Though endearing, pocket gophers can sometimes be troublesome creatures that present challenges for gardeners and homeowners in Colorado Springs. Don't let these creatures get out of hand on your property.
Below, we'll uncover effective strategies to help you coexist, including learning about their anatomy and behavior. We'll also discuss when to call professionals for pest control in Colorado Springs.
Understanding Pocket Gophers: Anatomy And Behavior
Pocket gophers, scientifically known as Geomyidae, are well-adapted to their underground existence. Their most distinctive feature is their fur-lined cheek pouches, or "pockets," from which they derive their name. These pockets serve as convenient storage for food as they forage.
Pocket gophers typically range in size, with adults measuring 6 to 12 inches in length, including their tails. With stout bodies, short legs, and strong claws, pocket gophers are adept diggers, creating an intricate network of tunnels beneath the soil. Their keen sense of touch compensates for their poor vision, making them efficient navigators in the underground.
These rodents are solitary creatures, establishing territories marked by the mounds of soil they push to the surface as they dig. Their burrowing habits serve numerous purposes: creating shelter from predators and weather, finding food, and nurturing their young. Pocket gophers primarily feed on plant roots, grasses, and shrubs, influencing the distribution of vegetation in their habitat.
Gardener's Woes: Assessing The Impact Of Pocket Gophers On Landscapes
While pocket gophers in Colorado Springs play an essential ecological role, they can also be a source of frustration for gardeners and homeowners. Their burrowing activities can damage well-maintained landscapes, disrupting plant roots and leaving unsightly mounds in their wake. The impact of these disturbances on the aesthetics and health of gardens and lawns cannot be understated.
Gopher burrowing destabilizes the soil, making it prone to erosion and affecting the growth of plants. Unsuspecting gardeners might find their prized plants withering due to severed roots or destabilized soil structures. The characteristic crescent-shaped mounds that appear on the surface are telltale signs of gopher activity beneath, indicating the need for intervention and gopher control in Colorado Springs.
Gardening Resilience: Protect Your Plants From Gopher Damage
Protecting your garden from pocket gopher damage requires a combination of humane and effective strategies.
Consider implementing these natural gopher control tips:
Their subterranean lifestyle makes gophers vulnerable to underground fencing made of wire mesh or hardware cloth. You should bury these physical barriers at least a foot deep to prevent gophers from burrowing underneath.
Certain plants are less appealing to pocket gophers due to their taste or toxicity. Consider incorporating gopher-resistant plants such as lavender, rosemary, salvia, sage, lantana, foxglove, and California poppy.
Raised garden beds can discourage gophers from reaching plants and provide an extra layer of protection.
With a little persistence, you can successfully incorporate these strategies to protect your plants, but when things get out of hand, it's best to contact gopher professionals to keep gophers away from your home.
Expert Pocket Gopher Control: Benefits Of Expert Wildlife Services
When gopher populations become overwhelming, seeking assistance from pocket gopher control specialists can provide an effective solution. Experts have a thorough understanding of gopher behavior and employ a range of control methods tailored to the specific situation. Trapping and removal, as well as using environmentally friendly repellents, are some methods utilized.
One significant advantage of hiring professionals like High Country Pest Control is our humane approach to gopher control. Rather than resorting to harmful chemicals that can impact other wildlife and the environment, our experts prioritize sustainable methods that minimize collateral damage. Our experience ensures the management of gopher populations without causing undue harm.
Pocket gophers can create challenges for gardeners and homeowners, but understanding their behavior and employing effective strategies can help mitigate the damage they cause. Colorado Springs residents can coexist harmoniously with these subterranean inhabitants by striking a balance between ecological awareness and practical solutions.
When intervention is necessary, call High Country Pest Control to help with gophers, and to learn more about our residential and commercial pest control services in Colorado Services.