Prevent a Takeover
Gophers are highly destructive animals. They live in burrows and like to eat many of the plants that people have in their gardens and yards. If a family of gophers takes up residence in your yard, you could quickly find your lawn taken over by gopher mounds and tunnels. It is easy enough to kill or capture gophers once they arrive, but it would be greatly preferable to keep them out in the first place.
Holes and Hazards
Gophers can cause a number of problems. The aesthetic damage to your landscaping is just the beginning. Gophers also eat garden plants like carrots, lettuce, and radishes. Gophers also carry dangerous diseases like rabies. They have sharp teeth, and like any other animal, they can be dangerous when they feel threatened. Worst of all, gophers make holes in your yard; these holes are a trip hazard for children, elderly individuals or well, anybody. Before you know it, a child could have a sprained ankle. An older person could end up with a broken ankle, wrist or hip. There are several solutions to gopher problems to choose from, depending on your needs, preferences, and budget.
Planting Strategy
Gophers have a rather adventurous palate, but there are some plants that they do not really care for. If you plant these species at the perimeter of your property, you could make your yard a less attractive area to gophers. For example, alliums, from the onion family are very pungent and are repellent to gophers. Some varieties of alliums are also very beautiful; however, remember these plants must surround what you want to protect. Consult the plant experts at your local nursery for advice on choosing other gopher-repelling plants.
Set a Trap
There are many reasons that trapping gophers may be preferable to killing them outright. Gopher traps allow you to rid your yard of gophers easily and humanely.
Poison: Maybe...maybe not
Poison is quite effective at killing gophers, but there are serious concerns surrounding its use. The poisons that are effective against gophers could also be harmful to children, pets or livestock. If you can be certain that none of these will be in danger of ingesting the poison, it may still be a good solution, provided you have some way to dispose of the dead gophers.
Fencing Them Out
Fencing is a very effective tool for keeping gophers out of your yard. What kind of wire mesh do you need? To keep the gophers out, choose wire mesh fencing with no more than ½-inch openings. Gophers are burrowing animals, so the fence should extend at least 18 inches below the surface. Because it will be highly susceptible to corrosion, choose galvanized steel or vinyl coated fence wire. If your yard is already populated by gophers, you will need to use one of the other methods to get rid of the gophers once you install the fence; otherwise, you could end up with a gopher sanctuary.
Protect and Defend
No matter what solution you choose, keeping gophers out will make your property a safer place that is better looking or more productive. It takes a lot of time and energy to maintain a healthy yard; don't let gophers ruin your hard work. Choose the solution that works for you and get rid of these uninvited guests before they ruin the party.
