Got Gophers?
It's so frustrating to have a bunch of pocket gophers or moles ruining your yard. A troublesome gopher can chew through the roots of your shrubs, wreck havoc with your lawn and possibly even damage buried utility cables or pvc pipes.I lived in Minnesota (nicknamed "the gopher state") on a few acres that were adjacent to empty fields and farmland. We had a severe Northern pocket gopher problem. Because of this, I was so lucky to have the opportunity to try and experiment with the complete assortment of gopher control products.
HOW DO YOU GET RID OF GOPHERS?
The most common types of products for catching or controlling gophers are traps, baits, electronics, gas bombs and lawn sprays.
WHICH TOOL OR PRODUCT IS BEST FOR YOU?
It depends on how big your yard is, how many trouble makers you think you have and what you're willing or able to do. For example, my wife would faint straight away if she had to empty a trap. And trapping takes some practice to learn, so if you think you have just one gopher, I would use a different removal approach.
Although I used them all over the years, I had the best luck using poison pellets that I dropped into the gopher tunnels with a long-tubed, below-ground applicator. It takes a little luck and practice to find their tunnels, but if you keep at it, you will probably have success as well.
BUT I LOVE ANIMALS
Personally, I have nothing against these critters. A pocket gopher is actually a pretty cute little animal. I accidentally locked one in my garage overnight (and he chewed up the bottom of my garage door), but when I discovered him the next morning, I couldn't hurt him — I just ushered him into a box and then escorted him over to a nearby empty field where he instantly started to dig a new home. When they're above ground they look somewhat slow and kind of lost. And whenever my cat catches a mole or vole (you can hear their high-pitched screams), I always make her let them go.
But gophers can create so much damage to your lawn, plants and anything else that happens to be in the ground. So even though they are cute little critters, most people find that they have to come up with some way of getting rid of them.
LAST THOUGHT
When you're out in your yard hunting these guys, you may remind your neighbors of Bill Murray in CaddyShack, but that's okay. Just remember to relax, don't take it personally and don't let them ruin your day. Good luck — we're pulling for you.
PICK A CATEGORY TO READ MORE:
Traps
Baits and Poisons
Electronics
Gas bombs, lawn sprays and more
If you're wondering where you can find these products, my favorite shop ended up being Gempler's.
Pocket gopher traps to find information about trapping and eliminating those four-legged below lawn pests.
Electronic pest repellents to browse for tips on deterring furry backyard pests with electronics and sonic deter products.
Mole vole and gopher poison baits to shop for easily-applied poison pellets and baits for getting rid of gophers, moles and voles.
Other pest control products to research more ideas about how to eradicate and rid your garden of pests and underground varmints.
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Where can I get these products?
There are several small specialty shops online where you can purchase these products. My favorite is Gempler's, I've been ordering from them for years.
