Shelterbelt Centre Pest Leaflets

Pocket Gophers

Distribution: Pocket gophers are common and destructive rodents found throughout the agricultural zones of the Prairies.

Life History: Pocket gophers spend most of their life underground. Each pocket gopher has its own extensive burrow system containing tunnels, a nest and a food storage area. A single pocket gopher burrow system may include as much as 240 metres of tunnels that are 6 to 12 cm in diameter. The feeding tunnels are generally 10 to 20 cm below the surface but nesting and food storage areas may extend 2.5 metres below the surface. They are active day and night throughout the year feeding on roots, tubers and the bulbs of plants, but will also feed on small fruit, seeds, and the leaves of forage and cereal crops. They are most active in the spring and fall when they collect food for storage. During winter and the heat of the summer they retire to the lower portions of their burrows. Pocket gophers are extremely unsociable and will fight one another upon meeting, except during the mating season. In the Prairies, mating occurs in May and June, with the young being born 30 to 40 days later. Pocket gophers have only one litter per year, with each litter containing 5 or 6 young. The young remain in the females burrow until mid August, at which time they wander overland and start their own, or locate an abandoned burrow system. Female life expectancy is 3 to 4 years, whereas males are

Damage: An infestation of pocket gophers can be first recognized by fan shaped mounds of soil on the surface, pushed out as the gophers excavate their tunnels. These mounds are generally 30 cm high by 30 to 50 cm in diameter. It has been estimated that a single pocket gopher can excavate approximately a ton of earth producing 30 to 50 mounds in one year. These mounds smother vegetation and result in rough terrain causing equipment damage. Feeding by pocket gophers can cause substantial losses to turf, gardens and field crops, especially alfalfa. In an alfalfa field an average pocket gopher population can be 50 gophers per hectare (20 per acre). Studies conducted show that this kind of population can consume approximately 1.8 kg (4 lbs) of vegetation per day.

Control: Attempting to control pocket gophers by gassing or drowning is generally ineffective. The most effective means of control is usually obtained by trapping or poisoning or a combination of both. For best results, trapping and poisoning should be conducted in the spring or fall when pocket gophers are most active.

Trapping: In yards, gardens, small fields or along shelterbelts control can be achieved with trapping. There are several types of traps that are presently available; "Victor" easy-set gopher trap, "Guardian" gopher trap, "Convert" gopher trap and "Blackhole" gopher trap. Specific instructions on setting traps and placement of traps are provided with the individual trap. For heavily infested areas trapping is too costly and labor intensive in comparison to poisoning.

Poison Baiting: The most effective poison for pocket gophers is strychnine. Baits pre-treated with strychnine are available commercially. The treated bait must be placed in the pocket gopher's main tunnel. This can be done by probing with a pointed stick or bar 15 to 45 cm back from the freshest mound. When the probe enters the tunnel it will drop sharply. The treated bait can then be dropped into the tunnel. The hole must then be closed or the gopher will plug that area of the tunnel with soil, without collecting the bait. A stone or clod of turf pressed firmly over the hole is generally sufficient. There is a hand probe called "Gopher Getter Jr.", which automatically dispenses poisonous bait into the pocket gopher tunnels. This type of probing and baiting is too time consuming when large areas are heavily infested. For these areas mechanical burrow builders are most effective. Burrow builders are tractor drawn units that construct artificial burrows and at the same time automatically deposit small quantities of bait into these burrows. The pocket gopher's curiosity and laziness leads him to explore the artificial burrows thus encountering the poisonous bait. Burrow builders can often be rented from rural municipalities or local farm equipment and supply outlets.

"Gopher Getter" burrow builders, "Gopher Getter Jr.", various pocket gopher baits and traps may be purchased from local distributors such as farm equipment dealers or farm supply agencies. This list of equipment is not meant as an endorsement nor is it necessarily complete. For information on the distributors in your area contact the PFRA Shelterbelt Centre at (306)

For more information contact:
PFRA Shelterbelt Centre
Indian Head, Sask. S0G 2K0
Phone: (306) 695-2284 or Fax: (306) 695-2568
E-mail: pfratree@agr.gc.ca