fencing in the area around your pool

Three Ways To Keep Gophers Out Of Your Yard

4 December 2015 by Emma Kilpela

Gophers may be cute, but they can cause all sorts of damage to your landscaping, eating the roots of garden plants and grasses. They can also carry rabies, so it's best to keep them away from your dogs and cats. Here's a look at three different ways to keep gophers out of your yard.

Gopher Fencing

If there are gophers in your area but you have not noticed any in your yard yet, installing gopher fencing is a great way to keep them out. Typically made from stainless steel or another corrosion-resistant metal, this type of fencing has a wire mesh structure. A fencing company will bury it several feet below the ground, so it will stop gophers from burrowing into your yard. Whether or not the fence extends above ground, also, is up to you. Some homeowners choose gopher fencing that looks the same above and below ground, while others use wire mesh fencing below ground but another more attractive kind of fencing above ground (like wood or vinyl). For more information about fencing, contact a supplier such as Hinesville Fence.

If you have gophers in your yard already, you will need to use one of the following methods to get rid of them. Once they are gone, you can follow up with a fence if you prefer.

Poisons

Your local home improvement store should sell a poison that you can drop down gopher holes according to the instructions on the package. The gophers will feed on it, and before long, they will pass away. After a few days pass, you can fill in the gopher hole with soil. If it is not dug out again, you can assume the gopher is dead. If it gets dug out again, apply more poison and wait a few more days before filling it in again. Note that this method is not ideal if you have pets or children who play in your backyard, as the poison will be toxic to them.

Gopher Repelling and Poisoning Plants

It takes a bit longer to get rid of gophers with this method, but it is a safer choice if you have kids or pets who use your yard. Plant some gopher purge (also known as mole plant) in the area where the gophers seem to be feasting the most. The latex in its roots will kill the gophers when they ingest it. Note that it may take a few months for the roots to become established enough that the gopher can eat them. Once you have stopped seeing the gopher (and dead plants due to its feeding), it is safe to assume it is dead, and you can fill in the hole.

Keep in mind that you can combine the above methods for effective repelling of gophers. For instance, you can use poison to kill the existing gophers, and then plant some gopher purge or put up a fence to keep them away.

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