Pocket gophers often cause unsightly mounds and significant damage to plant root systems. These burrowing rodents spend most of their lives underground, making trapping the most effective method for their removal. Successfully trapping a gopher requires a methodical approach that begins with correctly identifying their active tunnels. This guide focuses on the steps necessary to secure a gopher-free yard.
Identifying Gopher Activity and Tunnel Systems
Locating the gopher’s main tunnel is the first step in successful trapping. Gopher mounds are typically fan-shaped or horseshoe-shaped, featuring a plugged soil entrance on one side. This shape distinguishes them from the symmetrical hills created by moles. Fresh mounds have dark, moist, and loose soil, indicating recent activity.
The main tunnel, where the trap must be placed, lies below the surface, usually between 6 and 12 inches deep. To find this tunnel, use a thin probing rod eight to twelve inches from the plugged side of a fresh mound. When the probe breaks through the tunnel roof, you will feel a sudden, two-inch drop in resistance, confirming the location of this high-traffic area.
Selecting the Appropriate Gopher Trap
The effectiveness of trapping depends on choosing a device designed to intercept the gopher in its subterranean environment. Two primary types of lethal traps are used.
Scissor or Pincer Traps
The Scissor or Pincer Trap, such as the Macabee or Cinch style, features two strong prongs or jaws. This mechanism is triggered when the gopher pushes against a flat, vertical pan in the center of the trap, mimicking the animal attempting to plug a tunnel breach.
Choker Loop or Body Grip Traps
The Choker Loop or Body Grip Trap, sometimes designed as a plastic cylinder, utilizes a spring-loaded noose or wire bar. These traps fit snugly within the tunnel, with the trigger positioned in the center of the runway.
Both styles are typically placed in pairs, with one facing each direction of the main tunnel to ensure interception. The trap must be sized appropriately to fill the diameter of the gopher’s runway, which is generally between two and three inches.
Step-by-Step Guide to Setting the Trap
Once the main runway is located, carefully excavate an access hole directly over the tunnel. This hole should be wide enough for your hands and the traps, extending down to the top of the main runway. After exposing the tunnel, use a narrow trowel or gloved hand to gently clear loose soil and debris from both tunnel openings. Removing this loose dirt ensures the trap can be placed cleanly and will not be accidentally sprung or plugged.
The traps must be set according to the manufacturer’s instructions, ensuring the mechanism is stable and sensitive. Insert a trap deep into each side of the main runway, pushing it in about 12 to 18 inches. This placement ensures the gopher cannot detour around the device. Secure each trap to a stake or wire above ground to prevent the gopher from pulling it further into the tunnel or a scavenger from removing it.
The final step is to completely block the access hole to exclude all light and air. Gophers instinctively rush to plug any breach, guaranteeing they will encounter the trap. Cover the hole with a large piece of sod, plywood, or a layer of dirt and rocks. If using dirt, avoid letting it fall onto the trap, which could prematurely spring the device.
Post-Trapping Procedures and Yard Maintenance
Traps should be checked at least once every day, and ideally twice—in the morning and evening—for a quick and humane result. If a trap has been sprung, carefully pull it from the tunnel using the attached wire or chain. If a trap remains unsprung after 48 hours, move it to a different, more active location.
When disposing of a trapped gopher, check with local regulations, as rules regarding wildlife disposal vary. Safe options include double-bagging the carcass for disposal in the household trash or burying it in a shallow grave. Once the gopher is removed, fill the exposed tunnels and the access hole with topsoil, lightly compacting it to discourage new burrowing. The soil from the mounds can be spread out to level the area, and new grass seed or sod can be applied to restore the turf.