Thursday, May 31, 2007

Pocket Gophers and Pocket Gopher Control - Part 7 of 11 - Pocket Gopher Damage


This article may be viewed in its entirety on our website Vole control, Mole control, Gopher control: Crittergetteronline Home. Select your desired link from the "Critter Confused" navigation box on the left.


Our Gopher & Pocket Gopher guides contain the same information (they're the same animal): If you've read one, you will not learn anything new in the other. Both are listed for site search purposes.

Pocket Gophers, if left unchecked, can cause extensive damage to household utility items as well as plant life. The pocket gopher has been known to chew through irrigation lines and utility cables as well as undermine and weaken a home foundation. The plant damage they may cause can include stem girdling and clipping, root pruning, and even root exposure. There also is the danger the pocket gopher may smother some plant life when piling soil over it when creating its mound.



Soil brought to and deposited on the surface by the pocket gopher has a greater chance of erosion by rainwater.



Pocket Gophers who live in canal and ditch banks tend to ruin the integrity of the banks in which they live and may cause complete failure of the retention system resulting in great disaster.



    Acknowledgment:

  • Case, R. M., 1994. Pocket gophers: Prevention and control of wildlife damage. Department of Forestry, Fisheries
    and Wildlife. University of Nebraska

  • University of Michigan Museum of Zoology - Animal Diversity Web

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