One of the most frustrating issues many yard owners might ever have to deal with is a gopher infestation. Burrowing rodents are extremely problematic, most especially for individuals who own gardens or flower beds. Gophers are notorious for destroying well manicured lawns, primarily as a result of the numerous tunnels they dig beneath the ground. Plants and flowers are quickly destroyed once a gopher has established these complex tunnel systems. This is guaranteed to happen because the rodents will start by pulling the plant life from beneath the surface into their burrows.
Put simply, gophers are an irritating problem for both farmers and home owners alike. Thankfully enough there are a variety of methods available for removing these pests altogether. However, quite often some ways work much better than others. In truth, there are even removal methods that should be avoided completely. Knowing which processes are the most and least effective for exterminating gophers is important, especially before any plan can be implemented.
Generally, there are three primary removal processes that are fairly ineffective. Drowning gophers in their tunnels is never a good idea. While the method seems fairly simple, requiring nothing more than turning on a hose and placing it into one of the tunnels, this should be avoided. Aside from the fact the water could cause additional lawn problems, as well as leaking into a neighbor’s yard, it simply does not work.
As briefly referenced before, these rodents will dig burrows as well as tunnels. The burrows are simply holes that are used by gophers for food storage, as well as a place where their offspring are kept. Using water as a way of drowning gophers is a bad idea because these burrows are always situated at a higher elevation than the tunnels. As it begins pouring down the tunnels, gophers will simply evacuate to their burrows, and wait until the flow of water ceases. In truth, using this removal method will simply make the ground easier to tunnel through, which merely aids the gopher population instead of eliminating it.
Another method that should be avoided is basically bombing or blowing up the gopher tunnels. There are numerous ways to accomplish this ill advised removal process. The most common involve pouring flammable liquids into the various entrance holes and causing them to ignite. However, while in theory this seems like an excellent means of eliminating gophers from a yard, it is highly dangerous. Often when these liquids are used as an extermination method, the possibility of personal and property damage is exponentially high.
The final least reliable way to get rid of gophers is essentially causing the population to die as a result of asphyxiation. This is largely accomplished by using manufactured devices and attaching them onto the exhaust pipe of a vehicle. It is very similar to the water method, and as such, many might assume that air pollution is an excellent way of destroying this type of rodent. However, while fundamentally this can be effective, carrying it out is a different matter. Typically the manufactured devices require lengthy hoses, and often individuals find the adapter does not always connect with their vehicles.
As such, while the above are rather unreliable ways to exterminate a gopher population, there are other means which work very well. There is no standardized way of doing this, however, because each situation is different. There are several varying factors that could influence the required process needed for taking care of this problem. The overall size of the area the gophers have tunneled and burrowed, whether children and pets are within the immediate vicinity, and various other safety issues are all possible factors in this issue.
The actual function of the surrounding yard or area is very important as well. The nature of the grounds, such as whether it is farm land, a golf course, or a personal back yard plays a large role in determining which gopher extermination method is most efficient. As such, depending on the particular parameters related to an individual’s situation, sometimes all that might be required to answer this problem is the use of natural predators. Cats and dogs are efficient, natural hunters and are capable of killing these rodents.
In most cases utilizing standard traps and poison baits are often the safest, and most reliable means of eliminating a gopher infestation. With these ways, a person has the ability to know exactly when a gopher has been successfully eliminated. There are also a wide variety of traps and poisons available. Some gopher habitats, however, are too large and will then require professional exterminators. There are a large number of businesses which specialize in this area, and thereby have the necessary tools that are required for an extreme gopher problem.
Understanding the important aspects related to getting rid of gophers is vital. Analyzing the individual situation and knowing the unwise gopher removal processes both work together in aiding land owners who deal with this problem. These types of burrowing rodents cause numerous difficulties. They are very bothersome pests, and while their extermination can be marginally tricky, it is possible when one adheres to the information noted above.
