Gopher Problems

[5ft Diva]

Okay BW - and anyone else, I know you've had problems w/ gophers in the past and I believe we have one and it is digging up our yard like crazy. How did you get rid of them?

[Mamallama]

We've had moles in Michigan in the past that tore up our yard. We bought poison pellots from Home Depot----you dig down inside several of their trails and put the pellots in and bury them. That did the trick.

I think gophers are a lot like moles??? Can you see raised trails through the yard? Anyway, that's what we did with the moles. I'm sure there must be something for the gophers if you check down at Home Depot.

Good Luck!

[bookworm]

I HATE gophers. I agree- go for the poison and put it down the holes. It's really the only thing that dependably works- unless your dog is good at catching them. We had a neighbor in Grantsville who's dog was great at it.

I've chased one out before with the hose and whacked it with a shovel (it freaked me out- it looks like a miniature R.O.U.S. name that movie!), but usually if you shove the hose down the hole and turn it on, they have miles of tunnels and they still manage to escape. I filled two deep holes in my lawn this year, from last year's gophers, but we haven't had any of the critters this year (thank goodness- I blame them for killing 2 of my trees last year).

[5ft Diva]

How frustrating! Thanks for the tips.

[Big_Sissy]

I'm not even sure we have them. How can you tell if you really have them? We have piles of dirt in our yard, but that's it. I can't see any holes or anything???

[bookworm]

unless the piles of dirt are from your kids, that is where the hole is- the little bugger pushes the dirt out into a pile as it's digging the hole- if you gently sweep the pile over to the side, you should be able to find the hole. sometimes the dirt just caves in on it and it's harder to find then, but usually it's right there!

[Big_Sissy]

Ahh, so how large would you say the hole would be? About the size of a hose?

[bookworm]

Most of the holes I've seen have been about the size of a racquetball or just smaller. Not too huge. If you've ever seen a gopher, the hole is just a little larger than it's body. They're about the size of a large hamster. Nasty little things.

[Big_Sissy]

Ok, I'll keep my eyes peeled.

[5ft Diva]

Hopefully it's not a gopher but there were too many perfectly round piles of dirt just randomly around the yard. It was weird.

[natickgirl]

I'm not a cussing gal, but if I were I'd definitely use some colorful language about gophers!!! They've ruined so many things in our yard in Bountiful...plants, trees, sprinkler pipes that collapsed into their tunnels. I'm sure it didn't help that there was a vacant field behind our house. We'd get rid of one only to have another little buggar from the field take it's place.

Sometimes their dirt piles can be quite large (18" - 24" in diameter). You won't see raised tunnels, only the dirt pile at the entrance. Poisons work well. But if you get rid of one gopher & another comes to take over it's tunnels, you'll have to poison again. Best advice: take action immediately when you spot a dirt pile! Put bait in each hole/entrance. Keep on it or they'll breed & you'll have more dirt piles!

Good luck!!!!

[Big_Sissy]

LOL, I think I get the point

[5ft Diva]

Ooooh, good to know, NG. Thanks! Man! That sounds like dealing w/ mice. Ewwww! Dirty little creatures. I caught a couple in my house the other day. I'm not looking forward to winter around here.

[teeny]

When we lived in Nevada we had that problem, but didn't live there long enough to do anything permanent about it. The only thing that got done was my husband going out in the backyard with his 22, and shooting the little buggers!!! I kept telling him the neighbors were going to call the cops on us, but he wouldn't listen, he was having too much fun!

[teeny]

Just so you don't think my husband is reckless , we didn't have any neighbors behind us, just the desert hills of Nevada.

[5ft Diva]

Oh, that is too funny! I can totally see your dh doing that.