Small, brown and furry rodents of the ground squirrel family, gophers can create extensive and destructive tunneling systems throughout your yard. A single gopher digging up your lawn can create a whopping 10-30 mounds per month displacing one glass to one gallon’s worth of dirt, up to 6 feet underground, and covering up to 2,000 square feet!
Guaranteed gophers?
Gophers eat plants, including grass, bulbs, tubers, seeds, and tree roots, in addition to chewing through utility and irrigation lines in their attempt to navigate your yard. Because of their tendency to consume from the roots up, your plants may appear to be dying of thirst. Gopher tunnels are rarely visible, however they tend to leave 3 inch diameter plugged holes in addition to fan-shaped dirt mounds with a hole off to the side in areas in which they emerge to feed.
Merely a mole?
Nuisance wildlife can be difficult to identify if unseen, so it may be possible you have moles rather than gophers. If this is the case, you will see symmetrical volcano-shaped mounds that vary in size, surface feeding tunnels featuring raised ridges, and plugged up holes. As moles feed on bugs, grubs, and worms, you are less likely to see damage to landscaping plants.
Vexed by voles?
If plants and trees are wilting, also consider the less-know vole, rapidly reproducing herbivores identifiable by their broomstick-sized holes and trench-like balding “runways” about two inches wide.
Combination contamination?
Smaller moles and voles are known to take advantage of gopher holes, so be advised your lawn may be suffering from multiple maladies.
Gophers gobbling your garden? Contact Allison Pest Control today.