There are a number of products on the market for gopher control and often times it takes a combination of products and most important time, to battle your four legged foes.
At your local hardware store and also many nurseries and garden centers you can find
- Gopher TOX by Bonide specially formulated for Western Pocket Gophers.
- Gopher trap snares – effective once they trap a gopher but they are under heavy tension so not recommended for use if you have puppies or other animals that like to dig.
- Smoke Cartridges – to be effective you have to dig down deep enough to find where the gopher tunnel goes both directions.
- Gopher Poisoned Pellets – Self explanatory in application. Be sure cover up the pellets so birds other other animals don’t ingest them. Not a recommended application if you have pets around your yard.
- Rodenator – Not practical on small properties, in neighborhoods or basically anywhere near civilization. But on large properties or agriculture lands, this product could be right for you!
NON-lethal traps and methods
- Ultra Sonic Vibrating Stakes – We have never tried this method; the theory is the vibrating pulse that is sent into the ground and keeps burrowing animals away. They have mixed reviews online. If have tried one, we’d love to hear how you felt they worked for you.
- Have A Heart Trap – A very effective method if you can actually get the animal to enter the trap. Fresh peanut butter for bait is Romey’s top choice. It’s sticky, lasts a few days without having to be reapplied and animals can’t resist it.
- The Pickle Jar Solution: Fill up a one gallon Pickle Jar with water, then put a filled Pickle Jar in the middle of the garden. Then place filled Pickle Jars in your garden, about every 12 feet. When gophers burrow, the jars vibrate and make the gophers think they are coming to a river bed and they will go somewhere else!
Radio Archives on Gopher Prevention and Elimination:
- The Pickle Jar Solution, discussed on February 21, 2009 and June 9, 2012
- The Propane Gopher, May 15, 2010
- Praise for Gopher Gitters, February 28, 2009
- Follow up on Gopher Purge: Euphorbia, February 28, 2009
- Mark Salem’s Solution to Gopher Annihilation June 12th, 2012 WARNING: Do not try this at home.
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