A Cure for Pocket Gophers That Stops ‘Em Dead
by Ken Lain, the mountain gardener
Pocket gophers really are menaces to mountain gardens. These burrowing rats live underground, destroying gardens by chomping plant roots and ruining soils by destroying worm counts and beneficial fungi. Their devastation includes decimating tree roots to the point that large trees can blow over in one of our powerful spring windstorms! Recently, although far from funny, it was almost cartoon-like to watch a broccoli plant in my garden disappear "subterranean style" and vanish as though it had never existed. This is the classic effect ofpocket gopher activity and why extermination must be brought onto the field of battle.
How do these underground marauders manage to move such vast amounts of dirt and cause so much unseen damage? The answer lies in their specialized digging mechanics. Pocket gophers are built for the job, using their massive, forward-facing incisors to "loosen" and rip apart soil and roots, while their heavily clawed front paws scoop and push the loose earth backward. They work efficiently, creating complex burrow systems that can extend up to 150 square feet. This extensive tunnelling activity directly fractures delicate plant root systems and destabilizes the soil structure, leading to the collapse of healthy worm and beneficial fungal populations.
Choosing Your Weapons for the Gopher War
Over the decades that I’ve been dealing with these critters, I've learned that gas, traps, or poison are the only weapons for long-term solutions against these underground vermin. You must match your strategy to the size of the infestation.
1. Gopher Gassers: For Early Detection and Small Colonies
Gopher gassers are miniature road flares that are stuck down into the rodents’ holes, ignited, and then buried. They are extremely effective if gopher activity is caught early, but woefully inadequate for large colonies of these buck-toothed menaces. If you have more than one mound rising in your landscape, you must move on to measures more drastic than gassers.
2. MoleMax: The Smart, Poison-Free Deterrent
If you are looking for a smart way to deter gophers without resorting to poisons, MoleMax is an excellent option. This granular repellent harnesses the power of castor oil, a natural substance that is an intense irritant to gophers (as well as moles and voles). When gophers encounter the castor oil-coated granules, they find the scent and taste so unpleasant that they often pack up and move elsewhere.
Think of MoleMax as creating an invisible, castor oil barrier. It works best when applied systematically. For large garden beds, yards, or preventative measures, spread the MoleMax granules evenly across the entire surface. If you have active gopher mounds, identify the runways and sprinkle the granules over those specific areas. You can also place a spoonful or two directly into the active tunnel entrances for maximum effect. For best results, MoleMax must be watered lightly after application; the water activates the granules and helps the castor oil soak into the soil. You will need to reapply every few weeks, especially after heavy rain or supplemental watering, as the castor oil naturally dissipates over time. One pound of MoleMax treats up to 500 square feet and can last for up to 3 months, making it a gentle yet effective way to encourage those burrowing critters to find a new home, leaving your garden and lawn intact.
2. Gopher Traps: For Hard-Core Gardeners
Gopher traps are the tried-and-true weapons of hard-core gardeners. They really work, but demand a lot of time and effort to get ahead and keep ahead of these subterranean marauders. At one point in my gopher-killing career, 12 traps were set each morning and again at dusk. Before I could declare my mission successful, my daily average kill was 12 gophers per day for over a month! Simple math will show that I had to set and tend a LOT of traps and kill a LOT of gophers on just one property! Keep in mind that you never will be battling just one gopher but entire families of these pests relishing their destructive paths through your garden.
Traps work, but are difficult to set down in the holes. If none of the enemy enters a trap within 24 hours my suggestion is to move the trap to another hole. When trapping is successful, bury the carcass back in the hole where it met its demise.
3. The Ultimate Weapon: The Gopher Probe and Zinc Phosphide
If gophers have your garden looking like the aftermath of an air raid then it is time to break out the big guns. That’s when I turned to the Gopher Probe, my ultimate weapon! This T-handled tool lets me administer a delicious, corn-laced zinc phosphide attractant directly into the labyrinth of tunnels beneath the garden. Here’s my battle plan:
Step one – Level All Existing Mounds so that as new mounds appear you can see exactly where gophers are currently working.
Step two- Using the Gopher Probe, gently probe around each new mound until you feel the needle’s tip slip quickly into the ground. This indicates you have entered directly into the gopher’s realm. Use the tool’s ingenious handle to release the Gopher Killer under the soil’s surface. Hidden underground, the gopher family feels safe to ingest the delicious, lethal feed. Before morning, they will feel under the weather and put themselves to bed, never to chomp again. This may seem harsh, but it’s the most effective way to deal with rodents, and your gopher problems are cured without ever witnessing a dead body. No bodies to deal with, no dead corpus smell, no fuss, and highly effective.
CAUTION - Zinc Phosphide is the specific poison you want to use with the Gopher Probe. The gopher eats the zinc, goes to bed, and never wakens. Zinc phosphide does not keep on killing like strychnine does. If a coyote should find the body and eat it, there is no secondary kill. Enough said. Please, please, please stay away from strychnine baits. Strychnine is so dangerous that I would not dream of handling it, much less using it where my dogs and children run free, and where wild birds fly.