Eco Green Gopher Control Frequently Asked Questions About Gophers:
WHEN ARE GOPHERS ACTIVE?
A. Gophers are not known to hibernate. They are active all year round. Some believe they are more active at night, but research more often shows they are busy all throughout the day, with rest periods in between. Spring and fall are the seasons where gopher mounds are most often seen, and the gopher mounds seem to slow down in the summer. In the winter, gophers still dig.
Some gophers have only one or two litters per year, and others are known to breed throughout the year. Litters can contain from one to 10 gopher pups, but usually they have three or four.
WHAT FOODS DO GOPHERS EAT?
A. The majority of the gopher diet is made up of vegetation, and any animal matter they do eat is thought to be an unintended side effect of the manner in which they find their food.
They will either feed on roots they run into while they dig, or they will pull above ground plants into their tunnel from below. Sometimes they will emerge above ground, venturing a small distance from their holes in order to snag grass and plants from yards or fields. Gophers eat flowers, bulbs, grass, roots and garden materials.
Almost all species of gopher seem to especially enjoy alfalfa, bamboo, rose bushes and dandelions.
In both their attempt to find food and to sharpen their teeth, gophers girdle trees and shrubs. This means they go to a tree and chew around the bottom circumference of it, much like a ring around a finger. Gophers thrive in more lush areas, such as well-watered lawns and gardens.
GOPHERS ARE IN MY LAWN, GARDEN, GRASS, GOLF COURSE OR FIELDS. WHAT OTHER GOPHER DAMAGE IS THERE?
A. Gophers in your lawn, golf course or fields will chew up water lines, which can lead to expensive flood damage. Gophers chew and break cables, which can affect phones or any other utility you receive through underground lines. Gophers destroy sprinkler systems by uprooting sprinkler heads and warping underground water lines.
Gopher tree damage is a huge concern. Their burrowing can expose tree roots, girdle and clip trees—all great ways to kill a tree in your yard or golf course. They will also prune tree roots with their teeth, which can lead to tree damage. Gophers come in like plagues, affecting small areas where people take good care of their landscape. It’s important to get on top of a gopher pest problem before gophers hit root systems and kill trees, shrubs and ornamentals. Gophers have been known to devour a tree’s entire root system, so that the unsupported tree falls over.
WHY SHOULD I GET RID OF GOPHERS UNDER MY LAWN, GOLF COURSE OR FIELDS?
A. If you see fan-shaped mounds of dirt in your yard, golf course or field, you most likely have a burrowing gopher on your property.
All in all, gophers in your lawn, golf course or field can do a lot of expensive damage to your landscape. You may wake up in the morning to find your whole front lawn has served as a gopher feeding lot and playground, with dirt and grass uprooted and thrown about. Gophers can do damage to your lawn and flower beds that is beyond repair.
Gophers are root destroyers. In their efforts at digging and finding food, they will not only hurt vegetation by uprooting it, but also by eating it. They eat tree roots, flower roots and bulbs. Lawnmower blades can be mangled and destroyed when they move over gopher tunnels and gopher mounds. Horses and other livestock can suffer broken legs when they run through fields full of gopher holes. Gophers plow through bamboo roots, destroying them in their wake. Rose bushes are also killed by gopher activity.
Gopher tunnels are intricate underground systems that wreak havoc on your lawn, golf course or field. They usually dig a few deep burrows off their tunnels which they use as resting places, with even more tunnels branching off of those. Some portions of the burrow can be up to six feet deep. Some accounts have estimated the rate of gopher activity as high as 70 mounds per month in a specific area. And that’s just one gopher! People often think they have many gophers, when in reality, it is actually unusual for one yard area to have more than one male. Gophers are territorial and they like to spread out.
Gophers will tear into areas of your yard or golf course and haunt it for years to come. All these gopher pest problems will affect the value of your property. It is difficult to sell a home that has a gopher infestation and actually, it’s required by law that you fix the gopher problem before you sell your home. Property value can decrease between five percent and ten percent due to gopher problems.
CAN A GOPHER HURT MY DOG OR CAT?
A. Gophers can bite with their strong jaws and teeth, and because of gopher illnesses and gopher pests, a gopher lurking on your property can pose a danger to domestic dogs and cats. Your dog or cat will likely be tempted to dig gophers to the surface in your yard, which will also cause more lawn damage.
If you are looking for an experienced Santa Cruz County gopher and mole control expert, call Steve at EcoGreenGopherControl.com today. I am good at this. I am licensed. Let me take care of this problem for you: steve@ecogreengophercontrol.com
