Wildlife invasion is a common problem most house owners face these days. One such problem is the infestation of gophers that can cause severe damage. Feeding on the roots of your plants and flowers and destroying the beauty of your landscape, gophers can cause havoc within days. They make their tunnels by digging the soil under your lawn, which can cause your decks and patios to collapse. Gophers rarely come out on your lawn as they prefer staying safe inside their tunnels, where they spend most of their time. This is why people prefer killing them by using poison baits. But gophers are protected by wildlife agencies, and killing them is considered inhumane. As a result, non-lethal, natural methods of repelling gophers have become popular and are more widely used today. If you are dealing with gopher infestation and want to get rid of them timely, you can hire a gopher removal service in Florida. However, below are the common humane methods to remove gophers from your property without killing them.
Noise Repellents in the Backyard
It may sound strange, but this is one of the finest methods used for gopher control in Florida. Interestingly, gophers don’t like loud noises, which you can use to your advantage. Therefore, creating a noise that annoys those pesky gophers in our yards makes sense. Experts suggest adding wind chimes in your backyard. Not only do they repel gophers, but add an extra element to the landscape of your garden. In addition, several ultrasonic repellents are also common these days to keep gophers away from your land. Therefore, avoiding the killing methods keeps gophers away naturally.
Castor oil
Another effective and commonly used method by gardeners to keep moles and gophers away is castor oil granules. It is also a natural repellent that makes wildlife animals sick. Which is why they will stay far away from castor oil. Gradually apply castor oil granules starting from the outermost part of the garden. Sprinkle most of them at the points where you have spotted most of the gopher activity. Then apply some water over the granules to dissolve them. This method prevents gophers from being harmed; they are taken out of the garden and sent to another location.
Gopher Traps
Non-killing traps are preferred by gopher removal services in Florida because they are humane and don’t kill them. Most of these traps are easily purchased and easy to assemble. And the biggest advantage here is that they can be used repeatedly. If you want to catch gophers quickly, place the trap at the entry point of the tunnel. To check whether the tunnel is active or not, see the entry point. Gophers can be caught within 48 hours of setting a trap. However, if you fail, experts suggest changing the trap’s position.
Deterrent Plants
There are certain plants that gophers don’t eat. Growing them in your garden gives you a great chance of gopher control in Florida. Gophers generally don’t like eating daffodils and onions, so you can safely plant as many as you like. Lavender and Rosemary are other plants that will keep gophers away from your land. Try using it to plant a border around your flowerbed or vegetable garden.
Outgassing Gophers
Although this is considered a brutal method, it causes gophers to run away from your yard. A car exhaust is just the perfect item that can be utilized for outgassing gophers. Make sure you don’t cover the exit point while gassing the tunnels. This will kill them rather than cause them to run away. Connect your garden hose with your car exhaust. Then turn on the vehicle and keep it on for at least 30 minutes.
Mothballs
Mothballs have been annoying for moles and ground squirrels with their odor. It works just as well when used in closets and for keeping pests away. Placing some repellents in gopher doorways can help keep them out, but these are great for minor infestations. This method won’t be useful if the number of gophers in your yard is relatively high. Therefore, it is said to be a temporary method for removing gophers.
Wire Mesh
Gopher nests are another way of creating a natural barrier around your yard to prevent them from entering your property. Although, the placement of mesh is very important. Gophers can dig deep inside the soil and make their way to your lawn from beneath the mesh. Therefore, place gopher nets under natural grass or manicured areas. Use a galvanized wire mesh if you want to make your money worth it. Any other type of mesh won’t be as effective as this.
The sooner you figure out that gophers have invaded your yard, the better it will be for you, as you will be able to control the situation better. Gophers are highly dangerous and can burrow into lawns and gardens and cause great damage. Luckily, you can follow several methods to remove gophers from your property without killing them. Seven such methods, which are also approved by gopher removal services in Florida, have been discussed in this article. Use these methods and keep gophers out of your garden forever.
