Gophers and moles are troublesome animal pests in a lawn. Gopher tunnels are distinguished from mole tunnels by the crescent-shaped mound of soil around the entrance hole. Neither of them are interested in eating your grass, but the tunnels they plow through your garden definitely detract from it. Gophers are large; they range in length from 6 to 12 or more inches. They have a thick body with small eyes and ears. Their sense of smell is excellent. Once gophers arrive in your yard, they resemble a small invasion force.

A gopher can create several mounds a day. Gopher tunnels, about 2 inches in diameter, follow no pattern, running from a few inches to 2 feet below the soil.

Gophers eat the underground parts of garden crops and a wide variety of roots, bulbs, grasses, tubers and seeds. They can damage lawns, flowers, vegetables, vines, and trees. They can girdle and kill young fruit trees.

Here is some strategies:

Repellents: Just for example Bonide's Ro-pel can aide to deter critters. You can try to drive out the gopher by adding sulfur to the holes and sealing them.

Trapping: the most reliable control device is a trap, and best prevention is an effective barrier. Traps can be set up over the openings of the gopher tunnels, then locate the main gopher burrow by probing the soil with long screwdriver or similar probe. The probe hits the main tunnel, it should suddenly drop about 2 inches. Once you've located the main tunnel, insert a garden hose into it. Flooding is next. When you turn the water on, it will flow in both directions throughout the tunnel system. The gopher will try to escape by exiting from one of the mounds. It can then be trapped and removed. Follow up by blocking the tunnel before another gopher can move in.

Courtesy of the NYBG Plant Information Service