FAQS

Dealing with gophers can be challenging as they often return to the same areas even after being removed. This is because their existing tunnels connect your yard to neighboring yards. However, there are steps you can take to mitigate the issue: Professional Gopher Control: Hiring a professional gopher control service is essential. They can effectively eliminate the existing gophers using methods such as trapping or eco-friendly repellents.  Referral Cards: Along with the gopher control service, you will receive referral cards. These cards can be given to your neighbors, encouraging them to address gopher problems in their yards. By doing so, you minimize the chances of gophers tunneling back into your property.Maintenance Services: Consider opting for maintenance services offered by the gopher control service. With monthly inspections, they will monitor your yard for any new gopher activity. If they identify fresh signs of gophers, they will promptly address the issue. While this service is reactive, it has proven to effectively control gopher populations, reducing their presence to a minimum.

Gophers live underground and feed mainly on the roots of plants. They move from root to root by tunneling through the dirt. Eventually, though, the dirt builds up in the tunnels, so the gophers start digging upward to the surface to get rid of the dirt.

A gopher’s tunnel system can be very extensive.  It consists of the main tunnel, which is usually 6 to 8 inches below ground, and numerous cross tunnels that lead to the surface – where they make the mound. The gophers also dig separate chambers to store their food and raise their young. The main tunnel can be as long as 200 yards, and the chambers as deep as 6 feet!

The gopher’s powerful front legs and long pick-like claws create the perfect tunneling tool. But, they will sometimes hit a pipe, utility cable, or other large objects that they can’t dig around, so they use their large teeth (incisors) instead. The pocket gopher’s incisors never stop growing, so they have to use them regularly to keep them controlled.

5. Probably not. Gophers are very territorial and usually live alone in a tunnel system – except during breeding season and when a new litter is born. There can be up to 10 baby gophers in a litter, and a female can have up to 3 litters a year in irrigated areas. Young gophers will stay with their mothers for about two months, then leave to start their own tunnel system. They can start their own families when they are a year old and live for about three years.

Gophers spend most of their lives underground, so you are more likely to see their mounds than to see the gophers themselves. But, you may see them poking their heads above ground when clearing their tunnels of dirt. Gophers are usually about 6 to 9 inches long with tawny brown fur and short tails, but their large teeth are the most obvious way to identify them. Gophers have poor eyesight but an excellent sense of smell – so if you see an animal of this description running backward very fast – it is likely a gopher!

By gnawing and eating plant roots, the gophers not only weaken the foliage, but they can also kill trees, shrubs, and other plants. They also dig at and chew on utility and irrigation lines that get in their way, destroying these. Additionally, the holes they burrow to the surface, and the ground that is weakened by their tunneling can cause falls and injury to people and animals. And, if you have a dog, those holes will likely be dug even further as it tries to get at that underground pest! Foundation of the home can become unstable. 

RABIES, HANTAVIRUS, LEPTOSPIROSIS, “THE PLAGUE” Gophers can spread disease in a number of ways. The most common is through their infected urine, which can contaminate water or soil with bacteria or viruses. Their feces pose the same risk, as they can also contain harmful bacteria that cause infections. Gophers leave their urine and feces everywhere they go, which increases the chances of humans coming in contact with them. Gophers can also spread disease through their saliva. Diseases can be passed on to humans through a bite from an infected gopher. When gophers are cornered or threatened, they may bite humans in self-defense. Their fur can also carry bacteria and viruses, which can be passed on to humans through contact. Additionally, gophers can carry fleas that are infected with the plague bacteria. When these fleas bite humans to feed on blood, they can transmit the bacteria and cause infection.