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Gopher Pest Control in San Diego, CA
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800-901-1102Expert Gopher Control Tailored to Your Property
At Corky’s Pest Control, we understand that gopher infestations aren’t one-size-fits-all. That’s why our service begins with a detailed evaluation of your property to identify active burrows, vulnerable areas, and landscape impact. Using proven methods and professional-grade equipment, we target the source of the infestation, then follow up with maintenance treatments to keep gophers from returning. With decades of experience in Southern California, we’re trusted to protect lawns, gardens, and irrigation systems from these destructive pests.
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Control Gophers
Introduction to Gopher Behavior and Impact
Underground and Hard to Spot
Gophers—also known as pocket gophers—spend nearly all of their time underground, making them difficult to detect until damage is already done. These rodents dig extensive tunnel systems beneath lawns and gardens while searching for food, surfacing occasionally to create visible mounds of loose dirt.
Signs of Gopher Activity
Look for these common signs in your yard:
- Crescent-shaped or fan-shaped mounds of fresh soil
- Plugged holes near the surface, used to conceal entry points
- Sudden plant death, despite regular watering, often caused by gophers feeding on roots
Built for Digging
Pocket gophers are highly adapted to life underground:
- Fur-lined cheek pouches help them transport food
- Large front claws are perfect for tunneling
- Sensitive whiskers and tails allow them to navigate and detect nearby movement
- Strong teeth let them chew through soil, roots, and even irrigation lines
How Big Is a Gopher Burrow System?
Their tunnel systems can span 200 to 2,000 square feet.
- Feeding tunnels are usually 6–12 inches below the surface
- Nest and food chambers may reach depths of 6 feet
These burrows are sealed with loose dirt, and because gophers are active year-round, they don’t leave voluntarily—they’ll stay as long as food is available.
Property Damage from Gophers
Unlike squirrels, gophers pose a serious threat to:
- Lawns and gardens – They feed on vines, shrubs, trees, and crops
- Underground infrastructure – They chew through irrigation systems and plastic water lines, potentially causing flooding and erosion
- Outdoor maintenance – Their mounds interfere with mowing and landscaping
🛠️ Pro Tip: Even one gopher can cause extensive damage. A single gopher may drag entire plants underground or compromise your irrigation lines.
Let the Gopher Control Experts Handle It
Gophers are persistent and destructive. If you’re seeing signs of activity, don’t wait—our environmentally friendly and highly effective gopher control services are here to help protect your property.
HOW CORKY’S GOPHER CONTROL SERVICE WORKS
Every property is different. Therefore, this treatment program focuses on areas unique to your property, where gophers are damaging your landscaping. This effective service program starts with an initial service to exterminate gophers. Then follow-up maintenance services are necessary to control future invasions.
Step 1: Comprehensive Inspection
Before treatment begins, our team performs a thorough inspection of your property:
- Identification of gopher activity by locating fan- or kidney-shaped mounds (which can be up to 12 inches tall).
- Use of the Gopher X machine to push carbon monoxide and heated smoke through the tunnel system. This non-toxic smoke (with a vegetable mineral oil blend) helps us:
- Confirm active tunnels
- Detect hidden entry and exit points
- Safely map the extent of infestation without harming surrounding plants
Step 2: Customized Gopher Control Strategies
Based on the inspection, your technician will select the best combination of methods, which may include:
- Trapping, baiting, and repellents
- Barrier creation to discourage tunneling
- Topical repellents (granular and liquid) designed to taste and smell unpleasant to gophers
- Food source elimination to make the area less appealing
Our focus is on safe, humane, and effective removal.
Step 3: Initial Treatment
Your service specialist will:
- Identify active entry/exit points in the tunnel system
- Apply the chosen treatment (traps, baits, or gas injection)
- Finish with a natural granular repellent to discourage reinfestation
Step 4: Ongoing Maintenance
Gophers are persistent and often migrate from nearby properties. That’s why we recommend routine follow-ups:
- Every visit includes an inspection
- New activity is treated immediately
- Repellents are re-applied to high-risk areas
Regular maintenance is key to long-term success, especially in areas surrounded by untreated land.
Technician Recommendations
To improve treatment effectiveness, your technician may suggest:
- Reducing watering schedules
- Mowing tall grasses
- Thinning dense vegetation
- Replacing gopher-attractive plants with resistant species
These proactive steps can make a big difference in preventing re-infestation.
Get rid of Gophers
Why Choose Corky’s Gopher Removal Services
The best aspect of our service is that it’s customizable and thorough. Once we plug the gopher mounds and spray repellents, you’ll be able to mow, spend time outside, and tend to your garden without fear of how much damage these pests will cause. Our goal is to improve your quality of life by making sure your property is gopher-free. Contact us today to schedule an appointment.
