Question 1

What Are Gophers?

Accepted Answer

Gophers are burrowing rodents that are very common in the yards of houses. They belong to the family of rodents due to their similar physique to that of a rodent.

Generally, gophers weigh around 200 grams, and their length is in the range of 15 cm to 20 cm. They are also called pocket gophers because of their cheek pouches. These cheek pouches help them to transport and store food.

There are 41 species of these mammals, and you will find almost all of them in North and Central America. Their lifespan is between 2 to 5 years. Gophers create tunnels in your entire yard and can wipe off plants rapidly. They are herbivores, so they find food sources in a vegetable garden.

Owing to their tunneling activities, they can damage crops, farms, and gardens.

Most gophers have brown fur that resembles the color of the soil.

They can develop a huge system of tunnels in your yard. The gopher tunnels are for protection and food storage purposes. They can make these tunnels using their claws.

Moreover, they close their lips behind their four incisors to dig more efficiently. In addition, this method of digging prevents the soil from going inside the mouth.

Question 2

What Attracts Gophers to Your Yard?

Accepted Answer

Gophers are in search of food, and being herbivorous, your yard full of fruit trees is a source of the major attraction for them. They eat plant roots and hoard them by taking them into their tunnels.

Moreover, they love sandy soil since it is easy to develop tunnel systems in them.

The reason that gophers love the roots of plants is that the soil is moist at the roots. They can easily make tunnels in these roots.

Apart from food, gophers make tunnels in your yard to protect themselves from certain predators. Therefore, food sources and self-protection are the two main reasons that attract gophers to your backyard.

Question 3

How To Identify the Presence of Gophers in Your Yard?

Accepted Answer

Gophers can be hard to identify since gophers live underground most of the time.

However, you can identify the presence of gophers by looking out for certain things. First of all, the damaged plants and soil in your yard may indicate the presence of gophers.
Gopher Mounds

Moreover, gopher mounds can help you make sure the presence of these pesky rodents.

Gophers make these dirt mounds when they excavate for their tunnel system. Gopher burrows may have several mounds. Typically, a mound is a pile of soil that accumulates at the entry point of gopher holes, and it can be 6 to 14 inches in height.

Question 4

What Distinguishes a Gopher from Other Rodents?

Accepted Answer

Gophers are somewhat similar in size and shape to other burrowing animals.

Moreover, they belong to the family of rodents. Therefore, it becomes difficult for people to distinguish gophers from other rodents. Many people confuse ground squirrels for gophers.

On the other hand, many people have the ambiguity to differentiate gophers from moles.

The best way to differentiate between gophers and moles is by looking at the shape of their mounds. A gopher’s mound is similar to that of a fan pattern. In contrast, the mole mound is neat and of conical shape.

Question 5

How Does a Gopher Behave?

Accepted Answer

They are shy creatures that love to stay underground most of their life.

Gophers rarely venture above the ground because they are partially blind. They mostly rely on their ears and the sense of smell to travel through their tunnels.

In addition, gophers are territorial creatures, and they maintain them aggressively.

A single gopher can manage a system of tunnels and will not allow other gophers to interfere in it. Gophers can make a network of more than 500 tunnels in a single place, and those tunnels are linked together in close proximity.

Question 6

Are Gophers Harmful to Humans and Pet Animals?

Accepted Answer

Gophers are generally shy, and they do not attack.

However, if a pet animal or human threatens them, they may respond with their four incisors. These incisors are large and sharp teeth. Their bite can cause significant damage and infection.

However, they are not harmful since they spend most of their time underground.

But they carry fleas, ticks, and other pests that can get on pet animals too. Apart from this, multiple researchers have concluded that they do not carry any fatal virus or bacteria.

Question 7

What Time of Day Are Gophers More Active?

Accepted Answer

Gophers are active mostly during the daytime, and the interesting part is that they do not hibernate.

Due to this excessive active routine, they have a short lifespan of 2 to 5 years. Their activity during the day is for the food search. After they get the food, they transfer it to their burrows using their cheek pouches.

They are also active at night, but their daytime activity is more significant. Gophers prefer to excavate their burrows during the day since they prefer to stay away from the sunlight owing to their partially blind eyes.

Question 8

How Do Gophers Make Tunnels?

Accepted Answer

Gophers are the best excavators among the family of rodents.

They use their long and sharp claws to dig through the moist and soft soil. Gophers make a huge network of tunnels within a short period. These tunnels are interconnected with the main tunnel. A gopher tunnel can spread over 200 yards.

