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The Pocket Gopher
By Matt Oliver, Fri Dec 9th

The Pocket Gopher Article by Matt Oliver Copyright © 2003 byProGardenBiz ProGardenBiz, an online magazinehttp://www.progardenbiz.com

Pocket gophers (Tomomys spp.), so named for their fur linedcheek pouches located outside the mouth on each side of theface, are burrowing rodents. They are a serious and difficult tocontrol pest for both the Agricultural and Landscape Industries,as well as the homeowner. They destroy vegetation, damagemachinery (such as mowers), damage irrigation systems andunderground wiring, and lower the aesthetic value of thelandscape. In addition, their burrowing activity on slopescauses erosion and can be a major factor in slope weakening andinstability that may ultimately lead to a slope failure. Pocketgophers were identified as a major contributing factor to slopefailure in a number of recent litigation cases in California.

Biology

A thorough understanding of gopher biology and habits ishelpful, if not necessary, to a successful control program. Theyare medium sized rodents with the head and body ranging in sizefrom 6-8 inches (15-20 cm) long. They have a powerfully builtupper body, short neck and legs, long clawed forefeet, and twopairs of large incisors protruding beyond the mouth. Thesefossorial features are tremendous adaptations for theirunderground existence. They have a keen sense of touch, thanksto their tail (short and sparsely haired) and vibrissae(whiskers), which serve as sensory organs helping to guide thegopher throughout its burrow system. Fur color is highlyvariable, ranging from dark brown to very light tan.

- Pocket gophers do not hibernate and are thought to be activeyear round even with snow on the ground, but do noticeablydecrease surface feeding and mounding in very hot weather.Females produce 1-3 litters per year with an average sizesurviving brood of 5-6. In unirrigated natural areas breedingseason is after the rains begin -- which may mean only onelitter per year. In irrigated, landscaped areas the continualsource of green foliage allows the female to raise 3 litters peryear.

They are territorial, anti-social, and live solitary exceptduring breeding periods and when the young are being raised.Gophers live almost exclusively underground, venturing aboveonly to push excavated dirt from the burrow system, graze onvegetation near burrow openings, or for the purpose of migratinginto new territory. Migration occurs both by adults -- usuallyas a result of unfavorable environmental conditions and/orhabitat destruction (e.g. construction projects), and youngwhich the mother expels from her burrow system when they areabout half grown.

Burrow systems consist of a main tunnel, lateral runs, popholes, and various other functional tunnels and enlargementswhich are used for nesting, storage (food caches), resting,eating, etc. The main burrow is usually 2-4 inches in diameter(averaging 2 1/2") and is 2-18 inches below and parallel to theground surface. Burrows of young may be small, covering only oneor two hundred square feet while those of older pocket gophersmay cover an area as large as three thousand square feet.Lateral runs branch off the main run and are used primarily topush excavated soil to the surface. The mounds from theselaterals are crescent shaped because the soil is pushed with theforefeet out of the angled lateral to the front and sides of theopening. Pop holes usually lead straight from the surface to themain run and are used as an access for feeding on nearbyvegetation. All runs leading to the surface end in a soil moundor plug which keeps the system completely enclosed -- allowingno light to enter, and stabilizing burrow temperature andhumidity as much as possible. If a gopher dies, irrigation orrain washes the loose soil plugs from lateral runs and pop holesleaving open tunnels. Drainage tunnels are used for waterrun-off, thus making it difficult to drown a gopher in a wellestablished system.

The rate of mound building varies with the season, tempurature,and soil condition, but averages 1-3 mounds per day, duringactive periods. The depth of active burrows is usually deeperunder hot conditions, especially in non-irrigated orinfrequently irrigated areas. Mounding often sharply decreasesin the heat of Summer followed by intensive mounding in theFall. This renewed Fall activity has often been blamed onreinvasion of areas thought to have been controlled in the earlySummer.

Control

Although many different techniques have been used in gophercontrol the most successful programs usually utilize one or moreof the following methods: trapping, fumigation, and poison baits.

Trapping is an effective method in small areas such as ahomeowner situation, or as a follow up to fumigation or baiting,but is time consuming and thus not very cost effective in alarge scale program. The most commonly used traps are theMacabee trap and the box trap. Traps should always be placed inthe main burrow.

To locate the main burrow, look for the freshest mounds sincethey indicate an area of recent gopher activity. You willusually see a small circle or representing theplugged lateral tunnel. This plug is generally surrounded on oneside by soil, making the mound form a crescent shape. The maintunnel is usually found 3-1/2 inches from the plug side of themound, and is most often between two mounds. Locating the mainburrow usually requires practice, but your skill will improvewith experience.

