Here's how to stop gophers from wrecking your garden

"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."

"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. See the Pocket Gopher Pest Note link at the end of the article about trapping gophers. Second, install barriers to protect the plants you value. Barriers such as gopher baskets may be made of 1/2 to 3/4 inch mesh made of galvanized steel or stainless-steel wire, or hardware cloth."

"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."

Five species of pocket gophers occur in California, with Botta's pocket gopher (T. bottae) most widespread. Pocket gophers can benefit the environment by churning up to a ton of soil yearly, aerating and fertilizing deep soil and bringing seeds to the surface. Gophers can also be destructive by gnawing, undermining, and consuming vegetation and irrigation lines; a single gopher can eat an entire plant. Sandy and sandy loam soils and irrigated fields favor gophers. Gopher mounds are crescent-shaped while mole mounds are round. Effective control combines trapping, physical underground barriers, and planting less-preferred species.

Read at The Mercury News