Gophers are rodents that can wreck your lawn. They can undo, in a few hours, months of work. These buck-toothed pests can dig up to 500 tunnels in your lawn. If left unchecked can destabilize structures and kill your prize plants. Before you jump right to getting rid of gophers, you need to be sure of the problem you’re dealing with.
Is It Really a Gopher?
Gophers can be confused with other small animals such as moles, voles, and groundhogs. Their lives are spent mostly underground since they target your juicy well-developed roots. You might not easily spot them.
When you do spot them, look out for a short hairless tail, ears close to the head, yellowish front teeth that jut out of the mouth when closed, and powerful front paws.
A tell-tale sign of gophers is the shape of their tunnels. Gopher tunnels usually form a C or fan shape with the entrance hole off to one side.
Gopher Extermination Methods To Avoid
There is a ton of information out there on DIY and store-bought solutions for your gopher problem. Some work, some do not, and some are downright dangerous. Here’s what not to do.
Poison
Rodenticides are a mega hazard for other animals in the ecosystem that may feed on the rodents. The poison may kill the gophers but it could also kill owls, foxes, and your pets!
Flushing
Flooding the tunnels with water just makes it easier for the gopher to dig more tunnels in the soft earth. These little pests also have their nests above the main tunnel and are unlikely to drown.
Blasting Propane
This method is dangerous and not particularly effective. The blasting will kill the plants you are trying to protect. Blowing exhaust into the tunnels is also ineffective as gophers plug their tunnels at the first scent of trouble.
How To Keep Gophers Out of Your Yard
Now that you know what not to do, here is how you can keep gophers out of your yard.
Barriers
During landscape installation, factor in your in-ground fencing. You can use galvanized wire mesh to form an underground and above the ground barrier.
Under-lawn barriers are effective for persistent gopher problems. This labor-intensive solution requires you to lay
Live Traps
Live traps are an eco-friendly method. You will need to trap all year round because gophers are such prolific breeders.
Set the trap in the main tunnel which is usually 5-10 inches below the exit in the direction of the flat part of your lawn.
Dig down into the tunnel and set your 2-door trap or two traps back to back to catch gophers in both directions. Juicy Fruit gum seems to be a popular and successful bait.
Lawn Service in Cumming
The best way to get a headstart on your gopher problem is to hire a professional lawn service. They can put in the barrier methods while installing your landscape. Professional lawn service providers are also better equipped to trap many gophers and give you a headstart on controlling them. Contact us today if you need expert lawn services in Cumming and lawn service in Alpharetta.
