How to Control Those Pesky Gophers

There has been a surge of Pocket Gopher activity in Southwest Riverside County, especially in the Hemet - San Jacinto valley and surrounding communities of Menifee, Winchester, French Valley, Murrieta, Temecula, Canyon Lake, Lake Elsinore, Sun City, Moreno Valley, Perris, Riverside, Banning, Beaumont, Cherry Valley and Nuevo. 

Gopher Burrow System

In Southern California, Pocket Gophers DO NOT hibernate and are not only active year round but also breed year round as well. Their diet consists of foliage and roots, grasses and live bark of shrubs and trees. They are particularly fond of broad-leaf herbaceous wild flowers and weeds, including dandelions, clover and alfalfa. Pocket Gophers are a vertebrate pest and a special agricultural license is required  to treat this type of burrowing pest.


As you can see above, the gopher tunnel system is extensively and intricately constructed, with drainage tunnels, food storage areas, a nesting site and a potty hole. The gopher tunnel systems run parallel to the ground. The fan-shaped mounds that you see popping up in your yard are the lateral runs where they expel all of that extra dirt. Pocket Gophers seal this hole and do not return once it is plugged. This is why many homeowner's fail in their efforts.

At-Home Gopher Control Options

Homeowners often report trying several at-home methods before finally contacting agricultural pest specialist at AmeriGuard Pest Defense. By this point, homeowner's are exasperated and defeated in the personal war being fought in their beautifully landscaped yards. We hear stories of homeowner's shoving sticks of wintergreen gum into gopher holes, sticking the hose and trying to flood the tunnel with water in attempts to "drown that sucker", pouring coffee into gopher mounds as well as human urine! All of these failed attempts do nothing more than prolong the treatment, while the gophers continue to dig and push up dirt - sometimes up to 3 mounds a day per gopher. 

Over-the-Counter Gopher Control Options

Are you not having any luck with the gopher bait available at your local hardware store? First, the problem could be with the application methods, but let's suppose you get the bait into the right location. Baits available to consumers require multiple feedings. Let's assume that your gopher eats a little of the bait. It is highly possible that the gopher will become "bait shy" and avoid future feedings since one feeding is not enough to provide a lethal dose and get rid of the gopher.

Gopher Experts Riverside County

AmeriGuard Pest Defense gopher experts know exactly where to probe to identify those intricate underground burrow systems for our residential customers. We have several different treatment plan options available to fit your unique situation ranging from baiting to the pesticide-free Rodenator service.  

AmeriGuard is available to answer your gopher questions over the phone by calling (951) 652-0505. Call us today to see which gopher eradication method is right for your yard.