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How to Control Gophers etc Naturally PDF Print E-mail
UnderGround Pests - Natural Gopher and Mole Control
Written by Invisible Gardener   

How to Control Gophers/Moles, Ground Squirrels, Skunks, Woodchucks, Prairie Dogs, Armadillos, Snakes, Chipmunks and Muskrats Organically

 

 


 

Gophers and Moles:
  1. Pocket Gophers, or Ground Squirrels, and other underground animal pests can be as big a problem as ants. Gophers are like little bulldozers. They dig a network of tunnels usually six to 12 inches below the surface. Tunnels near the surface are for gathering food and act as highways to get around; deeper ones are for sleeping, raising the young and storing food. Well-suited to burrowing, gophers have small eyes and ears that don't clog with dirt, and sensitive whiskers and tails to guide them in the dark. Gophers have long teeth for biting off chunks of hard soil or roots. They are sensitive to sound, and a variety of smells, as well as light. To successfully control gophers and other rodents, one needs to understand their senses of smell and hearing. If you see a plant being dragged under ground you know you have gophers. Gophers eat plant roots as well as bulbs. They will eat almost anything including most vegetables such as tomatoes, carrots, squash, lettuces, etc. and they also love roses (the roots). They'll nibble on the roots of your fruit trees, roots of most flowers, and tulips. But do you know what bulbs that you can plant that not only will kill them but every year keep em away? Join and find out.

  2. Moles are insectivores they eat earthworms, bugs, larvae, grubs, spiders, centipedes and only occasionally nibble on greens and roots. Most of the time, they do very little damage other than through their tunneling, unearthing plants and exposing root systems.
  3. How can you tell a gopher from a mole? Gopher mounds have dirt pushed off to one side of the mound while moles have a volcano effect with the center at the entrance to the tunnel (usually plugged up).
  4. Poisons do not work on moles! They must be made to be moved away.
  5. Gophers can do a great deal of damage, but are an important part of the natural ecosystem. I do not recommend the use of traps as they are inhumane and very cruel.
  6. It is important that you properly feed and care for your plants as gophers etc are less likely to attack healthy plants. By top-dressing your lawn and property with year-old horse manure, you will not only be feeding your soil, but also repelling gophers naturally as they do not like manure.
  7. You will also be encouraging natural predators as compost promotes healthy environments which always attracts the variety of life needed for there to be a balance.
  8. What are the things that most underground animal pests have in common?
    1. enhanced sense of smell
    use this against them. Learn to spray natural oils and other unusual types of smells around areas you do not want them in.  Learn from The Invisible Gardener what essential oils you can use to keep em away.
  9. poor eye sight
    Use barriers that reflect their image will keep them out.
  10. need to breathe
    try using your Car to Control them using the exhaust!
  11. sensitive to sounds   set up a speaker on the lawn.
  • When there is balance there is co-existence.

 __________________________

  1. Most underground animals are easy to control!
  2. The deeper the tunnel, the older the gopher that dug it! Not deeper then a few feet. This is a key to their control! Many physical barriers can be used to keep out.
  3. If they wanted to do damage they would! It would be better to get used to them if possible then to try and kill them off. A lot depends on where you live. In my garden, gophers come and go as they please. They are welcome as they do a lot of soil turning over for me! It is not hard to train them to only be in certain areas of your garden and to leave other areas alone. Actually, I like gophers and other underground animal pests coming through certain parts of my garden during the right times for them to loosen the soil for me, eat any grubs, insects and then leave the garden for me and my vegetables!
  4. If you do not want to kill them, learn to use the humane traps which don't hurt them and they can then be moved to another safer area.
  5. to kill them as humane as possible check out Use your cars exhaust



 

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