How to Get Rid Of Gophers

Gophers are primarily small burrowing rodents, which dig tunnels into the earth’s surface and destroy the plants. Owing to their destructive underground activities, they are commonly termed and treated as pests. Gophers have the ability to ruin your beautifully landscaped garden and to root out your favorite plants, leaving you helpless and annoyed. They come in various types and are menace when around. The true gophers are pocket gophers, which are renowned for their vicious skills. However, getting rid of gophers is not that difficult, if you handle the situation with patience and dexterity. To know how to get rid of gophers, read the tips and ways given below.

Tips To Get Rid Of Gophers

You can kill them with gas, using your vehicle's exhaust to fill their tunnel network with carbon monoxide. For this put one end of a garden hose to your car exhaust pipe while put the other end of the hose into the tunnel. To prevent the gas from leaking, fill the other holes in the area with mud. Fill in gas for 15 - 30 minutes so that the entire tunnel gets flooded.
Trapping gophers is another option to get rid of them. Take gopher traps and dig into an active gopher mound. Place the trap crossways into the tunnel, covering the area with a sheet of black plastic or burlap to ensure no light shines into the hole. Also, make sure you use latex gloves or rub the trap with fresh rosemary, so that the trap doesn't contain human smell.
Another way to execute them is by poisoning. However, much care is required while handling such products. Always use the instructions given before using. Wash your hands very thoroughly after handling and keep away from children. Also, avoid the method if you have pets, as they can get poisoned on eating a dead & poisoned gopher.
You can possibly drown them, using a garden hose to flood the gopher tunnel with water. As soon as the gopher pops out of his tunnel to escape drowning, be ready to kill him with a shovel. This method though effective, creates a mess.
You can even smoke and suffocate them, using gopher flares. This can be done by lighting the flares and filling the tunnel with smoke. Be sure to cover the tunnel with soil once you put the flare in.
You can get rid of them by releasing a wild gopher snake into an active hole. The snakes are extremely effective and clear out an astoundingly large area and finally move on to a new area.
Another natural predator that can be used is cat. Quite a number of domestic cats work well against gophers. However, make sure you pick female cats as they are more efficient and interested than male ones.
Repellents can also be used to do away with gophers, but they are not deemed quite effective. For preparation, mix 1/2 cup of Castor oil, 1 teaspoon of Tabasco sauce and a few drops of peppermint oil in a cup of water. Shake the preparation well and dip cotton balls into it. Drop these cotton balls into the active holes. Do not forget to wear gloves!
You can plant gopher spurge, which are type of plants, highly disliked by gophers. These plants can be grown in large quantity in gopher infested areas.
In case of emergency, you can take professional help. An exterminator uses Aluminum Phosphide, which reacts with moisture in the air and soil to produce highly acute toxic phosphine gas. This is the most expensive option, but there is no residual poison, and no secondary poisoning in this method.

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