Discovering mounds of freshly turned soil in the middle of a beautiful lawn is never a pleasant experience. Eradicating an industrious gopher is an even less pleasant experience. There are numerous products and gimmicks available for the eradication of gophers, including poison baits, gassers, garlic, flooding, and a multitude of other home remedies. There even exists a plant, Gopher Purge, which is said to repel gophers. Gopher Purge is a member of the Euphorbia family. Legend claims that it repels gophers and moles. The milky juice could conceivably bother a gopher or mole enough to make it beat a hasty retreat. However, the plant is not effective in repelling gophers until it establishes an extensive root system throughout the area where the gophers are burrowing. Gopher Purge is a biennial, meaning that it has a two-year life span. It grows three to five feet tall, produces a cluster of unspectacular yellow flowers, produces seed, and then dies. At this point, the whole procedure needs to be repeated again. The universal question remains, “Is there any way to effectively control these ground dwelling rodents?” A class in vertebrate pest control helped to answer that question. During the course of that class, I learned about the life cycle, eating, and living habitats of gophers. All evidence led to the conclusion that the best way to control gophers is to kill them. The most effective method of eradicating gophers is the old-fashioned trap. Simple metal traps inserted into the gopher tunnel work best. When using a trap, the dead carcass is evidence that the method was successful. With all the other methods of gopher control, there is no visible sign that the gopher is gone until you stop losing your favorite rose bushes, or the number of mounds in the lawn stop growing. Traps may seem gross and inhumane, but they are the most effective way to eliminate the ground-dwelling, flea-carrying, plant-killing varmints. The next time a mound appears in the middle of the lawn, or a vegetable plant suddenly gets swallowed up by the earth, don’t throw your hands up and surrender. Counter attack! Set several traps and conquer the enemy.
For additional information, consult the garden pros at Green Thumb Garden Center, located at 23734 Newhall Ave. (formerly San Fernando Rd.) in Newhall. You can call 661-259-1072.