Is your beautiful garden suddenly showing weird mounds and tunnels? If so, no need to worry – you might just have a gopher in there. These little digging rodents can really mess up your carefully tended yard; however, with some insider tips, you can take charge and bring back the beauty of your outdoor space. In this blog post, we’ll cover the signs if you’re really dealing with gophers and, furthermore, share some tips on how to get rid of gophers. Whether you’re a gardening pro or just a homeowner, let’s go ahead and jump into your mission to take back your garden so that you can enjoy a bounty-free, gopher-free harvest!
Why Should You Protect Your Garden From Gophers?
Well, looking at these cute little rodents, you might think, what is the need to know how to get rid of gophers in the first place? Can’t they just live happily alongside you? However, trust us, these little guys aren’t as innocent as they look. Gophers are infamous for their crazy tunneling, and that can cause a bunch of problems in your garden. For instance, consider the following:
- Root Damage: Gophers munch on plant roots, which can lead to plants wilting or even dying.
- Soil Disruption: Additionally, their digging can mess up the soil and create bumpy garden surfaces.
- Plant Destruction: Moreover, gophers can uproot and wreck plants, making your garden look messy and less productive.
- Damage To Pipelines: Furthermore, they can also mess with water lines and irrigation systems while they’re digging around.
- Prey Attraction: In addition, gophers are like snacks for snakes. Having gophers around can bring in snakes looking for an easy meal, thus increases your chances of running into them in your garden.
- Impact on Lawn Health: Lastly, gophers create unsightly lumps and bumps in your lawn, which makes it tough to keep a nice, smooth surface for playing or relaxing.
Ultimately, keeping your garden safe from gophers will help create a healthier and way more beautiful garden space.
4 Signs That Your Garden Is Infested By Gophers
Before understanding how to get rid of gophers, you must be sure if your garden is infested by rodents or some other pest. The following tips will help you determine if your garden is infested by rodents.
Mounds of Soil
Gophers, just like any other rodent, create distinct mounds of soil as they dig. However, the mounds are quite different from others and thus can be identified easily. Here’s how they look:
- These piles usually look like fans and have a hole right in the middle.
- Gopher mounds are generally around 6-12 inches tall and 12-24 inches wide. You’ll often find a chunk of soil plugging up the center.
Evidence of Tunneling
Gopher tunnels can make your garden all bumpy and uneven. However, every tunnel is not always made by gophers. Here’s how Gophers’s tunnel looks like:
- These tunnels are usually about 2.5 to 3.5 inches wide, stretching across anywhere from 200 to 2,000 square feet, and they come in different depths.
- You’ll also find some shallow feeding tunnels alongside deeper spots for nesting and storing food.
Damaged Plants
The plants in your garden might wither off due to many reasons, including gophers. Here’s how to check if gopher has damaged your plant:
- Look for any chewed-up roots or spots where roots are missing.
- Furthermore, if your plants suddenly droop or look dead, gophers might be the culprits.
Droppings
Now checking droppings is the sure shot test to check which pest has infested your garden, Check the following to make sure if gopher is the culprit:
- Gopher’s poop is small, shaped like cylinders, just like black beans and about half an inch long.
- Moreover, the droppings are pretty unique compared to other rodents and bugs and are usually spotted near their burrow entrances.
How To Get Rid Of Gophers In 5 Effective Ways
Now once you have determined that your garden is infested with gopher, it’s time for your next move. Now you must learn how to get rid of gophers in all ways possible. But remember, we don’t aim to kill the goofers but to get rid of them from our property.
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Use Natural Repellents
First, you can mix castor oil with water and spray it on the ground or blend it into the soil to form a barrier. Additionally, garlic works too; you can either make a garlic spray or plant garlic around your garden.
Tip: Be sure to reapply any repellents after heavy rain or when you water your plants to keep them effective. Furthermore, always do a small test spot first to check that the repellents won’t harm your plants.
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Set Up Physical Barriers
Next, dig a trench around the area you want to protect and put in some hardware cloth or metal mesh. Importantly, make sure the barrier goes at least 12 inches underground to stop gophers from digging underneath.
Tip : Keep all the barriers maintained. Finally, check the barriers regularly for any damage or gaps that could let gophers sneak through, and fix or replace any broken parts right away.
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Bring in Natural Predators
For instance, set up owl boxes or perches to lure in owls since they love to eat gophers. Moreover, a bird-friendly environment can also bring in hawks and other birds of prey.
Tip: Create a good habit for your predatory friends. To do so, make sure there are open areas for hunting and spots for resting in your garden so these predators feel welcome.
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Add Gopher Repellant Plants
Another simple way to get rid of these rodents is using plants whose smell gophers cannot bear. Thus, go for plants that are known to keep gophers away, like lavender, mint, daffodils, or marigolds. Notably, their strong scents act as natural deterrents.
Tip: Plant the gopher repellant plants wisely. Moreover, you should plant these beneficial species around the edge of your garden or gopher holes where you notice regular activity.
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Try Sonic Radiation Devices
Now instead of killing them, a very simple and effective method to get rid of gophers is, in fact, sonic radiation. You can use solar-powered or battery-operated sonic sound-generating tools that create vibrations to disturb gophers and encourage them to leave. Furthermore, they’re pretty easy to set up and look after.
Tip: To achieve better results, place several devices around your garden. Additionally, wrap them in waterproof plastics or bags to prevent them from ruining from water. However, just keep in mind that some gophers could get used to the vibrations, so you might want to switch things up or adjust the setup every now and then.
Common Mistakes to Avoid While Getting Rid Of Gophers
Although gophers are a nuisance and you want to get rid of them, a few methods are a big no. Along with learning how to get rid of gophers, you must also be aware of a few things that should be avoided at all cost.
- Using Poison Baits: Poison baits might look like an easy way out, but they come with big risks. These baits are dangerous not just for gophers, but they can also hurt other wildlife, pets, and even kids. Further, they can poison your tuberous vegetables as well.
- Setting Traps: Traps might seem like a good idea, but we should keep in mind that they can be pretty cruel. They can lead to a lot of suffering, and in some areas, using traps might even be against the law because of animal welfare rules. Gophers like to stick to their homes, so it’s best to avoid any methods that cause harm or break local regulations.
Thus, choosing more humane and legal ways to deal with your gopher issue helps to make the situation safer and more ethical.
When To Get A Professional Pest Control?
Now suppose none of the solutions work, then how to get rid of gophers from your garden? If your pest problem has shifted from being just a small annoyance to a big issue, then it might be time to call in the pros. Furthermore, ongoing or serious infestations usually need more than DIY solutions; consequently, that’s when getting expert help is super important.
Summing UP
To sum up understanding how to get rid of gophers begins by first spotting them. Once done, you can then deal with gopher infestations effectively and protect your garden. Keeping those pesky gophers away lets your garden stay bright and lovely. Therefore, keep an eye out and use these tips to keep your garden gopher-free.
FAQ
- Is it legal to trap gophers in my area?
The laws can differ based on where you live; therefore, make sure to check your local rules about trapping and using poisons so you don’t run into any trouble.
- When is the best time to deal with gophers?
Gophers are most active in the spring and fall, so these are the best times to deal with them. However, keeping an eye on things all year round can help you get rid of gophers before they get out of hand.
- What Can You Expect from Pest Control Experts?
When you hire a pest control service, you’re not just getting a quick fix. In fact, they will use a combination of methods like setting traps, using bait, and even altering the surroundings to keep gophers away.
