Home»Garden»Pests & Disease
Last Updated on May 10 , 2025
Dealing with gophers in the garden can be incredibly thwarting . I know at first hand ; they ’re rearing in our area ! Gophers are furtive , pertinacious , dine on a wide-eyed miscellanea of plant root , and can cause serious damage – from unsightly mounds , ankle joint - twisting holes , and plant stress or demise . However , there are a phone number of non - toxic elbow room to ensure gophers !
This article covers7 waysto gopher - proof your garden to protect plant life and keep gopher damage to a lower limit , includingdeterrents , exclusion technique , gopher tolerant plants , and traps . We’ll also talk about 3 unwashed gopher dominance methods that I do not urge – like using poisonous substance . Most of the hint in this article employ to other burrowing rodent like field mouse and moles too !
If you ’re await for an answer to “ how to get free of gophers ? ” the realism is , you may not be able-bodied to – or at least not wholly and permanently . On our holding , we ’ve simply accepted their comportment and hear to coexist to a certain extent . Yet by using many of the non - toxic gopher control condition methods below , we ’re capable to successfully protect plants from pouched rat and still grow a very tidy , productive garden .
Would you like to save this?
We ’ll email this post to you , so you’re able to get along back to it later !
I jibe to get electronic mail update .
Disclosure : Homestead and Chill is reader - supported . When you purchase through links on our internet site , we may make an affiliate commissioning .
About Pocket Gophers
ground squirrel , more officially known aspocket gophers , are tunnel gnawer and part of the Geomydiae family . There are over 30 decided gopher species native to North and Central America . They are known for their uncanny ability to ruin garden , farm , and ornamental landscaping . In addition to wilt or disappearing works , thetelltale moundsthey leave at the dirt surface are a polarity that gopher are present in your yard .
goffer create extensive hole-and-corner burrow systems , which are about 3 inch in diameter and normally witness 6 to 12 inch below the soil aerofoil . Their heavy food store sleeping room and nest are recondite , up to6 feet below ground . A single Minnesotan ’s tunnel system can sweep several hundred straight foot , and up to 2000 straight feet . It ’s of import to realise their tunnel scheme when setting traps !
Gophers areterritorialand leadsolitarylives . Therefore , the damage you keep in a small garden distance may be triggered by just one or two gophers .
What do gophers eat?
gopher turtle areherbivores . They are n’t specially picky , and will dine on a extensive variety of vegetation . They mainly eat up subterraneanplant roots , lightbulb , and tubers , which causes stress or decease to plant from below . They ’re also roll in the hay to glance above primer to graze on sess , clover , young stems , and other similar low - growing tender greenery around the circumference of their mounds .
gopher may also consume with child selection plants , starting by gnaw at the origin until they eventuallypull the whole flora downinto their tunnel . I know many nurseryman who have seen full mature tomato plant plants nurse below priming coat !
See a tilt of less attractive pouched rat - immune flora below .
How NOT to get rid of gophers
When it come to control gophers , I recommend you tonever use gopher tortoise poison . Using gopher toxicant is cruel in many ways . First , it results in a ho-hum and agonising death for the gophers . Even though they ’re considered a garden pest , they do n’t merit that kind of treatment .
what is more , gopher poisonputs all wildlife at jeopardy – plus domesticated animalstoo ! rummy cuspid , cats , birds of prey , possum , or other predators can easily eat envenom gophers and become poison themselves . Even if you do n’t mind the idea of poisoning a gopher , I doubt you feel the same about beloved Fluffy .
I also do n’t advocate fussing withfumigation or skunk bomb calorimeter . pocket gopher bullet bombs let loose toxic fumes that can be dangerous to human and pets if used wrong , and are not suitable for an edible garden expanse . In addition to suffocating gophers ( if successful ) , the fume will harm snakes or other beneficial critters that may be sharing the gopher tunnels . Plus , gopher often pretend apace to close off their burrow and enshroud until the smoke go aside , scotch your travail .
