Gophers are detrimental to lawns and gardens, and they dig messy little hills of dirt as well as disturb the root systems of plants. To the homeowners, eradicating gophers is not only time consuming but also expensive, as they also have to repair their property.
After struggling to control gophers, it is also important to put in place measures to ensure your outdoors do not get infected again. Failure to prevent them means that these pests will most likely make repetitive visits to your home. Here are some tips from professional exterminators on how to protect your property from gophers for the rest of your life.
Gopher Control Near Me: Identifying the Signs of Gopher Activity
It is crucial to identify the signs of gophers to be able to avoid them from coming back. Signs of these pests include new mounds of fresh dirt on your lawn, tunnels and chewed plant roots. Understanding which signs to look for will make it easier to respond promptly if you think that a new round of gopher infestation is on its way.
a. Install Physical Barriers
A lasting way of handling gophers is to put up barriers in the garden or the yard where you have a lot of plants. One traditional method of preventing gophers from invading your area is by installing underground fencing from wire mesh or hardware cloth. Put the mesh approximately 2 ft below the ground and at least 6 inches above the ground to hinder their movement. This type of barrier is really effective when the target is trees and plants’ roots vulnerable to gopher influence.
b. Consider Gopher Traps
If gophers do come back in spite of your preventative measures, traps are another solution in dealing with these animals. Live trapping of gophers can be done by placing traps in active burrow systems in order to minimize damage to the yard. Always ensure you are in compliance with local laws concerning trapping and you might wish to speak to a ‘gopher control near me’ professional if you have no idea on what course(s) of action to undertake.
c. Use Natural Repellents
Organic control is one of the safest methods still effective in removing gophers from your garden or around your property. Many ‘gopher control near me’ experts, as well as gardening enthusiasts, firmly believe that using some flavors such as garlic, coffee grinds, or castor oil in and around the burrows will help. Indeed, these natural repellents are right on the money when it comes to their scents, because they keep gophers away from the yard.
However, as it may not get rid of gophers completely, setting up traps, using rodenticides, or sprinkling hot pepper and garlic around the area will also work, together with planting plants that repel gophers such as marigolds, lavender, or rosemary around the property. Not only do these plants provide aesthetic value to your garden but they also release odors gophers do not like.
