How to Get Gophers Out of Your Yard?
After years of work, you’ve got a yard so well-maintained that it makes professional golfers jealous. But whilst a hole or two might be useful for them to practice their putting, the last thing you’d want to see is a gopher hole.
These little rodents spend most of their time digging tunnels under yards and gardens in search of food, and they can cause havoc on your lawn if you’re not careful. What may start as a battle against one or two can quickly turn into a war, so if you have a gopher problem you may want to try one or more of the following methods to repel them:
Artificial grass
Whilst it may not be the most popular method, replacing your natural grass lawn with artificial turf can be effective in getting rid of gophers. Not only is it harder for a gopher to dig through artificial than natural grass, but they will also be far less likely to want to as there won’t be any roots for them to eat.
Galvanized gopher mesh
If artificial grass isn’t your style, you could try installing proper gopher mesh underneath your natural lawn to stop them from being able to dig holes in your lovely yard. It’s better to use galvanized mesh than something like chicken wire as it’s much tougher, but this may not be enough to stop gophers entirely as they’ll still be able to get at the roots that grow past the mesh into the soil.
Fabric softener sheets
This is probably one of the cheapest methods as you likely already have some of these in your home. Gophers reportedly don’t like the smell, so you can safely throw some of these sheets into their holes to keep them away from your lawn without worrying about harming them. Other scents can be used similarly and are easy enough to get hold of like peppermint oil or garlic stakes.
Castor oil
Another smell-based and increasingly popular method amongst homeowners, you could use either castor oil granules or make your own home-made repellent. Granules can be spread directly into the soil, whilst home-made castor oil should be mixed with water and poured into or near gopher holes for maximum effect. Some homeowners also use castor beans but we don’t recommend these as they’re poisonous so they can be harmful to children or pets.
Live gopher traps
More practical for smaller lawns, live traps can help you to relocate the gophers just like any other pest. Gopher traps are available for purchase from stores, or you can hire a professional to take care of it for you. If you decide to do it yourself, you’ll want to place two traps in the main tunnel back-to-back facing each direction or use a two-door trap, and fill it with bait. Be warned that some companies claim to release the gophers after they’re caught but they actually kill them, so choose who you hire carefully.