You take all your time and money to maintain your lawn to look beautiful. One day, while you wake up and see gopher tunnels turning your gorgeous yard into a huge mess. You may go mad at this scene but don’t worry, there are some remedies to start the war against the gophers. Some are natural, to begin with, and some are strong measures if the destruction is more. Some expert gopher pest control services come to your rescue and save you from the clutter created by these creatures.
What are Gophers?
Gophers are plant-eating rodents with a size bigger than mice but smaller than rats. They consist of four big incisor teeth and are wrongly mistaken for moles. But they don’t consist of spade-like front paws like moles and they make crescent-shaped mounds by digging holes from the surface. Gophers act and destroy all types of plants and trees by feeding on roots and many types of vegetables like potatoes and carrots. While tunneling, they can cause harm to pipelines and irrigation lines.
How to get rid of Gophers?
Many methods could help in getting rid of gophers.
1)Barriers:
Gopher meshes barrier: Develop an inside surface fence across the lawn with available Gopher mesh or similar fencing wire. This barrier must spread 1 to 2 feet both inside and above the ground. Gophers may try to tunnel up to the barrier where you can restrict them without hassles.
Under-lawn barrier: Spread galvanized mesh around a feet depth beneath the soil while planting a new garden or laying a new lawn. You may end up with huge work if your lawn area is big, but it may help you in saving your lawn area for the future.
Gopher baskets: If you find laying under-lawn barriers or perimeter of mesh across the lawn impractical, wire mesh baskets may be fixed near the specific plants that are vulnerable to gopher attacks. It will prove to be an effective solution to save your favorite plants, trees, especially with fruits and vegetables. Gopher baskets can be seen in different sizes with materials that are generally made of galvanization which will stay for longer.
2)Smells:
Gophers react easily for various smells. They cannot stay in a place with an unpleasant smell. Below are some types of smells that guarantee to chase away gophers.
Castor oil: Mix some castor oil with water and spray it to the gopher underground channels entry and exit places wherever possible.
Fish: You may use the scraped fish-fins and keep them near to the tunnels or also drop them inside.
Dryer sheets: Use some dryer sheets to place them into the tunnel holes. Its solid odor will chase the gophers.
Coffee grounds: Use the remaining coffee grounds and scatter them into the gopher tunnels and spread soil over them. You may also mix them to the lawn soil during your fertilisations tasks that may work well in fending off the gophers.
Mothballs: Gophers dislike the smell of mothballs that consist of naphthalene as an active ingredient. Placing a few mothballs in the tunnel opening and closing them with plastic will make them irritated and drive them away.
Tabasco sauce: Prepare a mixture of some Tabasco sauce with some drops of peppermint essential oil, few drops of castor oil with some quantity of water. Dip the cotton balls in this blend and place them in the tunnel openings to chase Gophers away.
3) Noisy and loud setting:
Gophers do not want to stay in an environment with a loud noise. You can use any instrument that makes a loud noise to irritate them and chase away.
Radio: A battery-run radio could be placed in a resealable plastic bag and keep it in the gopher tunnel. The radio will be safe from getting wet.
Wind chimes: It will create a constant chiming noise that is disliked by gophers.
4) Precise Gopher trap:
Cover all the soil openings excluding for one or two leaving the gap for gophers to come out. Before inserting the trap into the hole, wash them thoroughly with clear water. Later, insert the trap into the tunnel with an open side towards the opening. Cover the opening with a dark plastic sheet for not allowing the light to enter into the tunnel.
Find the major tunnel carefully by stabbing the ground around the mound where you could observe fresh diggings on the ground. You must keep stabbing until you find the loosened soil which is the tunnel. A major tunnel is around a foot underground and you will easily find the path. You may irritate the gopher by unwanted smell agents or any plants that will mask the human scent. This will lead the gophers to move out from the tunnel and get trapped. Later, take out the trap and release the animal into backwoods or contact animal control.
If you have a very big area to treat or require a speedy solution, then it is wiser to call professionals. Experienced Gopher pest control services offer efficient solutions and guarantee gopher elimination. Once they have done the major part, you can gain control over the large ground.
Conclusion:
If you want to ensure definite gopher pest control service, then call pest control experts such as Hybrid pest control. We will employ precise tools to catch gophers with the highly gentle ways to get gophers out of your lawn. We keep the traps underground hence there will be no danger to any other animal. There will be no usage of any strong chemicals or toxic bait, harmful gases, or explosives that may risk your yard. We ensure to catch hold of these rodents before they infuse much damage to the lawn. We will also keep a watch on your land for offering extended service for up to 30 days. If you see any mounds on your land, contact us and we will be on top of the task before they create havoc on your lawn.