Gopher Control MANAGEMENT of gophers 

To successfully control gophers, the sooner you detect their presence and take control measures the better. Most people control gophers in lawns, gardens, or small orchards by trapping and/or by using poison baits. Probing for Burrows Successful trapping or baiting depends on accurately locating the gopher’s Main Burrow. This tunnel will be visited at least once every 24 hours by the gopher. to locate the main burrow, you need to use a gopher probe. Probes with bait reservoirs are commercially available, or you can construct one from a pipe and metal rod.  Picture of commercial probe, bait reservoir holds 3 lbs of bait and consumers probe with ½ lbs. reservoir for bait. To find the main tunnel, first locate areas of the most recent gopher activity based on fresh mounds of dark, moist soil. Older mounds, that are crusted over, may not be useful spots to start probing. Gophers may have back filled the tunnel leading to that mound therefore Fresh mounds that are visible aboveground are the plugged openings of lateral tunnels. You can find the main burrow by probing about 8 to 12 inches from the plug side of the mound; it usually is located 6 to 12 inches deep. When the probe penetrates the gopher’s burrow, there will be a sudden, noticeable drop of 2 to 3 inches. You might have to probe repeatedly to locate the gopher’s main burrow, but your skill will improve with experience. Because the gopher might not revisit lateral tunnels, trapping and baiting them is not as successful as in the main burrow.