Gopher control FAQs
What Draws Gophers to Your Yard?
Gophers are herbivores that are most attracted to vegetation and grass, which is why they’re commonly found in yards and golf courses. When they get into your yard, they can cause a considerable amount of damage. These highly destructive pests may find your yard appealing because of:
- Tree roots
- Grassroots
- Tubers
- Bulbs
- Vegetable roots
What Damage Can Gophers Cause to Lawns and Gardens?
If you don’t take steps to remove gophers from your property immediately, they can cause extensive damage to your entire yard. These pests build tunnel systems that can not only expose the roots of trees and plants, but they can also damage the roots, leading to decreased stability, nutrient update issues, and increased susceptibility to disease and environmental stress.
When they decide to come up for some fresh air, they’ll breach the surface of your yard, which creates unsightly holes. The grass surrounding the yard will likely die off as well. If your property consists of any underground cables, gophers can damage them. Request our San Diego gopher control services to resolve this issue and mitigate the damage.
Will Gophers Eventually Leave Your Yard?
Gophers can decide to leave your yard at any time. However, gophers usually only leave after they’ve already created numerous holes and fed on plant and tree roots. Your best option is to seek gopher removal for your San Diego home.
What Are the Risks Associated with Gopher Infestations if Left Untreated?
Keeping gopher infestations in your yard can have serious consequences. For example, gophers can bite if they feel threatened. They’ll also cause visible damage to your yard in the form of gopher holes and mounds. The many risks associated with gopher infestations include the following:
- Tree damage
- Tunneling around your lawn
- Vegetation damage
- Structural damage to your property’s features
- Safety hazards
- Underground cable and utility hazards
- Drainage and erosion issues
- Parasites like fleas, lice, and ticks
Can Gophers Attract Other Pests or Predators to My Property?
One of the main problems with having gophers in your yard is that they can attract other predators and pests to your property. Gophers can carry ticks, fleas, and lice. However, they also attract predators like owls and snakes, the latter of which can be highly dangerous if you have pets or young children.
What Is the Best Way to Get Rid of Gophers?
There are numerous methods that are effective at getting rid of gophers and keeping them away from your property for good. For example, our pest control team at Corky’s can install gopher mesh barriers for you. These barriers are partially placed underground and above ground. They can keep gophers from tunneling and breaching your lawn. Some of the other solutions that you might want to look into include the following:
- Gopher baskets
- Loud noises via wind chimes and radios
- Unpleasant smells like castor oil, dryer sheets, coffee grounds, fish, and Tabasco sauce
- Various gopher traps
Consider scheduling our gopher pest control services. We’ll locate the gophers on your property, remove them, and ensure they don’t return.
Who Should I Call for Gopher Removal Services?
You should call a professional pest control service that specializes in gopher removal. Look for a company with experience, positive customer reviews, and a comprehensive approach to not only removing the gophers but also prevent their return. Our team at Corky’s Pest Control offers expert gopher control services in the San Diego area, and we’ll ensure your property remains gopher-free.
How Much Does Gopher Removal Cost?
The cost of removing gophers from your home depends on the size of your property and the number of gophers that need to be located and taken away. You can pay anywhere from $25-$150 to have a single gopher removed. When using traps to capture a gopher, the costs might range from $250-$500.
How Does Professional Gopher Removal in San Diego Differ from DIY Methods?
If you schedule our San Diego gopher control services, we’ll first evaluate the extent of the damage and determine which type of gopher is on your property. Our team at Corky’s Pest Control will then select the most effective removal method. While you can do this task yourself, hiring a professional team will save you time and money.
What Can Be Done to Prevent Future Gopher Invasions?
You can prevent future gopher infestations by placing scent markers around your garden or property. Gophers are actively repelled by odors they don’t like, which include castor oil and coffee grounds. Some other methods that might help you include the following:
- Maintain a healthy lawn: Regular lawn maintenance can make your yard less attractive to gophers.
- Install physical barriers: Placing underground barriers in the tunnels that are made of wire mesh or hardwire cloth will deter gophers from digging.
- Remove food sources: Minimize access to food by keeping your yard free from fallen fruits, nuts, and other edible debris
- Plant gopher-resistant plants: Consider planting varieties that gophers avoid, such as daffodils, marigold, or other plants with strong scents or toxic properties
- Professional pest control services: Schedule regular inspections and treatments with a professional rodent control company to detect and prevent gopher activity