A soft tract of soil is the best place for gophers to excavate their tunnels. They use their claws to break down the clumps of soil in a very short period. Gophers are very fast excavators. They are known for their complex design of tunnels.

Question 9

Do Gophers Tunnels Damage the House?

Accepted Answer

Tunnels of gophers are prone to cause severe damage to the property. A single tunnel of gophers can cover an area of 200 to 2,000 square feet. Moreover, gopher’s burrows have more than 500 tunnels interlinked in a specific pattern.

These tunnels are extremely dangerous and can create structural problems for the house. They can create sinkholes underneath the house’s foundation and can cause settlement. The settlement of a house can damage the property.

Question 10

Why Keeping the Gophers Away Is Necessary?

Accepted Answer

Gophers are nuisance rodents for the farmers since they can wipe out a crop in a few days.

They start by eating the roots of the plants and then the stem and fruits. Hence, they can completely raze off cultivation. According to researchers, these herbivorous rodents can decrease the harvest by 20% to 50%, causing immense damage to the farmers and garners.

Therefore, it is imminent to take proactive measures to get rid of gophers. A gopher problem can destroy your beautiful landscapes. To prevent gopher damage to your crops and gardens, one must take adequate measures.

The presence of multiple gophers in your yard is a signal that the days are numbered for the plants.

These rodents can increase in numbers within a short duration. The female can give birth to five to six babies of gophers in a single litter.

During a year, they can have up to three litters. The babies of these mammals are blind, and they stay with their mothers for 40 days. After this period, they go out and start making their burrows.

Hence, it highlights the importance of managing the gopher infestation by taking coercive measures. There are various methods for gopher control. Some are long-term methods, while others are short-term and less effective.

Question 11

What Is a Sonic Gopher Repellent?

Accepted Answer

It is the best form of ultrasonic repellents used to repel gophers.

Furthermore, it helps gopher control for a longer duration by keeping them at bay from your farms, crops, and gardens. These ultrasonic repellents use high-frequency sound waves to irritate gophers.

Gophers are partially blind, and therefore, they have very sensitive ears. They will not like high-frequency sounds and will move away from that area. These sonic instruments repel gophers by sending sound waves down the burrows every 30 seconds.

The frequency of these sonic waves ranges between 100 to 400 HZ. That much frequency is not audible to normal human beings. Moreover, these sonic repellents can cover an area of 6,000 square feet to 7,500 square feet.

It is also pertinent to mention that these repellents are not harmful to pet animals because they are installed underground. The effect of these sonic instruments starts appearing within seven days after installing them.

Question 12

What Is the Structure of a Sonic Gopher Repellent?

Accepted Answer

A sonic gopher repellent comprises a small structure having a rod-like shape with a rechargeable battery or a solar panel installed at the top. The length of the rod is 10 to 14 inches which is ideal enough to plug it in a gopher burrow.

The sonic repellent is infiltrated into the gophers burrow at any point. It emits high-frequency sound waves after every 30 seconds.

These sound waves irritate gophers, and they ultimately vacate the area. A sonic repellent may have a rechargeable battery that can last about five days in a single complete charge.

On the other hand, many modern sonic gopher repellents use solar energy to operate. Normally, the battery of these repellents is 1.2 V. However, the battery’s energy may increase depending upon the capacity.

Ideally, they can cover an area of 6,000 to 7,500 square feet.

Moreover, the gophers will cease to exist in your yard within seven days. This instrument has a sensor at the bottom of the rod that can detect any gopher activity underground and impart sound waves immediately.

Question 13

What Are the Advantages of Using Sonic Gopher Repellent?

Accepted Answer

Sonic repellents are the most humane way to repel gophers. In addition, they can help in gopher control since they force these rodents out of the property.

Following are the key benefits of using sonic gopher repellents:

They are environmentally friendly, and the sound waves are not audible to humans.
    It is even safe for pet animals since they are installed underground.
    You can also use a lawnmower and carry out other activities in your yard since these sonic repellents do not cause any hindrance.
    It is a low-cost instrument with proven results.
    Sonic waves are the best method for trapping gophers.
    It does not require any labor to install them. You can tuck them inside the gopher holes or gopher’s burrow.
    Sonic repellents help in gopher removal within seven days.
    They do not tarnish the aesthetic image of your yard since they are installed underground.
    It is the easiest method to get rid of gophers.

Question 14

Are Ultrasonic Repellents Worthy to Use?

Accepted Answer

Yes, they serve the purpose of gopher removal efficiently.

