I have no idea what the life cycle of a gopher is, but in our area (Aransas County in South Texas), I have noticed a huge amount of gopher activity lately. I wonder if gopher babies have just learned to dig. The mounds are so close together too, such that instead of a gopher "trail" of spaced-out mounds, we are seeing gopher clusters, with mounds no more than five feet apart.
(In our yard, castor oil spray and thumper have not worked so far, and I 'bout twisted my ankle when I sank into the ground.)
Just wanted to comment!
gopher season
I have noticed the mounds are more prevelant at this time of year. There is a colony of them on the way to work that I never notice till about now. It is fresh dirt. At the house, I don't have mounds but tons of tunnels. I can only wonder if I will have roots left on anything when they get done. I've never had them before and just don't know the solution ~ sorry.
Hey Podster, I don't have gophers, but I do get shrews that will use the mole tunnels (I have a lot of moles) to move around the yard, and occasionally will make a mound just like a gopher. I washed one out of the hole one time, and he attacked the shovel - had me do a little dance - before I knocked him out!
YUk ! Are they tiny creatures with pointy noses? My cats come in with an occasional one. These tunnels are larger that shrew size I think. LOL
Well, mine were about the same size as the moles! Maybe they had been around longer than yours! You never know what's going to come out of these woods! My father in law thought he saw a bear cross the road several years ago. We have a lot of critters, but I'vre never seen a bear in my yard - hope I never do!
Bears I am not scared of. And we do have a few, I believe they are a small honey bear. TPW is protecting them as they are harmless and small. I've not seen one but there have been instances of the state having to trap and relocate as the bear was a pest in the garbage containers in one small town. There are other things in these woods that do make me a bit nervous tho.
The gopher tunnels are raised and the ground which is normally packed is raised and soft when I step on it. I had seen this gadget in a catalogue and wondered if it would work? http://www.lehmans.com/shopping/product/detailmain.jsp?itemID=3304&itemType=PRODUCT&RS=1&keyword=mole
The best solution is to get rid of what draws them - usually grubs. I'm going to try beneficial nematodes, but can only treat part of my yard, not the whole 10 acres!
I'm envious that your ground is soft enough to have gophers. Where is New Waverly?
New Waverly in half-way between Conroe and Huntsville on IH-45. We have no rocks, very sandy soil. If you put rocks, stepping stones and the like, without a base underneath, they sink! Beats not being able to put a shovel in the ground!
I know the armadillos main diet is grubs and if you eliminate the source, the dillers will move on. But from what I've read about gophers, is their main diet is greens, roots and bulbs. As in the garden! I've read they even enjoy onions and garlic. That is where they are the most, around my cannas, onions and garlic. We'll see what damage they will do....
Pretty flower beds and yard Annette. I too am jealous of really nice soft soil. Does it hold water well?
We have had dillos before, but found that if you put up a barrier, they won't climb over it. Fortunately, no gophers here!
The flower beds are full of weeds~can't wait til I can get out in them! I'm not over back surgery, but maybe will be in spring. No, I have to amend the soil to hold moisture, and have found that pine straw is the best mulch. Since we live in the woods, they are free!
Absolutely on the pine straw. I use it too. I figured your type of soil would dry out quickly.
I'm trying milky spore it is suppose to get rid of the grubs too but you have to use it for like 2 seasons for it's full effect but we have tunnels and sandy mounds show up over night here.
Dh ran water down one hole and watched where the water came out and he played whack a mole one day doing that and got one. lol
Love your description, bus..."whack a mole"....hahahaha
well that is what he did when it came out of the hole whacked with with the shovel...LOL
Podster,
Gophers don't make tunnels that you can see, they make mounds. Here in Tyler, my husband uses those mounds to determine where their underground tunnels are. He then digs down and sets a trap. The tunnels that you see all over your yard as long, soft ridges that sink when you step on them are made by moles--those small pointy things that you said your cat sometimes brings you. I think voles do the same thing, but I am not familiar with them. Moles are blind and much smaller than gophers which sometimes get to small rabbit size. Gophers are much easier to get rid of than moles.
Mibus2, let us know how milky spore works for you. I considered trying it several times, but have not done so yet.
Thanks for the clarification. I don't have gophers as there are no mounds. The littly pointy nosed varmints the cats bring in must be voles as they are tiny. The raised tunnels I am finding are pretty large compared to the size of those cat victims so maybe moles? The reading I have seen says their primary food source is roots and tubers. Am I in trouble? LOL
Redrahe,
What kind of trap does your husband use, and what does he do with the animal once caught?