Gopher Control

Gopher Control

Most Effective Products

Martin's Gopher Bait 50 (Strychnine)
Granular Bait
As low as $16.88
Animal Stopper Granular Repellent
Granular
As low as $19.13
Keith's Pro Tips

"After applying Gopher Bait 50, reapplication may be necessary over the course of the next few weeks until you see less Gopher activity, meaning the offending gopher has been eradicated. The way to do this is to check every few days or so for any trace of newly dug mounds."

Gopher Control: How To Get Rid of Gophers

This page is a general Gopher control guide. Using the products and methods suggested you will get control of Gophers. Follow this guide and use the recommended products and we guarantee 100% control of Gophers. Consult your local and state guidelines to see if Gophers are a protected species in your location before applying control.

Gophers may be funny in cartoons or even considered to be a cute animal to some people, but the type of damage they can do on a landowner's turf can be the farthest thing from funny. These destructive rodents not only burrow through yards and leave ugly looking mounds and holes, but they also are notorious for devouring and destroying crops and plant life wherever they decide to reside.

Because Gophers spend most of their time underground in their self-created tunnel systems, these fast-moving rodents can be difficult to control or capture. If you’re a gardener, a homeowner, or an agricultural farmer, Gophers can be a total nightmare and need to be eradicated immediately.

If you are experiencing Gophers on your property, the following DIY guide will give you the answers on how to tackle this frustrating pest. With the correct approach and the right control products, you can get rid of Gophers from your yard to put an end to the havoc they create.

Identification

Gopher in Hole

Before you can treat you need to make absolutely sure that you're dealing with Gophers. Gophers are typically between 4 to 12 inches in length. They are also known as Pocket Gophers and are named as such because of their large cheek pouches they have to hold food and materials for creating nests. This method of carrying food in their cheeks often get them confused to be a chipmunk, a woodchuck, or a squirrel.

The color of a Gopher can range from yellowish-brown to black with their underside being a lighter shade to white. They have large front teeth which they use to burrow underground and whiskers that help them navigate in the dark.

Gophers were designed to live and thrive in underground tunnels. Just from looking at their features, you will find this to be true: they have powerfully built limbs; large claws on their paws for digging; fur that tends not to cake up in wet soils, and highly sensitive facial whiskers which they use to help them navigate in the dark.

Inspection

After you have identified Gophers, you will need to perform an inspection to see where the Gophers are active and determine how severe the infestation is. This means locating their tunnel and their tunnel entrances or dirt mounds. 

Where To Inspect

Gophers can be found on a variety of habitats, but usually close to a food source or where the soil is ripe for burrowing. This often means burrowing close to crops, fields, vineyards, or where there is dense vegetation that provide them with lots of roots to feed on.

Gophers can sometimes be found in the yard, golf courses, or close to commercial buildings. They are capable of creating large underground tunnels that can cover an area of 200 to 2,000 square feet area.

Search in your yard, lawn, or backyard. Focus your search on areas near gardens, crops, and fields, especially where there are piles of dirt or dirt mounds. 

What To Look For

You're looking for Gopher tunnels and dirt mounds. The size of a gopher mound can be up to a foot tall and a foot to two feet in diameter. They will also not have surface tunnels. Instead, they will have lateral tunnels that are plugged with soils to keep intruders out. Tunnels can be a couple of inches to several feet under the turf. 

Using a small probe such as a screwdriver or broomstick, locate a raised mound. Move a couple of inches out from the dirt and probe the ground, preferably at a 45-degree angle. Keep probing around the area until you do not have resistance. If there is no resistance, you have located the tunnel. This is where you will apply treatment bait.

Treatment

Once you have confirmed where the Gopher activity is, it is time to begin treatment. Read the product labels and follow the application instructions on these labels, and stay safe by wearing personal protective equipment (PPE).

The best way to get rid of Gophers is via baiting. We recommend using Gopher Bait 50 Strychnine. This product is a powerful poison that will be used to kill the Gopher in your property. Gopher Bait 50 should also be used with a Gopher Bait applicator which will make it easy to apply to the tunnels and should provide control in 2 to 3 weeks.

Step 1 - Dig and Probe for Gophers

gopher bait treatment how to get rid of gophers

Before applying the Gopher Bait, you will need to probe around and locate active tunnels that Gophers have dug. You can do this by using a metal rod for probing areas where the Gophers have pushed up dirt from out of the ground and created mounds.

Stick the rod around the areas where dirt mounds are found and if you push the rod where there it easily sinks into the ground, then you will know that you have located an active tunnel.

After locating the tunnel, you should take a shovel and dig a hole where you probed. This is where you will be applying the Gopher Bait 50.

Step 2 - Apply the Gopher Bait 50 To Hole

Applying bait can be done so by using a measuring spoon, the Gopher Bait container top, or optionally, the Kaput-D Big Boy Gopher Bait Applicator. The applicator comes with a sharp metal rod that can be inserted into the tunnels that have been identified.

Insert the applicator into the tunnel and fill the applicator with 1 teaspoon of Gopher Bait 50 Strychnine. Turn the lever found on the applicator for 3 seconds (or until all the bait is dispersed) and turn it back to its original position. This will open a small hole on the end of the metal rod that will disperse the bait.

Remove the applicator and layer the hole with dirt, making sure not to completely close up the burrow opening or cover the bait. One pound of bait will cover 1 to 8 acres of land, depending on the number of burrow systems that are treated. The application of bait should be made every 100 feet to ensure proper coverage.

Prevention

After you have treated and eliminated the Gophers, you will need to make sure they don't make a return in the future. Start by building mesh fences around flower beds, gardens, and crops. Dig deep around flower beds, gardens, and crops, and install wire mesh a couple of feet under the ground.

You can also limit the number of crops, plants, or vegetables that you have in your property, this will discourage Gophers from staying in your yard or visiting it for the first time.

To prevent Gophers in a way that is non-lethal, you can also apply repellents such as Animal Stopper Granular Repellent around your property to discourage wandering Gophers from trespassing. Using a rotary spreader, spread the Animal Stopper Granular Repellent liberally to dens, tunnels, entries, and around plants that need protection. When using near edible crops, apply a perimeter application.

Another option is using mothballs to deter Gophers from an area. Mothballs contain the toxic chemical napthalene and disturb the Gophers with their odor. Mothballs can be put inside a cloth and placed inside the tunnels. Once they sniff the naphthalene inside the mothballs, they will quickly leave.

Key Takeaways 

What Are Gophers?

  • Gophers are destructive pests with a habit for digging underground tunnels, creating ugly dirt mounds, and destroying crops and desired vegetation.
  • Gophers are around 4 to 12 inches long and their bodies were constructed to make it easy to burrow into the ground. They have powerful limbs, sharp claws, and sensitive facial whiskers to help them to thrive underground.

How To Get Rid of Gophers From Your Yard

  • The best way to kill Gophers is by applying Gopher Bait 50. Locate active tunnels and apply the bait to holes made along the tunnel at a rate of 1 teaspoon per hole.
  • The application of Gopher Bait 50 should be made every 100 feet for the best results.

Preventing Gopher Reinfestation

  • Prevent future invasions of Gophers by building mesh fences and making your property unappealing by limiting the amount of vegetables you are growing.
  • Some non-lethal forms of deterring Gophers from the area are the use of mothballs or Animal Stopper Granular Repellent. Apply these inside active mounds or strategically place them in areas where you do not want Gophers to be to ward them off.
Questions and Answers
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