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; we guarantee 100% control of gophers. Before applying control, consult your local and state guidelines to see if gophers are a protected species in your location.

Gophers may be funny in cartoons or even considered cute animals 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 are also 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 must 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 control products, you can eliminate gophers from your yard and end the havoc they create.

Identification

Before you can treat, you need to ensure you're dealing with gophers. Misidentification can lead you to use the wrong treatment products and waste time and money. Below are some characteristics of gophers to aid in identification:

• Gophers are typically between 4 to 12 inches in length. They are also known as pocket gophers and are named because of their large cheek pouches, which hold food and materials to create nests. This method of carrying food in their cheeks often gets them confused to be a chipmunk, a woodchuck, or a squirrel.
• A gopher's color can range from yellowish-brown to black, with its underside being a lighter shade of 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.

Use the description and image above to determine whether the pest you encounter is a gopher. If unsure, contact our experts; we will help you identify the correct one.

Inspection

After you have identified gophers, you will need to inspect them to see where they are active and determine the severity of the infestation. This means locating their tunnels, tunnel entrances, or dirt mounds. 

Where To Inspect

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

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

Search in your yard, lawn, or backyard. Focus your search on areas near gardens, crops, and fields, especially with 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 plugged with soils to keep intruders out. Tunnels can be a couple of inches to several feet under the turf. 

Locate a raised mound using a small probe such as a screwdriver or broomstick. Move a couple of inches 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, 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 kill the gophers on 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

Before applying the Gopher Bait, you must probe and locate active tunnels that gophers have dug. You can do this by using a metal rod to probe areas where the gophers have pushed up dirt from the ground and created mounds.

Stick the rod around the areas where dirt mounds are found. If you push the rod so that it easily sinks into the ground, 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 the Hole

Applying bait can be done 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 identified tunnels.

Insert the applicator into the tunnel and fill it with 1 teaspoon of Gopher Bait 50 Strychnine. Turn the lever on the applicator for 3 seconds (or until all the bait is dispersed), and then 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, taking care 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 treated. The bait should be applied 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 these areas and install wire mesh a couple of feet under the ground.
• You can also limit the number of crops, plants, or vegetables on your property. This will discourage gophers from visiting your yard or visiting it for the first time.
• To prevent gophers in a non-lethal way, 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.

Key Takeaways 

What Are Gophers?

• Gophers are destructive pests who habitually dig underground tunnels, create ugly dirt mounds, and destroy crops and desired vegetation.
• Gophers are 4 to 12 inches long, and their bodies were constructed to make it easy for them to burrow into the ground. They have powerful limbs, sharp claws, and sensitive facial whiskers to help them thrive underground.

How To Get Rid of Gophers From Your Yard

• The best way to kill gophers is to apply Gopher Bait 50. Locate active tunnels and apply the bait to holes made along them at a rate of 1 teaspoon per hole.
• Gopher Bait 50 should be applied 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 grow.
• One non-lethal form of deterring gophers from the area is Animal Stopper Granular Repellent. Apply in areas you do not want gophers to be to ward off them.