If you have small mounds of dirt all around your yard, you have gophers, and I have the best solutions on how to get rid of the furry foes quickly. By following a few simple steps, you can skip the need for a professional service, get rid of the gophers for good, and reclaim your yard.

The best way to get rid of gophers is to trap the animals, use poisonous bait, or a repellent. First, place a live or lethal trap at the entrance of a gopher hole. Use lettuce or peanut butter in the trap to attract the gopher. Once you catch the animal, dispose of it or release it far away from your property. If you want to kill gophers on the spot, sprinkle chemical pellets, (like Victor Poison Peanuts) inside their holes. To keep gophers from even thinking about moving into your yard, castor oil pellets will do the trick.

Throughout the rest of this article I am going to go through each of these things in more detail so that you know exactly what to do. I will keep it simple, save you as much time as possible and help you to do it right the first time so that you can avoid the most common mistakes. Okay let’s get going!

You may also be interested in reading these two related articles “How To Get Rid Of Moles” and “How To Safely Handle Mice and Rat Droppings“.

How A Gopher Infestation Starts

Do you feel like you’re living in a scene from the popular movie Caddyshack? You’re not alone. A gopher infestation can be exceptionally frustrating. Just ask Bill Murray.

The mammals live underground. They’re partly blind, and they’re incredibly sneaky. All of these characteristics can make it tough to get them under control.

Once you spot mounds of dirt all over your yard, they’ve already been hard at work for days, possibly even weeks, creating underground tunnels.

Gophers aren’t necessary a danger to you or your family, but they can eat away all the root system in your yard, trees, bushes, and your beloved vegetable and flower garden.

Nothing is more frustrating than planting 200 tulip bulbs in the fall only to have three blooms sprout in the spring.

To quickly get rid of gophers, you should understand first, when and how they move.

• Gophers are active all day, they don’t take a lot of time to rest.
• They rarely pop their heads out of their holes. They like to live in their tunnels.
• Gophers mate in late winter/early spring.
• Gophers are loners with the exception of a mom with her babies.
• In some cases, one acre of land can house up to 60 gophers.

How To Trap Gophers

Now that you understand a gopher’s characteristics, you can narrow down the best way to get rid of gophers. Trapping gophers is a highly effective way to keep the pesky mammals from destroying your yard.

When it comes to traps there are two main categories: live traps and lethal traps. As you guessed it, live traps capture gophers and then you release the animals, alive and well, away from your yard.

Lethal traps are just that, lethal. This type of trap kills gophers instantly. Because lethal traps are illegal in many cities and counties, please check the regulations in your area before setting up these traps. I would hate for you to get in trouble trying to get gophers out of your yard.

Let’s take a closer look at live traps. You can purchase a quality live trap on Amazon for under $40.When possible, purchase a metal trap. You want something that will withstand the weather because you’ll be setting them outside, near the entrances to their tunnels (mounds of dirt).

• Place the trap near the tunnel entrance.
• Carefully put bait, such as lettuce or peanut butter, toward the back of the trap. By doing so, you will encourage the gopher to step on the trigger, and the trap door will close.
• Check the trap at least twice a day. If the bait is gone, re-load with more vegetation and wait.
• When you catch a gopher, relocate within 24 hours.

If you don’t want to mess with relocating gophers, and it’s legal to use lethal traps, you have several options. Several companies make lethal traps for small mammals including Victor and Trampoline Products.

The traps are metal, and small enough to fit inside gopher tunnels. You’ll need several traps to make this process as efficient as possible.

Here’s a step-by-step guide to setting lethal traps:

• Set trap following manufacturer instructions
• Locate a tunnel, dig a hole, and place the trap inside
• Add bait, such a peanut butter
• Cover the trap with loose dirt, cardboard, or brush to reduce the light inside the tunnel
• Wait and monitor traps. If you haven’t caught anything in 1-3 days, reset in another location.

Using Chemicals to Get Rid Of Gophers

If you’re not interested in trapping gophers, killing gophers with chemicals is another easy way to get rid of the animals. When it comes to using chemicals, please always follow the manufacturer’s label.

Let’s take a closer look at a few of the most effective poisons for killing gophers.

Bonide Moletox Mole and Gopher Killer pack a punch when it comes to getting gophers out of your yard. Sprinkle a teaspoon of this product into the gopher’s tunnel and wait. This product is affordable and goes a long way. Keep kids and pets away while you’re using this product- it could be harmful, if ingested.

You may also want to consider using Sweeney’s Mole and Gopher Poison Peanuts. I love this product because it’s so easy to apply to the tunnels. As you’ll see, the product is shaped like an ice cream cone.

First, find an active gopher tunnel and place the Sweeney’s Mole and Gopher Poison upside down- this will drop pellets into the soil. Then, close the hole with soil and wait.

Check back every couple of days and reapply as needed. And remember to always follow the label!

Bait blocks are also another great way to kill gophers. There are a variety of effective bait blocks on the market. Make sure you look for bait with diphacinone as an active ingredient.

As with the other poisons, place bait blocks into the tunnel and let it the gophers come to you.

When using any kind of poison, remember to wear gloves!

Best Repellent for Gophers

If you’ve already taken care of the gopher population in your yard and you want to keep them away for good, look no further than castor oil pellets.

Castor oil pellets are non-toxic and an easy way to keep the gophers away. Sprinkle the pellets on your lawn and then water. As you water, the pellets will absorb into the soil and trickle down to gopher tunnels.

Soon enough, the castor oil will make the soil taste and smell unpleasant, sending gophers packing.

Re-apply the pellets as needed!

Repairing Your Yard After Gophers

Now what? The gophers are gone and your lawn is a disaster. Repairing your after a gopher infestation is critical- not just for asthetics but for your own safety.

Gopher tunnels create uneven ground which could easily cause a friend or loved one to trip and fall. Once you’re certain the gophers are gone:

• Take a hose to the entrance of the tunnels to wet the ground
• Stomp on the ground to crush the tunnels
• Fill in any uneven areas with dirt
• Sprinkle grass seed or lay new sod

Related Questions

Are there natural ways to get rid of gophers?

Peppermint oil is a great, natural way to get rid of gophers. These mammals aren’t big fans of the scent. Spray a few cotton balls with the oil and place them near the entrance of the tunnels.

Also, you can try planting flowers and shrubs, gophers won’t snack on. Try planting lavender, rosemary, and marigolds.

Is flooding gopher holes an effective mitigation tool?

Yes, however, it can be a temporary solution. Flooding a hole is a great to destroy their tunnels, however, the water won’t prevent them from building new tunnels in your yard.

If you’re going to turn the hose on full blast in a tunnel, combine it with other other mitigation efforts such a traps, baiting, or repelling.

How do I know a gopher hole is active?

You’ll know a gopher hole is active when you see mounds of fresh fluffy dirt. The hole will be closed and the dirt mound will often look like a horseshoe.