"Five species of pocket gophers are found in California, with Botta's pocket gopher (T. bottae) being most widespread. You may be surprised to learn gophers can be beneficial for the environment. One pocket gopher can churn up to a ton of soil a year. In the process, it aerates soil, provides deep soil fertilization and aids in plant diversity by bringing new seeds to the surface."
"And as you already know, gophers can also be destructive, industrious little rototillers. They gnaw, undermine and consume any vegetation or irrigation lines they encounter. A gopher is only about 6 to 10 inches long, but it can eat an entire plant. Sandy and sandy loam soil, along with irrigated fields are ideal habitats for gophers. Burrowing animals like gophers, moles and voles all create tunnels and are active underground, but what they eat and the damage they cause varies."
"Mole mounds are often misidentified as gopher mounds. When looking at fresh mounds, gopher mounds are crescent shaped whereas mole mounds are round. Gophers are persistent; to deter them, you must be, too. We recommend a multipronged strategy. First, be willing and prepared to set and monitor gopher traps. Trapping is the most effective way to reduce a gopher infestation."
Five pocket gopher species occur in California, with Botta's pocket gopher (T. bottae) most widespread. One pocket gopher can churn up to a ton of soil annually, aerating soil, fertilizing deep layers and increasing plant diversity by bringing seeds to the surface. Gophers also gnaw, undermine and consume vegetation and irrigation lines, and can eat entire plants despite their 6 to 10 inch size. Sandy and sandy loam soils and irrigated fields favor gophers. Mole, vole and gopher tunnel damage differs; fresh gopher mounds are crescent-shaped while mole mounds are round. Effective control uses a multipronged strategy: trapping, barriers, and planting less-preferred species.
Read at www.pressdemocrat.com
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