Gopher damage on lawn? - Ask Extension
I have piles of dirt like the one in the photo I've uploaded in several spots on my lawn, in front and behind the house. I've been told by friends tha...
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Gopher damage on lawn? #880302
Asked August 05, 2024, 4:26 PM EDT
I have piles of dirt like the one in the photo I've uploaded in several spots on my lawn, in front and behind the house. I've been told by friends that it's from gophers, and that alot of people are seeing the same dirt piles on their lawns this summer. Is it from gophers? is there something I can do?
thanks!
Deschutes County Oregon
Expert Response
Gophers and moles both make dirt mounds when they push excess dirt out of tunnels they're building. Trap designs and methods differ between those species, so species ID is important. Also, their diets differ greatly, so management of this problem may be best-managed through considering if a change in conditions or management of your lawn might help move this out of the conflict zone. Specifically, moles are insectivores: They swim through the soil as they pursue prey such as earthworms and other insect larvae such as grubs. During this dry part of the year, it is possible if you're watering the lawn, that you're helping encourage those prey species to move closer to the surface (following moisture) and thus inadvertently encouraging moles to move closer (and thus their mounds, too) to the surface whilst following the prey. On the other hand, you might be seeing pocket gopher sign, and pocket gophers eat the richest, moistest vegetation they can find but at or near the surface.
To identify which creature is making the mounds in your yard you really need to look at (or photograph) a super-fresh mound. The clue to species ID is where you see a little slightly-depressed plug. As an animal stops pushing dirt out, the "plug" forms as those last footfulls of dirt slide partway back into the tunnel. Molehills have the plug right in the middle, whereas the plug in a gopher hill will be slightly to one side of an often "fan"-shaped mound. Towards the bottom of each of these pages you'll see sketches and examples of traps appropriate to the species: https://icwdm.org/species/rodents/pocket-gophers/pocket-gopher-damage-prevention-and-control-methods/
https://icwdm.org/species/other-mammals/moles/mole-damage-prevention-and-control-methods/
Burrowing animals play important roles in our ecosystems, so whenever possible, tolerating their presence and/or excluding them from a yard with a below-ground "fence" of hardware cloth around the perimeter, can help conserve the many services they provide.
To identify which creature is making the mounds in your yard you really need to look at (or photograph) a super-fresh mound. The clue to species ID is where you see a little slightly-depressed plug. As an animal stops pushing dirt out, the "plug" forms as those last footfulls of dirt slide partway back into the tunnel. Molehills have the plug right in the middle, whereas the plug in a gopher hill will be slightly to one side of an often "fan"-shaped mound. Towards the bottom of each of these pages you'll see sketches and examples of traps appropriate to the species: https://icwdm.org/species/rodents/pocket-gophers/pocket-gopher-damage-prevention-and-control-methods/
https://icwdm.org/species/other-mammals/moles/mole-damage-prevention-and-control-methods/
Burrowing animals play important roles in our ecosystems, so whenever possible, tolerating their presence and/or excluding them from a yard with a below-ground "fence" of hardware cloth around the perimeter, can help conserve the many services they provide.
Hi Dana,
Sent from jane's iPhone
Wow! That's a lot of great information. I so appreciate your expertise and advice.
Jane
Sent from jane's iPhone
jane klonsky
61210 mount vista dr
bend, or 97702
On Aug 5, 2024, at 4:19 PM, Ask Extension <<personal data hidden>> wrote: