pocket gophers: biology and damage management

Pocket Gophers: Pocket Gophers: Biology and Biology and

Damage Damage ManagementManagement

Jeff SchalauJeff SchalauAssociate Agent, ANRAssociate Agent, ANRUniversity of Arizona Cooperative ExtensionUniversity of Arizona Cooperative ExtensionYavapai CountyYavapai County

Gopher BiologyGopher Biology Live in the soil, spending a small amount

of time above ground to feed, find new territory, or get around obstacles

3 species in Arizona 5-7 inches long (without tail) Large head Long, sharp, chisel-like teeth Powerful front legs with long claws

Gopher Biology (cont.)Gopher Biology (cont.) Short tail with tactile hairs Pouches on both sides of

head to hold food and soil Have one or two litters per

year (usually 3-4 per litter) Soon after weaning, the

young leave the nest and disperse above ground

Adults live solitarily (except when mating)

FeedingFeeding Plant Feeders

Roots encountered underground Surface feeding a body length or so

away from burrow openings Pulling plants into burrow from below

Preferred Foods Include:alfalfa, grasses, root crops, tap rooted weeds, shrub roots, tree roots, garden crops

Gopher BurrowsGopher Burrows

Control MethodsControl Methods Trapping – excellent Exclusion – good where applicable Biocontrol – cats, dogs, snakes Fumigants – marginal Toxicants – not recommended for

residential areas, secondary poisoning Flooding – rarely effective for residential

areas Cultural Controls – destroy burrows,

remove food, plant selection Repellents - ineffective

FumigantsFumigants

Sonic Devices Are Not Sonic Devices Are Not EffectiveEffective

TrappingTrapping Lethal traps are the only effective Lethal traps are the only effective

methodmethod

How To Set A TrapHow To Set A Trap Two traps wired to a stakeTwo traps wired to a stake Locate main tunnel using probeLocate main tunnel using probe Set one trap in each directionSet one trap in each direction Cover the holeCover the hole Obliterate fresh moundsObliterate fresh mounds Check the following dayCheck the following day Reset as neededReset as needed

Box TrapsBox Traps

ExclusionExclusion

ToxicantsToxicants Strychnine on Strychnine on

graingrain Other products Other products

tootoo Can be dangerous Can be dangerous

to non-target to non-target organisms if not organisms if not used correctlyused correctly

Cultural ControlsCultural Controls Weed ControlWeed Control Flooding only Flooding only

works when:works when: The entire field is The entire field is

floodedflooded Soils are porousSoils are porous Gophers are below Gophers are below

the high water markthe high water mark

BiocontrolBiocontrol Dogs/CatsDogs/Cats CoyotesCoyotes OwlsOwls SnakesSnakes

Experimental DeviceExperimental Device

Repellents are Repellents are IneffectiveIneffective

Gopher Purge Gopher Purge ((Euphorbia Euphorbia lathyruslathyrus))

Human HairHuman Hair Juicy Fruit GumJuicy Fruit Gum Irish Spring SoapIrish Spring Soap Chocolate Ex-LaxChocolate Ex-Lax ??????