Gophers are burrowing rodents native to North and Central America. Commonly known for their tunneling activities and their ability to ruin lawns and destroy gardens, they are also important to our environment in that they aerate and fertilize the soil.
Since gophers spend so much of their time underground, it’s logical to assume they hibernate in winter, but they do not. The warmer temperatures of spring and summer are ideal times for gophers to forage and expand their burrows. In winter, they become more dormant, staying in their burrows for extended periods and living off their fat reserves. People often believe gopher hibernation exists because they are less visible to us.
Since gophers wreak havoc on yards, farmlands, golf courses, and parks, it’s best to call Critter Control to learn how to get rid of gophers in a humane way.
Where Do Gophers Go in the Winter?
Gophers do not hibernate!
Gophers are not animals that hibernate in winter, and they don’t go anywhere. In winter, they become less active and rely on all the foraging they did in summer to sustain them.
Gophers are nocturnal and are most active at dusk and dawn. It’s possible that because dusk and dawn are at different times in winter, we just don’t catch sight of them as often as in summer when we, too, are out and about for longer periods. Even though we may not be seeing them, they are still a problem in winter too.
Gophers breed in late winter, giving birth to litters of five to six pups. These pups mature quickly and will be ready to establish their burrows by early spring, making it important to know how to get rid of gophers before they multiply.
What Do Gophers Eat?
Gophers are herbivores and love to eat many of the things we love to plant, either for landscaping or eating. And, because they don’t hibernate, they continue their eating throughout the year.
Gophers in the garden will eat both above ground and below. Underground, they’ll eat the roots of plants they encounter in their everyday digging. Above ground, they eat and drag back to their tunnels:
- Seeds
- Leaves of shrubs and plants
- Flowers
- Tubers such as potatoes and carrots
- Bulbs
- Grasses
Gopher Behavior
Gophers build elaborate multi-level tunnels that they seal with dirt to maintain a comfortable temperature and humidity. It’s estimated that one gopher can excavate approximately 800 feet of tunnels beneath a single acre.
They aren’t digging to be irritating. They are constructing complex tunnels underground in which they spend the bulk of their time. Unfortunately, these tunnels contribute to soil erosion, interfere with lawn equipment, and create tripping hazards.
Since they are shy creatures, they prefer to stay underground and like to pull plants down into their tunnels. Their burrow entrances are often placed near food sources so they can spend as little time as possible foraging above ground.
Yard Damage
Gophers create horseshoe-shaped mounds of dirt when digging new tunnels. A single gopher can generate 70 mounds per month, damaging acres of land in a very short time. Their relentless digging makes it difficult to mow the lawn, can lead to cave-ins, damage plantings, disrupt drainage, and make it harder to play in and enjoy your yard. They can also gnaw through underground utility wiring.
Plant Damage
Gophers feed on many garden crops, ornamental plants, vines, shrubs, and trees. They can get at plants in multiple ways, including by eating their roots, nibbling on leaves located near a burrow hole, or even by plucking it from underground and carrying it into their tunnel.
In addition to destroying valuable plants, gopher damage can include chewing on plastic water lines and lawn sprinkler systems.
Exclusion and Prevention
Whether you need to get rid of gophers in your yard or under your house, or want to take preventive measures, Critter Control will add exclusion and prevention measures as part of their professional plan. Exclusion is the most effective way to lessen your chances of being plagued or plagued a second time by gophers.
Critter Control will advise you on the best methods for your particular situation, but many of their practices include:
- Wire Netting: Surround individual plants or entire planting beds with wire netting around their sides and bottom to create a barrier. If you have raised beds, place wire netting across the bottom of the beds before you put soil in.
- Gravel: Because gophers will gnaw through underground sprinkler pipes or cables, a barrier of gravel will keep them away.
- Barn Owls: If you live in a rural area, try putting up nesting boxes to attract owls. Barn owls love to eat gophers.
- Yard Maintenance: Overgrown shrubs and piles of debris provide great cover for gophers. Keeping a tidy and trim yard makes your property less inviting.
- Growing Undesirable Plants: Gophers don’t like lavender, daffodils, marigolds, and rosemary.
- Container Plantings: Planting in containers presents an effective barrier to gophers.
Call Critter Control for Gopher Removal
It can be difficult for homeowners to identify a gopher from a mole or other tunneling pests, and even harder to find and get rid of gophers within their labyrinth of tunnels. Critter Control specialists are experts at identifying and finding where within their burrows these pests are to set humane gopher traps.
Call Critter Control at 800.274.8837 and find the office nearest you to schedule an appointment.