Have you discovered a gopher in your backyard? These little furry critters don’t seem harmless, and to you, they’re not too dangerous. However, they really can do a number on your garden.
In this article, we’re going to explore how to get rid of gophers in your yard.
How to Get Rid of Gophers in Your Yard
The good news is, if you’ve found evidence of a gopher in your yard, then there’s usually only the one. They’re solitary animals, so once you’ve removed it you can be sure that you’ve removed the gopher problem.
For the best results, we recommend you call a professional pest control service that offers gopher control.
Here’s how to get rid of gophers in your yard.
Live Trapping
This is a popular option for removing a gopher, as it requires the least interaction with the animal. Plus, it’s the most eco-friendly, as you’re not hurting it in any way. Instead, you’ll trap the gopher and then release it away from your property.
To do this, you’ll first need to pick up a live trap. These are very readily available in most hardware stores, or online. Once you have one, place it near the entrance of their burrow. You can bait it with lettuce or peanut butter, to convince them to go inside. Once you’ve done that, you just need to wait for it to take the bait.
Once you’ve caught it, release it away from your home so they can’t find their way back. You’ll also need to fill in the burrows and tunnels, so no other creatures decide to move in.
Repel the Gopher
This option requires you to drive the gopher out, without having to trap them. You’re essentially convincing them that they don’t want to stick around in your yard.
Before you get started, plan out how you want the gopher to exit the yard and your property. You need to plan a route, which will lead away from your property. With this in mind, you can get started.
The good news is most repellents are things that you may already have to hand. With this in mind, you can start trying to put the gopher off living in your yard. You can use castor oil pellets, peppermint oil, or fabric softener sheets. Place these in the burrow nearest your home, and wait a couple of days.
Then, you can start placing these items in burrows slightly further away, closer to the exit. Keep doing this until you get them out of your yard entirely.
Some homeowners have had luck repelling gophers with pet waste or fish scraps, so you can try these too if you’d like. The only issue with this plan though is that you won’t get the gophers out very far. It may decide to head into your neighbor’s yard, so be aware of that.
Poison Bait
If all other pest removal methods have failed, then you may want to try removing the gopher using poison bait. You can buy this kind of bait specifically designed for gophers, and place it near their burrows. It’s usually disguised as a grain so they will eat it.
When picking out a poison bait, avoid anything that has strychnine in the ingredients. This is because it remains in the gopher’s system, and any other animal that may eat the gopher could be poisoned too. Also, take care with this method if you have pets that use the yard.
How Gophers Damage Your Property
A gopher is a small, vegetarian rodent, and they like to eat through all kinds of vegetation. That includes things like roots, leaves and plants. If you’re someone who likes to keep a neat garden or is cultivating their own crops, then the last thing you want is a gopher munching their way through it all. Even if you don’t, they’ll cause enough damage for it to be unsightly.
They also create tunnels where they live, and so that can lead to all kinds of problems. The biggest is that of sinkholes, which of course are dangerous to anyone who uses your yard. As they tunnel around, they can destabilize things like trees and utility lines too.
If you have any furry friends in the house, gophers are also a danger thanks to the parasites they carry. They can easily transfer lice, ticks, fleas, and mites.
Keeping Gophers Out
Now that you’ve got the gopher out of your yard, you want to keep them from coming back. There are a few ways you can do that, and it’s easier than you’d think.
Start with planting gopher repellent plants in your yard. Lavender, Natal Plum, Catmint, strawberries, and more will all keep gophers away.
If you have a flower or vegetable garden, you can prevent future burrowing. Dig a trench around the garden, and bury a wire mesh screen to stop them feasting on your hard work.
Finally, you can get an ultrasonic emitter for your yard. These are great if you’re concerned that the gophers will try and come back at a later date. These emitters create vibrations that are small enough that humans can’t hear them, but big enough to annoy any small pest and keep them away.
These three options will be more than enough to keep gophers out of your yard, so make sure you do these after you’ve removed your unwelcome guest.
If there’s a gopher in your yard, they can cause more damage than you’d think any small rodent should be able to. Follow this guide though, and you’ll be to evict them quickly and stop them chomping through your plant life.