We have a few variables that we factor in when pricing gopher control work.

• How much activity is there? How many mounds and holes?
• How big is the yard?
• Is the yard or home next to a field or house with neighboring gopher activity?
• Are there slopes or hills involved?
• What’s the soil or turf like(rocks, hard dirt, grass, etc.)? The starting rate for a 30 day gopher control service is $349. Currently we offer free on site estimates for a more accurate price for your particular yard. 

This is a tricky one because there are not many things you can do to keep them from burrowing back into your yard. Gophers are likely to appear in the same spot as before, even after removing them. This is because you now have existing tunnels leading from your neighboring yard right to these spots. When we do your gopher control service, we’ll hand you a few referral cards to offer your neighbors. That way, we can make sure their gophers don’t eventually tunnel over to your property. 

We also offer maintenance services for gophers in which we come out monthly to inspect the yard for any new activity. If we see any new gopher activity, we will take care of it. This service is more of a reactive service but is proven to keep the gophers under control and down to a bare minimum.

Gophers live underground and feed mainly on the roots of plants. They move from root to root by tunneling through the dirt. Eventually, though, the dirt builds up in the tunnels, so the gophers start digging upward to the surface to get rid of the dirt.

A gopher’s tunnel system can be very extensive.  It consists of the main tunnel, which is usually 6 to 8 inches below ground, and numerous cross tunnels that lead to the surface – where they make the mound. The gophers also dig separate chambers to store their food and raise their young. The main tunnel can be as long as 200 yards, and the chambers as deep as 6 feet!

The gopher’s powerful front legs and long pick-like claws create the perfect tunneling tool. But, they will sometimes hit a pipe, utility cable, or other large objects that they can’t dig around, so they use their large teeth (incisors) instead. The pocket gopher’s incisors never stop growing, so they have to use them regularly to keep them controlled.

Probably not. Gophers are very territorial and usually live alone in a tunnel system – except during breeding season and when a new litter is born. There can be up to 10 baby gophers in a litter, and a female can have up to 3 litters a year in irrigated areas. Young gophers will stay with their mothers for about two months, then leave to start their own tunnel system. They can start their own families when they are a year old and live for about three years.

Gophers spend most of their lives underground, so you are more likely to see their mounds than to see the gophers themselves. But, you may see them poking their heads above ground when clearing their tunnels of dirt. Gophers are usually about 6 to 9 inches long with tawny brown fur and short tails, but their large teeth are the most obvious way to identify them. Gophers have poor eyesight but an excellent sense of smell – so if you see an animal of this description running backward very fast – it is likely a gopher!

By gnawing and eating of plant roots, the gophers not only weaken the foliage, but they can also kill trees, shrubs, and other plants. They also dig at, and chew on utility and irrigation lines that get in their way, destroying these. Additionally, the holes they burrow to the surface, and the ground that is weakened by their tunneling can cause falls and injury to people and animals. And, if you have a dog, those holes will likely be dug even further as it tries to get at that underground pest!