Q&A for How to Get Rid of Gophers

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What should I do if I can find mounds of dirt, but no holes?

Community Answer

The hole is under the dirt, so start by removing the mound with a shovel and poking around until you find the hole or tunnel. Then, use the instructions above to get rid of the gophers.

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Is peppermint oil and peppermint extract the same thing?

Community Answer

They both come from the peppermint plant, but peppermint oil is stronger than the extract because it is concentrated.

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Question

Are there any particular plants gophers do not like to eat?

Jennifer Lopez

Community Answer

All parts of daffodils (flowers, leaves, bulbs) are poisonous to gophers - as well as to people and dogs. Gophers won’t eat daffodils.

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Question

There is an infestation of gophers in my Idaho backyard. Since there are only three trees and old thatch grass, I plan to totally remove the grass and till the entire yard. Will this work?

Temporal

Community Answer

Most likely not. Before I started to water my 2 acre property, it was a barren wasteland with no vegetation, the gophers didn't seem to mind. Once I captured a gopher alive and put it in an old 75 gallon fish tank. I studied it for a while. This gopher I caught could dig a tunnel system, fill everything in, start over and have a new system of tunnels all within 20 minutes.

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Question

We are senior citizens unable to work our yard. We have two dogs that live in the house, but go out in the backyard through the day. Our yard seems to be full of gophers (or moles, we don't know the difference). What can we do without poisoning our dogs?

Community Answer

Gophers make crescent holes and moles create round molehills. Moles eat insects and grubs, while gophers eat plant roots. Also, moles are loners while gophers are very sociable. Rodents don't like caster oil or peppermint. Sprinkle these on plants in the gopher holes they should stay away.

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Question

I don't have plants in my yard; however, there are gopher mounds everywhere. What are they after in this case?

Community Answer

Most likely you have grubs in your soil, which is a food source for gophers. Fruit trees can also be an attractant.

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Question

I put the water hose in the gopher hole and let it run for about 40 minutes. I also put bleach down there, but I could not see water coming out from anywhere else in the yard. Where is it going?

Noah Bogle

Community Answer

I don't know, but it may just be going into the dirt. Try smoking the gophers out with flares. You can also connect a hose to your car exhaust and smoke them out with that. It may actually help you find out where the other hole is.

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Question

If the mound of dirt is 3 or 4 in, high how do I find the tunnel?

Community Answer

You could use a small diameter metal rod with a slight bend. Some people use a long screwdriver. It is easy on a fresh mound. Once you have some experience, you can tell which side of the mound it is because gopher is pushing it out and piling it up and it makes sense.

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Question

How do I get rid of gophers in my yard if they don't make holes, but leave tunnels?

Noah Bogle

Community Answer

A way to do it might be to make your own hole. Get a stick and poke through your yard or whatever has the gopher problem, and find a tunnel. You'll know when you find a tunnel because it will be easier to stick your stick in the ground.

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Question

How deep do gophers burrow?

Jennifer Lopez

Community Answer

Gophers burrow 12-18” deep, depending on the soil type. Tunnels in sandy soil tend to collapse, so they don’t go as deep.

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Question

Will a mint plant repel gophers?

Community Answer

No, a mint plant most likely won't repel gophers. In fact, they might enjoy munching on it.

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Question

My dog is digging up my yard trying to catch these gophers or moles, what can I do to get rid of these things without putting my dog in any danger?

Community Answer

The Gopher Hawk GH-TRP24 snare trap will not harm your dog. Though if your dog gets their paw stuck in it, they might need help getting it off, but there are no sharp edges or anything that could hurt him/her.

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Question

When is the best time to put gopher flares into the hole?

Community Answer

Any time, they are in their tunnels all day, all night, and all year. But logically, sometime before or immediately after spring to kill the babies.

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Question

If I use one of the methods to get rid of gophers with smell, will they leave my yard permanently?

Temporal

Community Answer

No. You will have to continuously put more deterrents down. Also, in my experience, coffee grounds don't work.

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Question

I have several holes in my front yard, but no hills of dirt. Is it gophers that I am dealing with?

Community Answer

No, one difference is that a gopher makes hills and moles do not. You may have moles.

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Question

Does human hair deter gophers?

Temporal

Community Answer

From what I have read online, yes. You may want to look into other ways of detouring gophers, because there's only so much hair you will be able to use.

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Question

What do I do to remove a gopher infestation if I don't know where the gopher is?

Community Answer

Use the sonic gopher spikes. I tried flooding the tunnels and using castor oil pellets, which didn't work for me, but the spikes got rid of them after about a week, and I haven't seen them come back.

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Question

I have sandy soil with only weeds and grass in my yard, and there are mounds everywhere. Are they after weeds, grubs or both?

Community Answer

Could be both. They definitely eat weeds. When I moved into my house, the backyard was nothing but weeds, yet there were still a bunch of gopher tunnels.

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Question

I have a large deck that is only 2 or 3 feet from the ground, and there is a gopher family coming and going from underneath it. It would be very difficult for me to get under there to put anything in their holes. Do you have any suggestions for me?

Community Answer

Ultrasonic gopher repellent spikes could work for you. They make a beeping sound every 60 seconds or so that burrowing pests like gophers, moles and snakes don't like, and they'll leave after a week or two. There are solar-powered ones that don't require a lot of maintenance. I got a brand called Zebedee on Amazon that has an on/off switch so I can turn them off if I don't want to hear the sound while I'm on my deck. (Other ones have to be removed and taken apart to stop the sound.)

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Question

I have mounds of dirt, but no holes. Do you think I could have pocket gophers or moles? What would be the best way to trap them?

Community Answer

Rats can tunnel underground and plug up their entryways so it looks like something was digging, but you are unlikely to discover their hidden abode.

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Question

I have 2 or 3 holes in my front yard, and one is quite big, at least 4 " in diameter, but there are no mounds of dirt near them. Are these gopher holes?

Community Answer

The description suggests this might be a ground squirrel. Ground squirrels dig extensive tunnels and can be very destructive. The holes will be open and usually get bigger over time.

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Question

Some kind of pest is eating the onions I planted in my garden as well as other plants that have bulbs. Could it be a gopher?

Community Answer

It is unlikely to be a gopher as onions are on the list of plants that gophers hate.

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