Another unremarkably commend pouched rat ascendancy method ( that I do n’t suggest ) is tofloodout their tunnels . Not only is inundate usually ineffectual , but it can in reality make the soil more gopher - friendly since it is easy for them to tunnel in damp soil . Overall , it ’s a huge permissive waste of water system .
7 Ways to Keep Gophers Out of the Garden
1) Gopher Cages or Baskets
One easy and non - toxic path to curb Gopherus polypemus is to plant fruit trees , bush , and other susceptible plant within gopher tortoise cages or baskets . Made of telegram fabric , gopher baskets are contrive tosurround and protect the root egg , in effect preventing gophers from eat the plant ’s root . Simply add a basketful around the root ball at the sentence of planting .
Gopher cages are ideal to protect a circumscribed number of plant life from gopher , such as a smattering of shrub or yield trees . However , on a larger scale , it would be very long-winded and dear to plant dozens to hundreds of one-year garden crop in individual gopher basket . ( That is where raised garden beds pull through the daytime ! ) This gopher control method acting plainly wo n’t help for lawn areas either .
TIP : When installing gopher baskets , it is important to keep the top rim of the basket protruding at leasta dyad inch above the grime line . Otherwise , they can easily skip right in and begin feeding within the basket itself .
What type of wire is best for gopher baskets?
There are a number ofpre - made gopher basketsavailable to purchase , commonly made of chicken wire or other thin conciliatory wire . They can get the job done , though some gardeners complain that gophers can chew through them , or that they do n’t stand up to the test of sentence . In my experience , these steady and stalwart gopher basketsare more efficient ( but more difficult to work with ) than thesemesh “ hurrying baskets”(which I ordinarily expend forgopher - resistant plantsonly ) .
Another option is tomake your ownextra - stout gopher cage ! We often make our own large gopher baskets for yield trees usinghardware textile – which is the most indestructible , long - endure and effective option . Unlike chicken conducting wire , computer hardware cloth will not disgrace with meter . Also , gopher can not squeeze through the little openings or gnaw through computer hardware fabric . Check out our tutorial on how to make DIY gopher basket here . Because it wo n’t put down , computer hardware textile goffer basketful may slightly constrict plant root and ontogenesis over metre .
2) Grow in Containers or Raised Garden Beds (and add hardware cloth)
One of the most good ways to keep goffer out of your garden and protect plant is to primarily useraised garden beds , great deal , and/or container . We love growing food in raised beds andwire barrel plantersfor a number of reason , but the ability to easily block out plague and weeds is near the top of the listing !
When webuild a raise garden bed , weadd hardware cloth to the bottomside of the Sir Henry Wood bed before fulfil it with soil . Be indisputable tofirmly attachthe hardware cloth ( for example secured with raw material or wide - principal cabinet screws ) , eliminating any gaps they can slue through and get inside . Again , do not expend chicken wire since they can check through the break or chew through it and it will cheapen with time .
We also addcommercial grade landscape fabricbelow our bring up beds as another level of protection , which the gophers only seldom masticate through .
baksheesh : you’re able to also use ironware cloth to line pathways ( under mulch , landscape painting fabric , etc ) in country with exceptionally high gopher dealings , belittle soil disturbance and mounds .
3) Gopher Traps
I understand that not everyone is incisive on using lethal gopher traps . However , if your end is to get disembarrass of gophers ( and not just dissuade them ) , then I think we can all correspond that a quick death using a non - toxic trap is far preferable to a slow , fell death because of gopher poisonous substance or fumigation . ( Not to mention the other risks and issues that those options pose ) .
The Gopher Hawk , The Black Hole , andThe Black Boxare among the most effective , extremely - tell on , and easy - to - usance gopher trap available . Once catch , you could put the go gopher out for birds of quarry or scavengers like opossums or coyotes . Like all the other non - toxic gopher control methods we ’ve explore today , trap read continued pertinacity and patience to get disembarrass of gopher tortoise – since others are likely to move in and take their place .
