How to Get Rid of a Gopher: Real Solutions from Someone Who's Been There

I'll never forget the morning I stepped out onto my lawn and nearly twisted my ankle in a fresh gopher hole. That was the day my peaceful coexistence with these underground architects came to an abrupt end. After spending the better part of two summers battling these persistent tunnelers, I've learned what actually works—and what's just wishful thinking dressed up as advice.

Gophers aren't just a minor inconvenience. These solitary rodents can transform a pristine yard into something resembling a miniature bombing range in a matter of days. Each gopher maintains an extensive tunnel system that can span up to 2,000 square feet, and they're surprisingly industrious—a single gopher can create up to 70 mounds in a month. But here's what most people don't realize: understanding their behavior is half the battle.

The Underground Reality

Pocket gophers (that's their full name, though nobody uses it at barbecues) are remarkably adapted to their subterranean lifestyle. Their powerful front claws and protruding teeth make them excavation machines. They're also nearly blind, which explains why they rarely venture above ground. This blindness is actually your first tactical advantage.

These creatures are fiercely territorial loners. Unlike moles, which people often confuse them with, gophers create those distinctive fan-shaped mounds with the hole plugged. Mole hills look more like tiny volcanoes. This distinction matters because the removal methods differ significantly.

I spent weeks misidentifying my pest problem, using mole-specific solutions on gophers. Complete waste of time and money. The gophers probably laughed at me from their bunkers—if gophers could laugh, which they can't, though they do make peculiar chittering sounds when threatened.

Methods That Actually Work

Let me save you from the heartbreak of ineffective solutions. Those ultrasonic repellers? Might as well play them lullabies. Chewing gum in the tunnels? Urban legend. Flooding? You'll just create mud and angry gophers with temporary swimming pools.

Trapping remains the gold standard. But not just any trap—you need proper gopher traps. The Macabee trap has been around since 1900 for good reason. It's simple, brutal, and effective. The newer Gophinator traps work on similar principles but are easier to set without losing a finger.

Setting traps requires finding the main tunnel, not the lateral feeding tunnels. Use a probe (a long screwdriver works) to locate the main run, usually 6-12 inches underground. The probe will suddenly drop when you hit the tunnel. Dig down carefully, place two traps facing opposite directions, and cover the hole completely. Light is your enemy here—gophers will sense it and push dirt into your carefully set trap.

Baiting offers another approach, though it requires more patience. The anticoagulant baits work, but gophers are suspicious creatures. They often push unfamiliar objects out of their tunnels. The trick is using a bait applicator to place the poison deep in the main tunnel, beyond their initial investigation zone.

I learned this lesson after finding little piles of expelled bait pellets next to sealed mounds. Sixty dollars of bait, rejected like a bad restaurant meal. The mechanical bait applicator changed everything—it places bait where gophers encounter it during normal travel, not during their security sweeps.

The Carbon Monoxide Method

This approach deserves special attention because it's gained popularity recently. Some folks hook up their car exhaust to a hose and pump it into the tunnels. While this can work, it's also a fantastic way to accidentally poison yourself or violate local emissions laws.

The commercial carbon monoxide machines designed for this purpose are safer and more effective. They produce a controlled amount of gas that fills the tunnel system. The gophers succumb quickly and humanely. However, these machines cost several hundred dollars, making them practical mainly for serious infestations or if you're the designated gopher eliminator for your neighborhood.

Natural Deterrents and Prevention

After clearing my property, I became obsessed with prevention. Gophers despise certain plants—society garlic, rosemary, and lavender create an aromatic barrier they typically avoid. But "typically" is the key word. A determined or hungry gopher might push through anyway.

Physical barriers work better. Hardware cloth buried 24 inches deep around garden beds creates an impenetrable fortress. Yes, it's labor-intensive. Yes, you'll question your life choices while digging. But it's permanent, and that midnight satisfaction of knowing your tomatoes are safe? Priceless.

Raised beds with hardware cloth bottoms offer another solution. My neighbor swears by this method, though her initial attempt failed because she used chicken wire. Gophers laughed at the chicken wire. Well, they didn't actually laugh, but they certainly chewed right through it.

The Predator Advantage

Encouraging natural predators provides long-term control. Barn owls are gopher-hunting machines—a single family can consume over 1,000 rodents yearly. Installing an owl box might seem extreme, but it's surprisingly effective. Just position it away from your bedroom window unless you enjoy 3 AM hunting soundtracks.

My attempts to recruit the neighborhood cats were less successful. Most modern house cats view gopher hunting as beneath their dignity. They'd rather judge you from windowsills than engage in actual pest control.

When to Call Professionals

Sometimes, despite your best efforts, the gophers win. I reached this point after the Great Gopher Invasion of last spring, when I counted 47 fresh mounds in a single week. Professional pest control services have access to restricted-use fumigants and the expertise to use them safely.

The cost varies wildly—from $300 to $1,500 depending on property size and infestation severity. But consider this: I spent nearly $400 on various DIY solutions before admitting defeat. The professional solved the problem in two visits.

The Unexpected Emotional Journey

Nobody talks about the psychological aspect of gopher warfare. These creatures aren't malicious—they're just trying to live their gopher lives. But when they're destroying your landscape, philosophical considerations take a backseat to practical solutions.

I've evolved from rage to respect to a weird sort of détente. The gophers stay in the back forty, I maintain the lawn near the house, and we pretend the other doesn't exist. It's not perfect, but it's sustainable.

Some mornings, coffee in hand, I spot a fresh mound in the distance. Instead of immediately grabbing traps, I sometimes just observe. There's something almost admirable about their persistence, their underground engineering, their complete disregard for property lines and human preferences.

But then I remember my twisted ankle and the Great Tomato Massacre of two summers ago, and the truce feels more fragile.

Final Thoughts from the Trenches

Gopher control isn't a one-and-done situation—it's an ongoing relationship with your land. What works in sandy soil might fail in clay. What eliminates gophers in California might be illegal in Colorado.

The key is persistence matched with strategy. Start with trapping, escalate to baiting if needed, consider prevention for valuable areas, and know when to call reinforcements. Most importantly, don't take it personally. The gophers aren't targeting you specifically. You just happen to live above their preferred real estate.

Would I prefer a gopher-free existence? Absolutely. But I've also learned more about soil ecology, predator-prey relationships, and my own capacity for patience than I ever expected. Sometimes the best teachers come in small, furry packages that ruin your lawn.

Just remember—every gopher hole is temporary, but the knowledge of how to deal with them lasts forever. Or at least until you move to a condo.

Authoritative Sources:

Baldwin, Roger A. Managing Pocket Gophers in California. University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources, 2019.

Case, Ronald M., and Bruce A. Jasch. Pocket Gophers: Damage Prevention and Control Methods. University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension Publications, 2018.

Engeman, Richard M., and Gary W. Witmer. "IPM Strategies for Managing Pocket Gophers." Proceedings of the Vertebrate Pest Conference, vol. 20, 2002, pp. 228-234.

Salmon, Terrell P., and W. Paul Gorenzel. Pocket Gopher Management in California Orchards. University of California Cooperative Extension, 2010.

United States Department of Agriculture. Managing Wildlife Damage: Pocket Gophers. USDA APHIS Wildlife Services, 2016.