Let’s dig into these common gopher signs
Crescent-shaped dirt mounds in your yard, measuring 12 to 24 inches wide, indicate gopher activity and tunneling beneath the surface.
Expect to pay $191 to $612 for professional gopher removal services, helping you address the problem before damage spreads to your foundation.
Missing garden plants or vegetables signal gophers are pulling them underground by the roots, which means your landscaping needs immediate attention.
Hiring a local wildlife control professional provides safe, humane removal without putting you at risk from bites or defensive gopher behavior.
It can feel pretty unlucky when a gopher decides to take up residence in your lawn. These pesky critters can do a lot of damage—not just to your yard but also to your cables, wires, and home foundations. Look for these five common signs of gophers in your yard so that you can get rid of these pests as quickly as possible.
You may not even see a gopher before it’s had time to do quite a bit of damage to your yard and garden. Here are the most common signs of gophers in your yard.
You step out onto your lawn and notice mounds of dirt all over the place. What animal has been digging in the yard? You can often tell by the shape of the mound. Gopher mounds are shaped like a crescent moon or horseshoe that’s 12 to 24 inches wide, and the hole where they entered or exited will be near one side of the mound, rather than in the center.
Gophers will tunnel through your yard and eat the roots of your trees, shrubs, and other plants, or they may eat the leaves of low-lying plants when they come aboveground.
One way to detect whether you’re dealing with gophers rather than moles is by what the pests are eating. Moles root around your yard looking for grubs and other insects to eat, but gophers eat plants.
Because of their tunneling, gophers can even pull plants right by the roots underground to store for feeding later. If you notice your favorite flower or succulent in your garden has gone missing or you’re short on the carrots you planted, a gopher is the likely culprit.
Gophers don’t make as much noise as some pests, like mice, but they do sometimes make noise when they eat or burrow. They may also make noise when threatened.
Gophers aren’t very vocal, but they will squeal or squeak when they sense danger. You may notice a high-pitched squeaking sound when gophers are in your yard.
Gophers have large, sharp teeth for feeding on the roots and bulbs of plants. When they feed, you may hear gnawing sounds as they work through their food stash.
Gophers have long, sharp claws that are helpful for tunneling, but that also means they can make a lot of noises while they dig. If you hear any scratching or shuffling sounds under your lawn, there’s a good chance that gophers are present.
If you’re wondering why your yard is lumpy, it could be because of gophers. While they dig and tunnel, gophers can cause the soil to shift, leading to raised ridges and small divots throughout your lawn.
Because gophers can be very destructive, you’ll want to hire a pro for gopher removal as soon as you notice the signs or see a gopher in your yard. You can try deterrents, like peppermint oil or vinegar, or install a fence around your garden, but if you’re still seeing gopher holes, call in the experts.
Trapped animals can be dangerous, no matter their size. Do not attempt to handle them—call in a pro for safe removal instead.
You should never attempt to remove gophers yourself. They may look cute, but they can be defensive. If they feel frightened or trapped, they may bite you. Instead, hire a wildlife control pro near you to safely and humanely handle the gophers for you.
Gophers can be a very costly pest to deal with, but there are ways to keep them at bay. To keep your landscape in good condition, consider these tips for preventing gophers from coming onto your property.
Add scents: There are some scents that gophers don’t like, like peppermint oil, rosemary oil, coffee, vinegar, and hot sauce. Apply these scents near your garden and near any gopher holes to help deter them.
Install gopher wire: Gopher wire is a mesh that you bury a couple of feet underground. This creates a deep barrier that prevents gophers from entering your yard or garden from below.
Raise your garden: Keep gophers from stealing your crops and flowers by building raised garden beds.
Animal removal costs $200 to $620 on average, depending on how many gophers are in your yard and how hard they are to reach. However, if gophers have destroyed your lawn or caused more extensive damage to your utility lines or foundation, you could spend thousands in repair costs after eradicating the gopher problem.
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