To get rid of gophers from your lawn, garden or field can be a frustrating process, but it doesn’t have to be that way. If only you could find someone who had tried all the different methods already and then gave their run down of what the most effective methods of removal are.

I have lived with the frustration of gophers in my garden and it wasn’t until I found someone that had done all the research for me that I found a solution that worked for me. In a nutshell, you need to educate yourself about these creatures, what their habits and behaviors are, find out what gets rid of them for good and what thousands of other people have used and had success with.

As a gopher digs under the surface of your lawn there are a few damaging effects that they are having on more than just the visual landscape. Firstly, the piles of dirt that they push out of their tunnels, are fresh soil for weeds to take root, and the vegetation under the piles of dirt is damaged. When burrowing, the gophers pull up roots and expose them. Rocks can also be exposed which pose harm to any garden machinery being used.

You can try one of the many products or methods for getting rid of gophers: * Trapping - this seems to be the most common method talked about. There is however, a bit of a knack to getting this right and it may take a bit of practice before you have success. Not good for the squeamish among us that hate having to deal with the trapped animals! * Exclusion - this can be impractical especially if you have a large area to contain. But this method can work well if you have ornamental trees or gardens, or young plants that you want to protect. They can be fenced of with small mesh fencing or plastic netting. (Moles are not herbivores, so they’re not going to eat your trees, shrubs or flowers; however, their digging does expose roots, upset the soil around them, and allows fresh tilled soil for weed infestation) * Flooding or Gassing - this method is often unsuccessful due to the moles ability to close off tunnels and retreat to a safe area of the burrows. * Poison pellets - are easy to use but there is a risk of the moles coming topside to die and then being eaten by household or other animals. * Repellents - there are synthetic predator odors that can be bought and I have also heard of using soiled kitty litter.

All these methods have their merits, but the important fact is… it needs to be something that works, and works permanently. I’ve been frustrated by gophers invading my lawn so I’ve written a blog about my experiences and what I’ve learnt.