Looking for some ideas on gopher management...I would like to avoid poisons if possible, too many good creatures in the yard. Traps only seem to be marginally effective as they appear to breed to quickly to trap out. I am so upset this morning that any method is viable so even poisoning them seems a great idea actually.
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Effective gopher control methods?
- Thread starter kaitylynn
- Start date
skullbiker
eXtreme
I posted to your other thread. If you are really open to using poison, I can show you what works.
I've found the macbee traps effective on my 5 acres. You do have to make it a point of routinely surveying for new mounds ( this is my downfall).
If it's a brand new mound, I will push away the dirt to find the single tunnel that was supplying the mound and set the trap in it. Otherwise I use a probe around the outside of the mound to find a tunnel, dig it up and set a trap in each side.
You said they breed too quickly for you to keep up. Gophers are very territorial even to their young once they boot em out. So, if you get them wiped out, it takes a little while for new ones to move in. Are you sure it's gophers and not moles or similar?
I'm not familiar with poisons, but I know that some only kill the first critter to eat it and not the ones that eat the critter killed by the poison.
If it's a brand new mound, I will push away the dirt to find the single tunnel that was supplying the mound and set the trap in it. Otherwise I use a probe around the outside of the mound to find a tunnel, dig it up and set a trap in each side.
You said they breed too quickly for you to keep up. Gophers are very territorial even to their young once they boot em out. So, if you get them wiped out, it takes a little while for new ones to move in. Are you sure it's gophers and not moles or similar?
I'm not familiar with poisons, but I know that some only kill the first critter to eat it and not the ones that eat the critter killed by the poison.
.22
The gophers around me would generally open their holes for a relatively short period of time and always come back to close it. Knowing this makes it a little easier to sit and wait for them with a small caliber. Given some patience and time the population can be removed. Perhaps also consider using multiple avenues of action in your approach to the problem.
While we have the means to obliterate gophers via high velocity objectification...we cannot really employ such means in our yard 
Ordered GopherScram as a repellent, but also employed a trap that seems to work well. It is the Black Hole trap and it caught two in a few hours. Dig out the hole, situate the trap and check it occasionally.
Ordered GopherScram as a repellent, but also employed a trap that seems to work well. It is the Black Hole trap and it caught two in a few hours. Dig out the hole, situate the trap and check it occasionally.
skullbiker
eXtreme
You have a good plan. Just keep in mind that it will not happen overnight.kaitylynn said:While we have the means to obliterate gophers via high velocity objectification...we cannot really employ such means in our yard
Ordered GopherScram as a repellent, but also employed a trap that seems to work well. It is the Black Hole trap and it caught two in a few hours. Dig out the hole, situate the trap and check it occasionally.