Gophers can dig up to 70 mounds of dirt per month. If you start noticing holes in your yard, it is crucial to determine which animal is responsible so you can act quickly to resolve the problem. Gophers create mounds with a hole in the middle that looks like a horseshoe. They also create smaller holes in other areas of your yard, linking each through a massive underground tunnel system.
One gopher trait is that they like their area to be neat and will not leave their holes open when they leave it. They cover the opening with dirt to conceal it. Knowing all the signs of gopher holes allows you to contact a professional gopher removal company, like Critter Control, to safely and humanely remove a gopher and save you costly repairs in your yard, garden, and around your property.
What Damage Can Gophers Cause?
Gophers can do extensive damage to your property above and below ground. They chew through underground lines, pipes, and sprinkler systems. Their holes damage lawn equipment and make it difficult to mow. They destroy gardens, trees, and shrubs by chewing on roots. They can create foundation problems when you have gophers under your house tunneling.
Yard Damage
Although they live in underground tunnel systems and remain out of sight, gophers damage more than lawns and gardens. Some of the most notable problems associated with gophers in yards include torn-up grass, destroyed sprinkler lines, uprooted plants, and chewed electrical wiring.
Burrowing
The pests also create extensive burrow systems surrounded by mounds of dirt two to three inches across that run anywhere from six to 12 inches down into the soil. The burrow consists of a main tunnel with several lateral burrows that branch off to the side.
Diseases
Though human and gopher interactions are rare, the pests will bite when threatened. Gophers may feel threatened by humans who get too close, step on their mounds, or harass them with loud sounds or other tactics. Do what you can to avoid being bitten by a gopher. They can carry diseases such as:
- Hantavirus
- Leptospirosis
- Rabies
- Tularemia
- Lymphocytic choriomeningitis
Identifying Gopher Holes
What does a gopher hole look like? Gopher holes in yards are easy to identify, and if you have gophers on your property, there will be more than one hole in the area. The dirt surrounding the holes is generally 12 to 20 inches in diameter and between one and three inches in height. In the center of the mounds, the entry space has a crescent-like shape, or it can resemble a horseshoe. They are not only unsightly, but they also make lawn care extremely difficult. The holes can also cause injury to residents and pets who are unaware of the presence of the gopher holes and accidentally step into them.
Gopher Holes vs. Mole Holes
There are several differences between gopher and mole holes, including the following:
- Gopher mounds are crescent-like, and mole mounds are volcano-like.
- Gopher mounds are 10–20 inches, and mole mounds are two to three inches in diameter.
- Gopher tunnels are more complex than mole tunnels.
- Gopher tunnels are only underground, but moles will create surface and underground tunnels.
- Gopher holes are usually found in garden areas with bushes and shrubs, but you can find mole holes along pathways, like driveways or sidewalks.
Both gophers and moles will plug their holes when they reenter their tunnel. Both pests must be dealt with before they cause severe damage to your lawn and landscaping. These traits also apply to the many characteristics that show the difference between gophers and groundhogs.
Ways to Protect Your Yard
Multiple methods exist for protecting your yard from gophers. However, you must know which will work best for your area. While sounds, lights, and sprays work for some homeowners, they are not guaranteed to get rid of your gopher problem. Trapping gophers requires you to fully understand how to use the right bait and the right-sized trap. Then, you must know local laws on releasing and relocating trapped wildlife. Professional gopher control technicians have the right equipment and knowledge to remove gophers properly.
Fencing
You can install fencing to reduce the possibility of finding gopher holes in the yard. To be effective, you must bury fences more than a foot underground. Fencing is especially beneficial if you want to prevent gophers in the garden. Still, this exclusion method tends to be expensive and does not always work.
Gopher Traps
Controlling a gopher infestation in your yard requires skill and experience. Gopher traps and baits can manage the gopher population. Some traps can be inhumane and create unsafe situations for you and the animals, which is one reason Critter Control only uses safe and humane trapping systems. Exclusion methods are usually costly to implement and require significant time and effort to be effective.
Professional Help
The best way to deal with gopher problems is to call a professional wildlife removal specialist. Critter Control’s wildlife removal technicians have the appropriate tools and knowledge to get rid of gophers and provide tips for future issues. They have a simple and efficient process of inspecting your property to identify the animal causing problems. They create a unique treatment plan to remove the animal safely. Finally, they implement exclusion techniques to prevent future gopher problems on your property.
You can contact Critter Control today to learn about gophers and removal services.