TIP : It ’s good toset gopher turtle trap within the tunnel , not at the entry of a wise hollow . To locate tunnels , use a acuate underweight objective like a garden stake or nooky driver to slow probe the dirt in a 1 - metrical unit spoke around visible hillock . ( The Gopher Hawk comes with a investigation ) . You ’ll palpate the probe “ give way ” once you hit and enter a hollow burrow arena .
4) Grow Gopher Resistant Plants
Though gopher will eat just about anything if they ’re athirst enough , a number of plants are considered “ gopher tortoise resistant ” . These plants typically have astrong scent , virulent flavor , toxic sap , or other noxious traits that make them less appealing for gophers to corrode . Rosemary , lavender , salvia , eucalyptus , oleander , and gopher purge are all prime case .
However , no plant life is ever 100 % safe from pouched rat ( I still use speed cage on these less appetising ones ) , though they for certain wo n’t be gophers first choice to dine on . Even salutary , many California native plant and drouth - tolerant plants are also gopher resistant !
See a list of over 50 pouched rat resistant plants to develop in California and beyond here .
5) Non-Toxic Gopher Repellents
Another non - toxic gopher control fast one is to put born pocket gopher repellent inside their tunnels . The goal is to make their surround uncomfortable or otherwise unsuitable so they ’ll move elsewhere . Depending on the repellent used , you could either put the stuff directly in the exposed holes , pitter-patter or impregnate the ground around visible mounds , or soak cotton plant testis and place them inside the burrow ( ideal for petroleum and liquids ) .
What smells do gophers hate?Quite a few ! essentially , it boils down to the aromas of their predators , or other really pungent , bitter smells . case of natural , non - toxic pocket gopher repellents includepeppermint oil , castor oil , coyote urine , cat and dog poop , garlic , coffee dry land , and fish crude or Pisces carcasses . We’ve definitely been known to put cat ninny down gopher kettle of fish a time or two – haha ! I ’ve also understand they dislike sweet-scented dryer sheets . Finally , you canbuy specialised non - toxic gopher deterrentsto put in their holes OR sprinkle right on the stain aerofoil over larger area .
One drawback to this non - lethal gopher control method is that they typically wo n’t move very far away . So if you have a large place , they ’ll still be around unless you treat all orbit . Plus , your neighbor might not be too felicitous with their newfound tenant .
6) Ultrasonic Emitters
In addition to funky feel , small quivering and high - lurch noises can also drive gophers . Devices likethese solar - power gopher spikesorthese democratic battery - powered sonic spikesemit ultrasonic waves that gophers find annoying . So much so , they often continue away .
While critical review suggest varying succeeder rates , it ’s worth a shot ! Especially if you ’re looking for non - lethal , non - toxic gopher control methods . Place several emitter in prime areas of pocket gopher activity . The capitulum can also be effective at deterring vole , bulwark , ground squirrels , and groundhogs .
7) Encourage Natural Predators
create and maintaining a various , wildlife - well-disposed yard is a fantastic form of non - toxic goffer control . Gophers have a telephone number of innate predatory animal . Owls , war hawk and other snort of prey jubilantly Holman Hunt gophers that venture out of their tunnel . Savvy barn Arabian tea will also be ready and expect to pounce ( though barn computerized tomography also pose a risk of infection to other wildlife , like song birds ) . Coyotes , Fox , and badgers will dig gopher turtle out of their tunnel , while snake in the grass and weasels can follow them into tunnels .
Nature has a path of finding equaliser , including keeping various wildlife populations in check . Learn how to turn any size garden into a wildlife home ground here!Key component of a wildlife - friendly curtilage let in seat for shelter and to bring up young , and a salmagundi of food and H2O source . For instance , conceive bestow anowl boxto your property ( be certain to get the correct size and case of box seat for owl species common to your arena ) . It is also important to follow organic practices and nullify the use of pesticide , include pouched rat toxicant !
And that concludes this lesson on non-toxic gopher control.
In closing , I recollect we can all consort that spermophile are passably frustrating little beast . If you ’re struggling with gopher in your yard , I ’m sad ! I finger your painful sensation . But I hope the tips and technique we covered in this clause will help get them under control , and keep the terms to your cherished plant life to a lower limit !
