Does flooding gopher holes work? It works, but you have to take various procedures to work correctly.
Gophers can mess up your garden quickly if you don’t take proper steps. Significantly, they make holes that ruin the crops and surround your lawn. So, we will discuss the suitable methods of flooding gopher holes.
Flooding Gopher Holes: Procedure and Effectiveness
Among various rodents, gophers can damage your lawn for several days. Gophers have big front teeth and a very strong foreclaw. They use it for digging burrows and feeding on underground plants. Gophers can be around 7 to 12 inches long in size.
As they dig holes around your garden can seriously affect the crops and flowers you are tending. They create a huge mess that can be complicated to deal with. Therefore, it is vital that if you discover a gopher hole, you deal with it immediately. Letting a gopher loose can cost your lawn drastically, as they can reproduce, enlarging your problem.
Asides from eating grass, gophers can damage your electrical cables or water pipes under the ground. As a result, it will disrupt your water and electrical connection to your home. Besides this, they also carry diseases that they can spread. The worst disease they have is monkeypox.
Furthermore, they can spread hantavirus, plague, and rabies. If the gopher accesses your home once, their urine will cause a stain you cannot remove. So, they can make your home unpleasant as well.
There are various methods to deal with gopher holes. But we will discuss the flooding method as many people adopt this way to deal with the holes.
How Deep is a Gopher Tunnel?
Typically, the burrow of a gopher dig consists of a central tunnel. The tunnel can be profound, starting from 4 or 18 inches. Furthermore, the main tunnel has various secondary tunnels connecting to it as well. However, the main tunnel can sometimes be 5 or 6 inches deep. These tunnels are approximately 3 inches ahead.
The secondary tunnel they dig ends up in mounds on the soil’s surface. The burrows they dig have a very massive network. They store water and food in this burrow; thus, they are harder to see in the ground. Furthermore, there is usually one gopher per burrow, except when it’s a mating season.
How to Flood Gophers?
Yes, you can fill a gophers hole. One of the most effective ways to deal with them is by filling their spots. They move through the burrows and store their food inside the tunnels. Once you feel it, it becomes harder for them to excess; as a result, they come out, and you can deal with them quickly.
One way you can fill it is by flooding it with water. Even though it works, your lawn will suffer from the aftermath. So, the rate of success is low at times. The water loosens the dirt making the land easier to tunnel through.
The gopher will come to the surface until the water level goes down. You can deal with them directly when it comes from the tunnel.
Do this when it’s late winter or early spring. Then you can reduce the damage to the lawn.
However, an effective method is to mix castor oil with water and spray it through the network channels. So, you have to cover the entry and exit points of the burrow. You can also fill it with tunnel mix, which is available in stores. They are also pretty practical and don’t harm your lawn.
You can check out the Gopher holes diagram to get a better idea before flooding.
How to Get Rid of Gopher Holes By Flooding Gophers?
The straightforward way to get rid of gophers is using a water hose. However, you need to do it properly at the right time. When using water on gopher holes, try doing it before breeding seasons, especially during early spring or late winter. Don’t exceed over 5 gallons of water; otherwise, it will also affect your lawn.
Another important thing is ensuring the hole isn’t near your house; otherwise, it can flood your basement. Meanwhile, flooding is a non-lethal way to drive the gophers away, but you must take this step carefully. It’s better to get some helpers as well. Try using multiple hoses in all the available holes in your lawn. In this way, getting rid of the gophers becomes much more effective.
Remember that this method is very effective when dealing with newer infestations. Don’t worry; it will work against older infestations, but you have to cover more ground for that.
How to Fill Gopher Holes in Lawn?
While there are various ways to fill gopher holes in your lawn, if you are against a newly formed infestation, try using buckets of water to fill the gaps. Try to gather extra help as you need to fill all the holes simultaneously.
Another method is flooding it with tunnel fills made explicitly for these holes. Use them with the highest pressure with the correct tool. It’s beneficial as it won’t harm your lawn. This procedure is very effective with older infestations as well. So, when water doesn’t work, try looking at the gopher holes with the mix.
A Helpful Tutorial You May Need!
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
How do you fill a gopher tunnel?
The most straightforward way to fill a gopher tunnel is by flooding it with buckets of water. You can also try fumigating, but it’s not the most effective method.
Can you fill in a gopher hole?
Yes, you can fill in a gopher hole. If you use a tunnel hole, you can fill a gopher hole most effectively.
How do you get rid of gophers with a water hose?
If you notice a gopher pushing dirt to get above ground, it’s the best time to use your water hose. Turn it to the maximum pressure and use it in the new hole the gopher is trying to create.
Why do gophers dig so many holes?
Gophers are fossorial creatures. So, they prefer to stay underground. They create many holes to store food and water. Furthermore, it also works as a sound drainage system for them.
Conclusion
If you follow the procedures above, you can deal with your gopher issue in the most practical way. Gophers can be a danger to your garden and your home as well. Thus you must take care of the holes. In the above, we included the best way of flooding gopher holes. Follow them carefully, and you can have a gopher-free lawn.
Also, while using water, keep in mind that if you overdo it, unforeseen consequences will lead to damage to your lawn, or your basement might get flooded. Additionally, get extra help if available to you.
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Enamored with the world of golf Jack pursued a degree in Golf Course Management at THE Ohio State University. This career path allowed him to work on some of the highest profile golf courses in the country! Â Due to the pandemic, Jack began Inside The Yard as a side hustle that quickly became his main hustle. Since starting the company, Jack has relocated to a homestead in Central Arkansas where he and his wife raise cattle and two little girls.