It is a well-researched device that uses sound to irritate the gophers and force them away from the property.

Moreover, the sonic waves from these devices after every 30 seconds cause immense trouble for gophers who cannot bear the brunt of these high-frequency sound waves.

Question 15

What Is a Natural Deterrent for Gophers?

Accepted Answer

A natural deterrent is a product to deter gophers from using natural products.

Castor oil is one of the best natural gopher control methods. Gophers are sensitive to certain smells. Hence, they do not like the odor of castor oil and move away from the area where there is castor oil.

Placing castor oil pellets on the soil will stop these rodents from excavating.

Moreover, you can place castor beans in burrow holes if gophers are already in your yard. Ultimately, they will have to find another place for survival as the smell of oil irritates them. It is the best method to get rid of gophers humanely.

Question 16

How Can Live Gopher Traps Control Infestation?

Accepted Answer

These traps can control the infestation of gophers by either killing them or trapping them.

They are easily available from the market. However, they require certain labor for installation. Moreover, you will have to check these traps again and again. If there is no sign of gopher in the traps, then change the location of these traps.

Question 17

Is A Poisonous Gopher Bait Effective?

Accepted Answer

Poison is yet another effective method to get rid of gophers.

Zinc phosphide is the most famous gopher poison in use.

However, it is advisable to read the regulations of zinc phosphide usage in your respective state. Some states have banned this poison. For instance, California prohibits the use of poison to get rid of gophers.

You can use poison bait to lure gophers into eating them. They love peanut butter, and hence, it is the best bait to lure them into the trap.

On the other hand, the gopher poisoning method is not preferable because a poisoned gopher can be deadly for your pets. If a pet eats a dead gopher, it can easily contract poison which proves deadly.

Question 18

Can Flooding the Gopher Tunnels Repel Gophers?

Accepted Answer

Flooding the tunnels of gophers is another way to get them out of your property.

You can use a garden hose to fill the tunnels with water. The best practice is to place the garden hose at the opening of the tunnels or holes of burrows.

However, some critics believe that this method is a temporary solution and does not repel gophers for longer.

Moreover, researchers believe that flooding the tunnels will make the soil moist, and thus, gophers will make new tunnels easily to divert water.

Another harmful effect of flooding is settling the sideways and patios with the underlying soil movement.

Therefore, these structural problems can turn out to be drastic if you use flooding to move these rodents away from your property.

In short, this method can make the gopher problem even worse.

Question 19

Do Gopher Snakes Eliminate Gophers?

Accepted Answer

Gopher snakes are a good idea if you want to pay these rodents a considerable amount of pain for damaging your garden.

These snakes are not poisonous, and they feast on these plant-eating rodents.

However, this method is ineffective since a snake can only eat one rodent in two weeks which is enough for him. Therefore, this method is a rather time taking method.

Another drawback of this method is that these snakes can even bite kids or pet animals. Although they are non-venomous, they are still predators who do not shy away from biting. Hence, this is the least preferred method.

Question 20

How To Use Predators to Hunt Down Gophers?

Accepted Answer

Owls are the most fearsome enemies of these rodents.

Therefore, it is preferable to encourage barn owls to control the infestation of these burrowing mammals. You can lace owl boxes to attract owls, and ultimately, they will look out for these rodents as their meal.

Question 21

What Are the Other Easy-to-Use Repellents to Downsize the Infestation?

Accepted Answer

There exist various other methods to protect your yard from the infestation of these ground excavating rodents.

One of the best methods is to use cotton balls. Cotton balls have naphthalene, whose odor is extremely annoying for these rodents, and they run away from it. You can place these cotton balls near the plant beds.

Peppermint oil is another natural source to repel these rodents.

The smell of peppermint oil is disturbing for these mammals, and hence, it has proved an effective method to control them. Fabric softener sheets are also vital to stop the infiltration of these unwanted rodents. Their noses are sensitive to the smell of these sheets, and hence, they move away from the area.

Another easy way to prevent the attack of these rodents is by placing the flower beds at a certain height. These rodents are poor climbers.

Therefore, they will not reach the raised beds of plants.

Question 22

What Is the Best Way to Get Rid of Gophers?

Accepted Answer

There are hundreds of methods to control these rodents.

However, the sonic gopher repellent is the best method so far. It is not just environmentally friendly but is also very effective. Moreover, it does not hinder any activity in the yard since they are installed underground.

This instrument is extremely disturbing for these rodents and can force them away from your property. Moreover, they are not audible to humans and do not damage pet animals.

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