As with all rodents that live under the ground, gophers are a pest to any homeowner or gardener. These small, subterranean creatures are quite the pest; they can wreak havoc to your compound. They love to eat plant roots and can turn a beautiful garden into mounds of soil and holes within a short duration.
It is essential to spot the gopher problem in the early stages. These creatures form small, semi-circular hillocks of soil while they burrow with their tunnels. Identifying such signs ensures you act faster in order to reduce the impact and restore your garden.
Gopher removal ought not to be a herculean task—if proper techniques are employed. The ways of getting rid of and preventing gophers can be done with do it yourself techniques or by hiring professionals.
Understanding the Gopher Problem
It is necessary to make sure that gophers are responsible for any damage before taking any steps towards their removal. Check for small circular mounds of soil which are usually associated with gophers’ burrowing in your compound. These mounds are usually visible as the gophers dig burrows and throw the earth on the surface. If you know where these tunnels are, you stand a better chance of focusing your removal efforts.
DIY Gopher Control: Basic Yet Efficient Approaches
The first method which might come to your mind is the usage of natural repellents. Gophers are known to react adversely to certain smells and this will make them stay away from your garden. Natural enemies include companion planting with marigolds or putting castor oil granules around the garden. However, these methods may need to be re-applied over and over again in order to be effective.
Another popular do-it-yourself solution is the use of live traps. Set these traps close to the entrance of the tunnels, making sure you cause no harm to the gophers but rather capture them. After they are trapped, the gophers should be relocated far away from residential areas. It is however important to consult the local wildlife laws in order to determine whether your trapping-and-release technique is legal and ethical.
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When to Seek Professional Help
If DIY remedies do not work or if the problem is severe, it is advisable to seek the assistance of a gopher removal professional. Gopher removal experts can use better ways that include underground fencing or professional traps to control and eradicate gophers without adversely affecting the environment.
A Gopher-Free Garden
Gophers are indeed stubborn pests but it is possible to get rid of these creatures once and for all. Regardless of your choice to tackle the problem on your own or seek assistance from professionals, the right time is now.
It should be noted that each case is different, so to get rid of gophers, it may be necessary to use several methods. Perseverance and proper techniques will make you forget about your gopher problem in the near future.
With these tips, you are steps closer to having a magnificent outdoors that’s free from gophers.
