Gophers may be cute to look at, but they can do major damage to your property. They’re tunneling animals, and their burrows can reach 6 feet deep and 2,000 square feet wide! Needless to say, if you spot a gopher, it’s a sign of trouble to come.
You want your lawn to stay pristine and you’re worried that these unwelcome visitors will stay put. So what can you do to get these critters out effectively? You don’t want them to come back, after all.
Here’s how to get rid of gophers from your lawn!
Use Live Traps
Live traps are one of the best ways to get rid of gophers from your lawn. It’s also humane if you pick no-kill and poison-free traps! Another plus is they’re not very hard to set.
Buy live traps at your hardware store or online, then put bait like peanut butter, lettuce, apples, and carrots. Place the traps near the entrances of gopher holes in your yard.
If you don’t catch anything within 48 hours, then try a new location. Repeat until you’ve caught the gophers, then have animal control come pick them up.
Put Up Exclusion Fencing
If the gophers haven’t moved in yet, but you know they’ve been visiting, then exclusion fencing is a great idea. This will keep them out of your vegetable gardens so they don’t have a steady source of food.
You’ll need to dig a trench and lay the fencing beneath your yard’s sod so gophers can’t successfully dig and make it to your veggies. Make sure the wire mesh is less than 0.5 x 1 inch wide for the best results possible.
Apply Repellants
Thankfully, there are several things you can apply to your lawn that’ll make it unappealing to gophers. You can buy an ultrasonic repellent that’ll be harsh on gophers’ ears, but not yours (humans can’t hear the high-pitched sounds).
You can also apply castor oil, coffee grounds, fish oil, tabasco sauce, and peppermint oil to the ground. And growing plants like thyme, sage, daffodils, and geraniums can help keep gophers away too!
Hire Pest Control
If you don’t want to bother with all the above on your own, or you want the pros to employ the most effective methods, then call a pest control company.
If you want more information about what services they provide and the techniques they use, ask around. That way, you’ll find a local company you’re comfortable with.
Know How to Get Rid of Gophers Effectively
Knowing how to get rid of gophers will give you peace of mind quickly if you’ve got a pest issue on your hands. As you can see, there are plenty of humane ways to shoo them away.
But if they don’t work, don’t hesitate to call a pest control company. They’ll be able to deal with the problem swiftly so your lawn remains healthy!
For more about beautifying your home, check out the rest of our blog page!
