Effective Pocket Gopher Control: Strategies to Prevent Damage

Pocket gophers are notorious for causing significant damage to crops, landscapes, and infrastructure. Their extensive burrow systems and feeding habits can reduce forage yields and damage valuable plants. To effectively manage pocket gophers, a range of control methods can be employed, including habitat modification, exclusion, trapping, and the use of toxicants. Understanding these methods and when to use them is essential for minimizing the damage caused by these burrowing pests.

Habitat Modification

One of the most effective long-term strategies for controlling pocket gopher populations is modifying their habitat. Pocket gophers thrive in environments where plants have large roots or underground storage systems. Rotating crops, especially switching from alfalfa to grain crops, can help reduce pocket gopher populations since grain crops don’t provide the same food resources. Additionally, creating buffer zones of grain around hay fields can limit gopher migration.

Flooding fields is another effective method, especially in areas where irrigation is feasible. Water fills gopher tunnels, forcing the animals to the surface where they are more vulnerable to predators. Additionally, wet soil can create an inhospitable environment by clogging gophers’ fur and burrow systems.

Exclusion

While habitat modification can help reduce gopher populations, exclusion is a practical method for protecting high-value areas like ornamental shrubs, flower beds, and underground utilities. Small wire-mesh fences, buried at least 24 inches with an outward skirt, can deter gophers from invading protected areas. Protecting underground cables or irrigation pipes with metal pipes or coarse gravel can also prevent damage. Gophers are unable to gnaw through pipes larger than 3 inches in diameter or burrow through gravel, making these barriers highly effective.

Repellents and Frightening Devices

Repellents and frightening devices are generally ineffective for pocket gopher control. While plants like caper spurge or castor-oil plant have been suggested as natural repellents, there is little evidence to support their effectiveness. Capsaicin has been tested as a deterrent for gophers' gnawing, but its field application has not been successful. Frightening devices, such as noise makers or vibrations, do not deter pocket gophers.

Toxicants

Several rodenticides are available for controlling pocket gophers, including zinc phosphide, chlorophacinone, and diphacinone. These toxicants are formulated as baits and must be placed inside the gophers’ tunnel systems to be effective. Baiting is particularly useful in larger areas where other methods may be impractical. Specialized equipment like burrow builder machines can be used to place bait underground, making it an efficient method for treating fields.

While toxicants can be effective, care must be taken to avoid accidental poisoning of non-target wildlife. Toxic bait can also decompose quickly in damp burrows, so baiting should be done when rain is not expected.

Trapping

Trapping is one of the most reliable methods for controlling pocket gophers, particularly in smaller areas or when gophers are actively building new mounds in spring and fall. Body-gripping traps, such as Macabee® and Cinch® traps, are highly effective when placed correctly in gopher tunnels. Traps should be placed near fresh mounds, where gophers are most active.

Cage traps are another option and can be baited with food like lettuce or alfalfa. However, trapping requires consistent monitoring, and traps should be checked every 48 hours. If no gopher is caught within that time, the trap should be moved to a new location. Trapping in winter can reduce the population before the breeding season begins, helping to control the population long-term.

Conclusion

Effective pocket gopher control requires a combination of methods, tailored to the specific environment and population. Habitat modification, exclusion techniques, and trapping are among the most practical and effective strategies, while toxicants can be useful in larger areas when applied carefully. Understanding gopher behavior and utilizing the appropriate control measures can help protect valuable crops and landscapes from gopher damage.

Source: Internet Center for Wildlife Damage Management; Pocket Gopher Damage Prevention and Control Methods