Gophers, also called pocket gophers, are rodents in the Geomyidae family, which includes 38 species. These largely solitary rodents spend most of their time underground, tunneling under your yard for food. Ranging in size from 5 to 14 inches, these neutral-colored rodents blend in with the surrounding dirt, making them hard to spot. They are also fast-moving, and their tails quickly propel them backward and forward, making them hard to catch.
Mounds of dirt on your lawn are a sure sign of a gopher problem. A gopher infestation can leave your yard looking like a minefield, so you need gopher control if you see dirt mounds. When digging, the gopher displaces the soil, resulting in mounds wherever they create entrances and exit tunnels. These tunnels provide the perfect place to hide and snack on your well-manicured flower beds from the roots, often causing the plants to die. Having gophers is dangerous to both people and animals as they are known for carrying diseases and parasites.
Poison Risks
Safety is crucial for not only your family and pets but the environment as well. The best solution to a rodent infestation is gopher control that does not contain lethal poisons, including gophers. Dogs, cats, skunks, and coyotes are all known to snack on poisoned rodents such as gophers, which could be a fatal meal for the recipient. In addition to risks for wildlife and pets, poisons can eventually reach the groundwater system, creating hazards for animals and humans alike. Fortunately, safe methods of control are available.
Enlist Natural Predators
To avoid using poisonous bait and chemicals, consider enlisting nature’s help for pest control. Dogs and cats are perfect for deterring gophers from your yard. Naturalists sometimes use pet dog feces in the tunnel entrances of gophers to ward off the annoying, damaging rodents. Gophers also have a list of natural predators, including birds of prey and poisonous snakes, that can help you control the population of rodents on your property. Using nature as a method of natural selection is one of the safest environmental strategies.
Consider Trapping
Trapping gophers is a very safe yet dependable way to rid your grounds of tunneling rodents. Unlike poisons, where the affected rodent is left to be found by other animals, trapping allows capture and confirmation that the problem has been solved with the gopher safely contained. Trapping for gopher control is practical compared to other methods, giving the gopher less time to destroy your property. For nature lovers, the trapped gophers can then be relocated to a wildlife-friendly habitat instead of your landscaping.
Environmentally Safe Control
Using an environmentally safe method for gopher control makes sense for everyone involved. By eliminating the need for dangerous chemicals, you protect your family and unintended recipients from harm’s way by accidental poisoning. In addition, you are protecting your planet’s natural reserves by safeguarding water tables to leave pristine resources for future generations. Consider using environmentally safe methods of gopher control for the best all-around results.
