Pocket gophers, subterranean rodents, absolutely eat carrots and other root vegetables. They create extensive tunnel networks underground where they forage for food. These solitary animals cause significant damage to plant roots before their presence is noticed. Their preference for root vegetables makes them a serious pest for gardeners.
The Gopher Diet
Pocket gophers are herbivores whose diet consists primarily of underground plant parts, driven by their subterranean lifestyle. They are drawn to plants with succulent tap roots, bulbs, and tubers, which provide concentrated sources of water and carbohydrates. Carrots, with their large, fleshy taproot, are an ideal food source because they are packed with easily digestible energy and moisture.
The gopher’s feeding strategy involves an underground approach to consumption. They use their sense of smell to locate roots and extend a lateral tunnel toward the food source. The rodent then gnaws on the root from below or pulls the entire plant down into its burrow to be consumed.
Gophers collect and store food in underground caches within their burrow systems to sustain them when fresh vegetation is scarce. This behavior means a single animal can destroy numerous plants in a short period, taking whole root crops completely from the garden bed.
Identifying Gopher Damage
Identifying the specific damage caused by pocket gophers is necessary to distinguish them from other common garden pests like moles. The most recognizable sign of gopher activity is the presence of distinct soil mounds on the surface.
Gopher mounds are typically fan-shaped or horseshoe-shaped, with the soil pushed out from a plugged lateral tunnel. The entrance hole is never visible in the center; it is offset to one side beneath the crescent of soil. This differs from the volcano-shaped hills created by moles, which have a central opening.
When gophers target carrots, the damage is often the clean disappearance of the root vegetable, or a plant sliced off below the soil line. Plants may also appear wilted because their root systems have been completely severed and consumed underground.
Protecting Underground Crops
Preventing gopher damage relies on implementing physical barriers to exclude the rodents from the growing area. The most effective long-term solution is to line the bottom and sides of raised garden beds with galvanized hardware cloth or gopher wire mesh. The mesh should have openings no larger than three-quarters of an inch.
For crops planted directly in the ground, individual carrots can be protected by planting them inside wire baskets buried completely in the soil. This method blocks the gophers’ access from below and the sides, where they primarily feed. Ensure the mesh extends at least a foot below the soil surface to deter tunneling underneath.
Managing the soil environment can also make the garden less attractive. Gophers prefer moist, easily-dug soil, so avoiding excessive irrigation helps reduce the area’s appeal. For immediate removal, trapping is the most reliable method, using specially designed burrow traps placed directly into the main tunnel runs.