After locating the main tunnel, open it with a shovel or gardentrowel

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and set the traps in pairs facing the oppositedirections. This is necessary in order to intercept the gophercoming from either end of the burrow. The box type is easier formost inexperienced trappers to set, but requires moreexcavation. Box traps are useful when the diameter of thegopher's main burrow is small (less than 2 1/2 inches) sincesmall burrows will need to be enlarged to accomodate the boxtraps. All traps should be wired to stakes to prevent loss.After setting the traps, exclude light from the burrow bycovering the opening with dirt clods, sod, cardboard, or someother material. Fine soil can be sifted through the edges toensure a tight seal. If light enters, the gopher may plug theburrow with soil, filling the traps in and making themineffective. Check traps often and reset when necessary. If nogopher is caught within 3 days, reset the traps in a differentlocation.

Poison baits offer the quickest and most effective method ofcontrolling a large gopher infestation. The most commonly usedtoxicants are chloraphacinone, strychnine, and zinc phosphidepelleted bait. Chloraphacinone, the lesser used of thetoxicants, is a multiple dose anti-coagulant that prevents thenormal process of blood coagulation ultimately causing deathfrom internal bleeding. It has limited field use because of thenecessity of making multiple applications in the same burrowsystem, but may be useful where an extra margin of safety isdesired. The acute toxicants, strychnine and zinc phosphide, arethe most used and most effective. Most baits are prepared onhulled wheat, barley, or milo grains, with wheat seeming to bethe most preferred by the common Battae (T. bottae) gopher. Zincphosphide baits are only accepted adequately in blended pelletedbait. Strychnine alkaloid bait comes in various formulationsranging from .25% to 3.0%. In instances where a tractor pulledmechanical bait applicator is used, formulations from 1.8% to ashigh as 3.0% can be utilized. The burrower building mechanicalbait applicator is seldom used in urban situations. Zincphosphide can be obtained in 1.0% to 2.0% formulations.

One registered burrow fumigant, aluminum phosphide, is veryeffective when used under ideal conditions. Soil should be moistto accomodate gas formation and to provide a good soil seal.Even though the gopher often detects burrow fumigation effortsand trys to plug the system, the use of aluminum phosphide canstill be very effective if at least 2 points within the burrowsystem are treated at the same time. The material is used inpellet form with the pellets being placed into the runway usinga 5/8 to 3/4 inch probe to open the system and a gloved hand todrop them in. A dirt clod, rock, or plant material is thenplaced over the probe hole. This product can be very hazardousand must be used according to label directions, as with allpesticides, and requires a restricted materials permit.

Note: Use of strychnine and zinc phophide baits and the fumigantaluminum phosphide require restricted material permits and usercertification.

Many factors influence the success of a baiting program; properbait placement within the gopher system, environmental factorssuch as soil type, soil moisture, and availablity of greenforage. All can enhance or hinder bait acceptance, and controlresults. For instance, dry sandy soils often will collapse whenprobed, preventing any bait application, while overly wet soilsmay cause the bait to become soggy, muddy, and quickly mold,thus making it unacceptable to the gopher.

The types of available plants affect how quickly gophers acceptbait. For example, gophers are controlled more easily in turfthan in O'Connor's Legume as the latter is the preferred host.

Finally, gophers may become "bait shy" if they ingest sublethalamounts of a bait and become sick. Because the animal associatesthe sickness with the taste of the bait, it will no longer feedon it. Once this occurs, another type of bait or alternativecontrol method should be used.

Any gopher population can be controlled and in many situationseven eliminated. Succesful programs in large scale situationsgenerally require an initial clean-out of intensified treatmentto bring the existing population to a maintainable level (90% orbetter). Once control is achieved a continuous maintenanceprogram will most often be required to prevent reinfestationproblems from developing as a result of migration from heavilyinfested surrounding areas.__________________________________________

About the Author:

Matt Oliver is General Manager at Agricultural Pest ControlServices, Inc., a company that specializes in controllingvertebrate pest problems. Matt is a Contributing Editor forProGardenBiz Magazine, an online magazine for professionalgardeners and landscape contractors. Visit ProGardenBiz to findout how you can get a free subscription, start-up guidance,business ideas and inspiration at http://www.progardenbiz.com.__________________________________________

You have permission to publish this article electronically or inprint, free of charge, as long as the bylines are included. Mustbe published complete with no changes. A courtesy copy of yourpublication would be appreciated.

About the author:Matt Oliver is General Manager at Agricultural Pest ControlServices, Inc., a company that specializes in controllingvertebrate pest problems. Matt is a Contributing Editor forProGardenBiz Magazine, an online magazine for professionalgardeners and landscape contractors. Visit ProGardenBiz to findout how you can get a free subscription, start-up guidance,business ideas and inspiration at http://www.progardenbiz.com.

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