Spring has definitely hit the western end of the country. Flowers are starting to appear and pastures are turning green. If you look even more closely you’ll see that the gophers are hard at it. Soft rich mounds of earth are piling up, which is a sure sign that gophers are active.
Trust me — it’s not one of those things you can wait on. A friend of mine who traps gophers is already catching pregnant females. According to university researchers, a single pocket gopher can build as many as 300 soil mounds in a year and move 4 tons of earth. Tunnel systems can be quite long and gophers continually build new ones. That one hole in your yard or pasture can quickly become a major infestation. There are many forms of gopher control, but which one is best for your situation?
Gopher control is one of those things that is better to do now, as waiting can lead to more damage and expense. If gopher populations spread, it’s much harder to control them.
Traps are effective, but some people don’t know how, or don’t like setting them. Poisons are used less frequently because pets can get poisoned if they happen to find a dead gopher.
Gopher control services widely vary in price and it’s best to shop around and ask a lot of questions. Your county gopher control division can be a good resource and farm stores can show you the options that they carry for the do-it-yourself man or woman.
