At a glance
- Pocket gophers are the burrowing rodents that leave fan-shaped or crescent-shaped dirt mounds with a plugged hole in East Valley lawns and gardens.
- Moles do not live in the Phoenix area, so the mounds people call mole hills in Valley yards are almost always made by pocket gophers.
- Ground squirrels are active above ground during the day and leave their burrow holes open, while pocket gophers stay underground and keep their holes plugged.
- Flooding and home remedies rarely finish a gopher problem, because gophers plug off flooded tunnels and remedies such as sonic stakes have little evidence behind them.
- Platinum Pest Management handles gopher control by locating the main tunnels, treating them with bait and smoke according to the label, returning for follow-up, and recommending wire baskets or mesh for new plantings and raised beds.
On this page
How to tell pocket gophers from ground squirrels
Pocket gophers and ground squirrels are the two digging rodents most often found in East Valley yards. The gopher species in the Valley is Botta's pocket gopher, a stocky brown rodent with long front claws and fur-lined cheek pouches for carrying food. It lives almost entirely underground and is rarely seen. Ground squirrels, such as the round-tailed ground squirrel, are out during the day and leave open holes at the base of shrubs, walls and walkways.
Moles do not live in the Phoenix area. When someone in the Valley mentions mole hills, the animal responsible is almost always a pocket gopher.
| Sign | Pocket gopher | Ground squirrel |
|---|---|---|
| Seen above ground | Rarely, and usually only at the edge of a fresh mound | Often, in daylight |
| Holes | Plugged with soil | Left open |
| Dirt | Fan- or crescent-shaped mounds | Little or no mound |
| Damage | Roots, turf, drip lines and irrigation wiring | Garden plants, seedlings and burrows along walls |
What a gopher mound looks like
A fresh gopher mound is a fan- or crescent-shaped pile of fine, loose soil with a plug of dirt on one side where the tunnel opening was. Gophers push soil up as they dig and then seal the hole behind them, so the opening itself is rarely visible.
Mounds often appear in a rough line or cluster, and one gopher can push up many of them in a few weeks. A yard with a dozen mounds may have only one or two gophers. The main tunnel usually runs several inches to a foot below the surface. New mounds show up more often after irrigation or rain, when the soil is easier to dig.
Gopher damage to lawns, drip lines and trees
Pocket gophers eat roots, bulbs and stems, usually from below. A plant can wilt within a day or disappear into the ground when a gopher pulls it down into the tunnel. Typical damage in East Valley yards includes:
- Turf smothered by mounds, leaving uneven ground that is hard to mow and walk on
- Drip tubing and emitters chewed through, which causes leaks and dry plants
- Low-voltage irrigation valve wiring cut underground, which can stop a zone from running
- Roots of young trees, shrubs, roses and vegetables eaten away
Irrigation damage is often the hardest to find. A chewed line can leak underground for days before a soggy patch or a higher water bill gives it away.
Why flooding and home remedies rarely work
Flooding a gopher tunnel mostly wastes water. The soil absorbs much of it, and the gopher can plug off the wet section or move to a higher part of its tunnel system.
Home remedies such as chewing gum, castor oil and vibrating or sonic stakes have little evidence behind them. Some may push a gopher to another part of the yard for a while, and the damage continues there.
How professional gopher control works
Platinum Pest Management follows the same basic process on every gopher control job, adjusted for the soil, the size of the yard and whether children or pets use the area.
- Find the main tunnel. We probe beside fresh mounds, usually on the plug side, until the probe drops into the main runway. Bait and smoke placed there work much better than anything placed at the mound.
- Bait and smoke. We place a bait labeled for pocket gophers down in the main tunnel and treat active tunnels with smoke cartridges made for burrowing rodents. All products are EPA-registered and applied by licensed technicians according to the label.
- Follow up. Old mounds are raked flat so fresh ones stand out. On return visits we look for new mounds and re-treat any tunnels that are still active until activity stops.
Protecting new plantings and raised beds
For new plantings, we recommend wire baskets or mesh, which protect roots from gophers that arrive after the current ones are gone. Line the planting hole for a new tree or shrub with a basket of galvanized wire or hardware cloth with openings about 1/2 inch. Leave the top edge a few inches above the soil, and make the basket big enough for the roots to grow for the first few years.
Raised garden beds should have hardware cloth fastened across the bottom before the soil goes in. Drip lines are harder to protect, so check each zone regularly for wet spots and plants that are drying out.
Why gophers come back from neighboring lots
Removing the gophers from one yard doesn't keep new ones from arriving. Young gophers leave the burrow where they were born to look for open territory, and a yard whose gopher has been removed is open territory.
Repeat activity is most common on lots next to farm fields, vacant land and canal banks. It is a familiar pattern in Queen Creek, San Tan Valley and Maricopa, where many subdivisions were built on former farmland and still border active fields. On those properties, watching for fresh mounds and calling early keeps the damage small.
To schedule a free inspection for gophers, call (480) 518-1942. For rats and mice, see our rodent control page.
Frequently asked questions
How many gophers are in my yard?
Often fewer than the mounds suggest. Pocket gophers live alone except when breeding or raising young, and one gopher can push up many mounds as it extends its tunnels. A yard with a dozen fresh mounds may have one or two gophers. Lots next to farm fields or open land can have more, since new gophers keep arriving.
Will gophers leave on their own?
It's unlikely. Pocket gophers are active year-round and stay in a tunnel system as long as it has food, and irrigated lawns and gardens give them a steady supply. Repellents or noise may push a gopher to another part of the yard for a while, but treatment is usually needed to end the damage.
How long does gopher control take?
A yard with one or two gophers is often cleared in a few visits over a couple of weeks. Larger lots and yards next to fields or open land take longer, since more gophers can be involved and new ones keep arriving. We keep checking until no fresh mounds appear, and calling early when new ones show up later keeps the job small.
What do you use to get rid of gophers?
We use bait and smoke. A bait labeled for pocket gophers goes down in the main tunnel, and smoke cartridges made for burrowing rodents treat active tunnels. All products are EPA-registered and applied by licensed technicians according to the label. If dogs dig in the yard, tell the technician so the treatment plan can account for them.
Can gophers damage my irrigation system?
Yes. Gophers chew through drip tubing and emitters and sometimes cut the low-voltage wires that run irrigation valves. Signs include wet spots, a zone that stops running, or plants that dry out even though the timer is working. Repairing the lines without removing the gopher usually leads to more breaks.