California gophers or pocket gophers are small, burrowing rodents generally brown or gray in color and have long, slender bodies, clawed front paws, and strong front legs designed for digging. They have fine, short fur that keeps wet soil out of their skin.
These proficient diggers use their whiskers to help navigate dark, elaborate underground tunnels. Although they have four large front teeth, California gophers are able to close their lips behind their teeth to keep soil out of their mouths, even while using their teeth for digging.
What Attracts Gophers to Your Yard?
Several things attract gophers to your yard, including food, shelter, and water. Gophers are herbivores, so naturally, they are drawn toward vegetation. They love to eat root and tuber crops, grasses, shrubs, flowers, and even lawns. If your yard has rich vegetation, it is waving invitation cards to gophers who will most likely burrow and build tunnel systems, which is their home.
How Deep Do Gopher Tunnels Go?
Their tunnel system is a series of narrow, underground burrows that lead to various wider openings such as the main nesting area, feeding areas, food storage, and waste holes. These enlargements are formed into a sphere with the nesting area layered with dry grass or similar vegetation.
These tunnel systems can cover an area of 200-2,000 square feet with the main runway located parallel to the surface and about 6-18 inches below. Gophers typically nest and store their food as deep as 6 feet. Tunnel systems that cover a larger area are usually found in areas with dry landscaping in order to be near an adequate amount of food resources.
Learn more about what California gopher tunnels look like underground.
Signs of California Gopher Infestation
It’s rare to see a gopher hanging around outside in broad daylight as they spend most of their time doing things below ground level. When you see newly-dug mounds of soil, that could mean one thing — there’s a gopher in your midst! They love to dig tunnels and push the loosed soil up above the ground, leaving horseshoe-shaped mounds of soil on the ground.
Gopher infestation would become evident if you start seeing damage to your lawn, plants, flowers, and trees on top of the newly-dug mounds of soil. Damage to your water line may also indicate that gophers have found their way underground.
How Do You Get Rid of Gophers Permanently?
Gophers don’t ever abandon their tunnels unless you do something to get rid of them permanently. You can take steps to make your yard less attractive to gophers. This includes removing food, shelter, and water sources. You can also use deterrents to keep gophers away from your property.
Seek Help from Gopher Control Experts
California gophers are not harmful to human health. However, some may find them a nuisance when they begin damaging lawns, crops, and gardens.
Pro Pacific Pest Control can help without using any harmful chemicals. We offer QualityPro-certified gopher control treatments like fencing, trapping, and flooding tunnels with water to eliminate California gophers. We also use safety-compliant fumigation and rodenticides, if necessary. Learn more about our Gopher Control & Removal Service.
Call Pro Pacific Pest Control at 800-901-1102 to schedule a FREE inspection and estimate.