25% Off · For Beehive Service

(602) 919-5915

How Destructive Are Gophers?

by | Jul 5, 2022 | Rodents | 0 comments

How Destructive Are Gophers?

Think of gophers as one of the most destructive rodents that have a reputation for causing critical damage to whatever they can lay their sharp claws and teeth on. Some property owners have tagged gophers as the type of rodent you pray not to have around your vicinity because they live for destruction.

The average sized gopher digs around 3 inches and can create around 15-20 mounds within a 24-hour period which means if you have about 30 gophers around your property digging into your lawn or building, the end result would be critical. That being said, this write up will be covering everything you need to know about gopher damage within the house, around your lawn and preventive measures for dealing with them.

How gophers cause damage to the areas they reside 

The difficult part about having gophers around your house is that once they’ve dug into the ground, they reside there for long periods and only come out at nighttime when necessary. They do not appreciate scorching sunlight so you might never get to see them out during the day. If you’d want to identify the size of the gopher around your property, you might have to stand watch at nighttime because this is when they tend to come out of their borough.

When a gopher successfully digs into your lawn with the help of its sturdy claws and super sharp front teeth, it’s only a matter of time before their presence gets felt. This can either be through the mounds left behind from borrowing into the soil or obvious damage around your lawn. To understand the extent of how destructive gophers are, picture having 10-20 gophers infest your lawn and find their way into the foundation of your home. That’s a disaster waiting to happen.

For them to survive, they need to find an effective water source, suitable mating areas for mating season, food storage area and other key requirements. In due time, they will find their way into the pluming of your home and that is where the actual destruction happens.

Asides from the damage primarily caused by gophers, there can also be secondary implications of having this pest infest your surroundings. If the holes on your lawn are not clearly visible, it can result in health crisis if you or your children walk into these holes. In this regard, there could also be other dangerous animals present in any of these holes which can result in a fatal situation.

A point to note is that gophers like other rodents are attracted to areas with sufficient food sources and easy floor penetration. If you have fruits grown around your lawn or a rich garden they can easily access, they would be drawn to your surroundings and eventually convert the inner soil into a habitable home.

For severe health implications, gophers are known carries of hantavirus, leptospirosis, rabies, tularemia and some others which can be a health risk for humans in the vicinity where they occur. If a gopher which is an active carrier of any of these diseases interacts with any of the food in your garden or items on your lawn that your children frequently play with. This can put your health and the wellbeing of others your vicinity at risk.

On a similar note, having gophers around your property can be financially draining. The cost of having to fix or replace your lawn or home if they do gain access to your home would be nerve wracking.

There are key effective ways for preventing gophers from coming into your surroundings. You could have fences installed around your property that go deep into the soil of your lawn or garden to ensure gophers have no access to your soil in any way. You could also have scented plants planted around your lawn to distort their sense of smell and repel them.

In conclusion, it is important to seek professional help the moment you sense a gopher in your surroundings.

Schedule a Consultation for Weed Removal

More Tips for Homeowners:

Submit a Comment