Gopher control

Gophers are burrowing rodents that are common pests across North America. They are known for their ability to build tunnels and nests underground, chewing away at the roots of crops and plants. A single gopher can create dozens of tunnels that weaken the soil around your building, loosening trees and other plants, and damaging the exterior of commercial properties. 

Because gophers are so prevalent in North America, Rentokil specialists have become experts in gopher removal services that will help prevent damage to your business.

What do gophers look like?

Sometimes people get gophers confused with moles, voles or other creatures that are also known to live underground. Gophers are gray or brown in color, usually matching the soil in which they live. They have very large teeth that are usually visible even when their mouths are closed.

Gophers will grow up to 6 to 8 inches in length. They have a hairy tail about 1 to 2 inches long and small, dark eyes.

The thing that really separates gophers from other rodents is that they have large cheek pouches. Often these are filled with food and can be quite full and distended. These pouches extend along the gopher's head from the jawline to the shoulders. The pouches are lined with fur and they can be turned inside out. Gophers use their pouches to transport food to their nests where it is stored.

Gopher tunnels and mounds

Oftentimes you will not see an actual gopher popping out of its hole to know that you have one on your property. More than likely what you will find are gopher mounds.

Gophers build tunnels in order to hide from potential predators. They can build very extensive tunnel systems with chambers for nesting, raising their young and food storage. As they dig out their tunnels, all of that dirt has to go somewhere, so they push it out one of the holes near the entrance. This usually creates a horseshoe-shaped mound that is known as a gopher mound.

The initial tunnel entrance is usually just a few feet long, but the gopher creates many branches from that point forward. Some of them go laterally across the tunnel, but many more tunnel deeper. The system is usually plugged at the end with soil so that it is not as easily detectable by predators.

What do gophers eat?

Gophers prefer to eat plants. Given the fact that they live underground, their favorite things to eat are roots. This can be roots from trees, bushes, flowers, grass or other plants. Often you will find gopher mounds or find the telltale loose soil indicating gopher tunnels in and around your landscaping vegetation or around the base of trees.

Gophers can be very sneaky. There have been cases of gophers devouring the roots of smaller trees undetected until the tree, now rootless, falls over or is pulled out of the ground easily.

Gopher treatment specialists

The expert pest control specialists at Rentokil are knowledgeable about how to find gophers and provide treatment that will make sure they are removed. Getting early treatment for a gopher problem is important because the longer you let it go, the more damage to lawns, gardens and trees you’ll have.

Call Rentokil today at 1-855-633-6260 or reach out to us online and tell us about your gopher concerns. We’ll inspect your property to confirm the problem and provide the right treatment for you. If we find that gophers are the problem, we can discuss our gopher removal services with you.