food sources are limited

• Gophers will also gnaw and feed on the bark around the base of shrubs, trees, and vines, which can damage or kill the plant.

Key Takeaways

What are gophers?

Gophers are small burrowing rodents that grow between 5 to 14 inches long. They feed almost exclusively on plant roots. Major problem. Besides that, their 18 to 24-inch diameter mounds leave an unsightly mark on a lawn.

Gophers have extensive tunnel networks 18 inches underground. Look for small tunnel exits with 1 to 3-inch circles of disturbed soil — called a soil plug — to determine whether the pest wreaking havoc on your lawn is a gopher. Gophers leave these plugs when emerging to deposit soil or to eat and plug up their holes with the remaining dirt.

Gophers damage plants by eating their roots. These plants show signs of injury, including discoloration, spotting, and wilting lawns and garden beds. Gophers also:

• Eat the leaves and stems of plants around their tunnels and sometimes pull entire plants into their tunnels.

• They can gnaw up to several feet of shrubs or tree bark, especially when the ground is covered with snow.

How to get rid of gophers

Experts use several ways to get rid of gophers. Homeowners are most successful when using control techniques in the spring or fall — when gophers are most active near the surface. Let's take a look at some of the ways to eliminate gophers:

 Toxicants 

Poison baits that contain zinc phosphide can be an effective way of controlling pocket gophers. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Zinc phosphide is "a nonselective rodenticide, first registered as a pesticide in the U.S. in 1947."

Using poison baits requires the homeowner or pest control professional to place the bait directly into the gopher burrow, where they will ingest it. Many of these products put off a toxic gas that eliminates the gopher in a matter of hours.

You'll need a gopher bait applicator — carried on Amazon and hardware stores — to inject the bait into the gopher's tunnels. Applicators assist homeowners in properly locating tunnels and delivering the bait, which is placed into a tube and often released using a crank system.

Gopher bait applicators also help keep children and pets safe by putting the bait in the tunnel system and away from the lawn's surface. Homeowners are still encouraged to wear gloves, glasses, and other protective equipment when applying baits. Fill in the mounds as you treat the area; you'll be able to tell which gophers slipped through treatment as they make new mounds, and you can re-bait or re-trap as needed.

 Barriers 

Installing vertical gopher barriers proves a significant investment of time and money. But they're effective if done right.

There are three main barrier methods: under-lawn barriers, baskets, and mesh barriers.

Wire baskets are great for protecting smaller, specific areas. Place wire mesh baskets around the roots of individual plants. This protection method works well for plants such as roses, fruit trees, or vegetables.

When planting a new lawn or plant beds, Place 4 to 6 inches of galvanized gopher mesh under the lawn (this is a very extensive measure but will typically protect your lawn for several years). Under the lawn barriers must be done well. If placed improperly, a gopher can navigate above or under the mesh.

Installing a perimeter fence of galvanized gopher mesh or chicken wire is a great solution to isolate sections of a lawn or garden from gophers. These barriers extend over the ground about 6 inches and are placed between 1 to 2 feet underground. Gophers often turn back when faced with this barrier. Building these barriers reduces the risk of gopher damage almost to zero, drastically reducing the chances of a gopher damaging your lawn or garden.

 Trapping 

While there are many myths about removing a pest from a lawn, traps are a sure-fire, expert-approved way to get rid of gophers.

First, search for active gopher tunnels by looking for crescent-shaped piles of soil. Many traps come with the tools needed to catch and remove or eliminate a gopher effectively. Use a probe to locate the main tunnel. Once you have located the tunnel, prepare it by using a spade to open it carefully to avoid collapse when setting the trap.

After setting the trap:

1. Mark the spots with flags or stakes so they can be found again, and cover the traps with dirt or clippings so the mesh blends into the surroundings and remains inconspicuous.

2. Check the traps often so you can remove any new gophers.

3. Replace the traps if necessary and relocate or dispose of any trapped gophers according to local ordinances.

Make sure to check local regulations about traps and baits. Also, set traps with bait and always exercise caution when working with traps.

 Fumigation 

Professionals may utilize fumigation — not only because it's an effective treatment method but because of federal regulations regarding the use of compounds such as aluminum phosphide, which is a restricted-use pesticide.

Homeowners might also be able to find gas sticks that contain zinc phosphide to fumigate a gopher's tunnels.

Machines that produce carbon monoxide are increasing in popularity, specifically the Pressurized Exhaust Rodent Controller (PERC). This device injects pressurized exhaust into burrow systems, simultaneously treating up to 10 burrows. One of the main benefits of a PERC machine is that there is no residual poison or chance of another animal or pet being harmed post-application from the carbon monoxide.

While professionals use fumigants effectively to eliminate gophers, it's important to note that gophers can seal off portions of their burrows to avoid gasses and move to undisturbed sections.

What do gophers hate the most? How to repel these pests

Nothing can completely keep a gopher at bay. Even the best-planned repellent attempts may fall short. It's also important to note that professionals have dismissed many products and methods, such as repellents and noisemakers, as illegitimate and ineffective. Still, homeowners spend much more money trying to catch a gopher and recover from its damage. For many, they're worth a shot.

Natural Repellents

Natural repellents are more environmentally sound and take advantage of a gophers' distaste for unpleasant smells and tastes. One of the most effective natural repellents is castor oil. In theory, an oily product works because the oil makes the soil unappealing to dig in; the castor oil also upsets the gopher's digest track, and the hope is that the best will find some other lawn to terrorize.

Combine 1/2 cup castor oil with 2 tablespoons of dish soap to form a castor oil repellent. Mix the oil mixture well with a gallon of water and spray the solution over the infested gardening zone sufficiently. Regular spraying, especially after rain or watering, can maintain the repellent's effectiveness and keep the gophers in check.

Castor oil is not the only natural gopher repellent available. Gophers also dislike the smell of marigolds and daffodils, which homeowners can arrange on the periphery of their gardens in an attempt to keep gophers at bay. 

Sound Devices

Sound devices repel gophers by creating uncomfortable noises. There are different types of sound devices available on the market. Vibrating stakes and ultrasonic repellers are two of the most popular.

Vibrating stakes are placed into the ground and produce vibrations that disturb gophers, making the area an undesirable place for the rodents to dwell. They are touted as a simple and safe way to drive away these pests without predators or toxins killing off non-target wildlife.

Ultrasonic devices work by emitting irritating ultrasonic waves at a frequency that is too high for human ears to detect but highly unpleasant for gophers.

Quick Summary

Gophers are persistent. Their destructive habits can cause extensive damage to plants and a lawn. For those wondering how to get rid of gophers, it's essential to read up on traps, barriers, and toxicants to learn the most effective ways to eliminate their lawn's pests. While several repellent measures have been deemed ineffective by pest control professionals, many homeowners feel it's worth the effort.