FAQs About Gophers & Moles
- What else could it be if it is not a MOLE or GOPHER?
- How do I know if I have a MOLE?
- How do I know if I have a GOPHER?
- Where do MOLES live?
- Where do GOPHERS live?
- Where can I see a MOLE?
- When is the best time to trap?
- What do MOLES eat?
- What do GOPHERS eat?
- I’ve heard that MOLES and GOPHERS are antisocial. Is that true?
What else could it be if it is not a MOLE or GOPHER?
It is an absolutely necessary to identify the kind of animal causing damage before your purchase our products. We only recommend using our products for the control of MOLES and GOPHERS. Trap size and trapping methods differ for MOLES and GOPHERS. Please take the time to read the information we have gathered to help you solve your MOLE and GOPHER problem. You can learn to identify your pest by the surface damage it is creating.
The VOLE and GROUND SQUIRREL are also burrowing animals and sometimes confused with the MOLE and GOPHER, but the surface activity is much different. Both VOLE and GROUND SQUIRREL have open tunnels, unlike MOLES and GOPHERS, who always plug their tunnels.
The GROUND SQUIRREL tunnel is a wide open tunnel about a 3-4 inches diameter with a large pile of dirt at the opening. There may be multiple open tunnels close to the main entrance. SQUIRRELS may also use abandoned tunnel of MOLES and GOPHERS. Generally, SQUIRRELS will burrow at the base of trees, rock piles and the edge of brush. SQUIRRELS hibernate during the coldest part of the winter. MOLES and GOPHERS plug up their tunnels. We only recommend using our products for the control of MOLES and GOPHERS.
You can read more about ground squirrels at the UC Davis website.
VOLES, also known as field mice, are common pests in lawns and gardens and can easily be confused with a GOPHER because of the obvious damage to plants. The key to identifying a VOLE is by the multiple tunnel openings that are very clean, round, and polished. There will also be evidence of beaten down pathways through the grass. VOLES typically are not burrowing rodents and will use abandoned tunnels of MOLES and GOPHERS. VOLES can create as much damage as a GOPHER. VOLES will gradually strip the bark from the base of shrubs and trees and eat roots, bulbs, tubers and seeds. Interestingly, VOLES can be cannibalistic. We have pulled MOLES and GOPHERS from sprung traps to find the carcass eaten from the tail forward. VOLES are not known to dig their own tunnels and usually take over abandoned MOLE and GOPHER tunnels.
You can read more about Voles at the UC Davis website.
MOLES and GOPHERS plug up their tunnels, unlike SQUIRRELS and VOLES who leave their tunnels open. Our traps work only on MOLES and GOPHERS, so it is important to identify the pest creating damage to your property before purchasing our products.
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How do I know if I have a MOLE?
Two kinds of surface activity identify a MOLE. These include conical shaped mounds of fluffy dirt and/or surface/foraging tunnels. You may see both mounds and surface tunneling or just one. The mounds can be from 2-12 inches high and are symmetrical, resembling a volcano. The dirt is fluffy with occasional dirt clods on top. Mounds can vary in size, but the volcano shape is characteristic of a mole. The surface/foraging tunnels look like the veins on the back of your hand. The shallow surface tunnels will usually be found along edges of concrete, bender boards, and walkways. Surface tunnels may appear in the middle of your lawn or garden and looks as if a snake has moved through the soil.
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Generally, you will find mole mounds in lawns and under emitters in your garden because MOLES are insectivores, feeding on earthworms, grubs, insects and larvae. Lawns are moist fertile areas where the conditions usually support a plentiful supply of live food. As a MOLE searches for food, it creates an extensive network of surface feeding tunnels, many of which are used at irregular intervals. MOLES make their home burrow in high dry spots, but MOLES prefer to hunt in soil that is shaded, temperate, moist, and lush with earthworms and grubs.
You can learn more about MOLES on our website at Information About MOLES and at these university websites: BACK TO TOP
How do I know if I have a GOPHER?
GOPHERS are often mistaken for MOLES and VOLES; however, the surface evidence is quite different and not difficult to identify if you know what to look for. A GOPHER does not dig surface tunnels like a MOLE, and the GOPHER mound is shaped differently. If you look straight down on a GOPHER mound, you will see a distinct crescent shape with a plug of dirt at the top of the crescent. You should also see other mounds close by. If you don’t see fresh mounds, look for freshly plugged holes 2-4”in diameter. These plugged holes are referred to as “feedholes.” Both MOLES and GOPHERS plug their tunnels.
A GOPHER is a strict herbivore. GOPHERS will eat just about any plant. The crescent shaped mound and dead and/or wilted plants are a good indication of a GOPHER. A GOPHER locates plants and roots in three ways; 1) the GOPHER will clip the roots off below the surface where the damage done is not quickly noticeable, or it might clip the base of a plant to just above the surface as it excavates tunnels, 2) the GOPHER will pull above ground plants into its tunnel from below, or 3) the GOPHER will surface above-ground, venturing a short distance from their hole to snag plants near the opening known as feedholes. Feedholes vary in diameter from 2-3 inches depending on the size of the gopher.
Learning to spot fresh feedholes is an essential part of trapping. Understanding GOPHER eating habits will help identify your pest so you can use the correct size trap and trapping techniques and learn where to set traps.
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An adult male GOPHER will establish a territory and will fight to protect that territory. A 3-5 year old adult male gopher can control up to 2,000 square feet. With close observation, you can identify one gopher system by following the fresh mounds.
It is important to know that since MOLES are smaller than GOPHERS and can travel in the same tunnel system, you may have both MOLES and GOPHERS, so look for signs of both animals. Since both moles MOLES and GOPHERS control large areas, the activity must be fresh. Both MOLES and GOPHERS seal off unused tunnels. It is a waste of time to set a trap in a mole mound or a gopher mound or feed hole that it old.
You can learn more about GOPHERS by visiting:
Read Managing Pocket Gophers by W.F. Andelt, Colorado State University Cooperative Extension wildlife specialist and associate professor, fishery and wildlife biology; and R.M. Case, forestry, fisheries and wildlife, University of Nebraska. Also read GOPHER Control and Management Information at the Internet Center for Wildlife Damage Management in cooperation with Cornell University, Clemson University, Purdue University, University of Nebraska, and Utah State University.
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Where do MOLES live?
Yates and Pedersen (1982) list seven North American species of moles. They are the eastern mole (Scalopus aquaticus), hairy-tailed mole (Parascalops breweri), star-nosed mole (Condylura cristata), broad-footed mole (Scapanus latimanus), Townsend’s mole (Scapanus townsendii), coast mole (Scapanus orarius), and shrew mole (Neurotrichus gibbsii). To learn about MOLE distribution and locate maps of their distribution, go to: home.cc.umanitoba.ca/~campbelk/moledistribution.html
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Where do GOPHERS live?
Pocket GOPHERS are found only in the Western Hemisphere. They range from Panama in the south to Alberta in the north. There are over 30 species and thirteen of those live in the United States. Interestingly, there is very little crossing over of species throughout the United States. Though well over half of the states have one species or another, it is common to find very distinct borders dividing species and although some crossbreeding may exist, species have been able to keep themselves separated. The great variability in size and color of pocket GOPHERS is attributed to their solitary lifestyle. They do not travel far, exist in isolated areas, a limited gene flow, resulting in adaptation to local conditions. With the exception of the Southeastern pocket GOPHER, most GOPHERS exist in the western two-thirds of the United States. The most common in the west are the Northern GOPHER, the Botta GOPHER, the Plains GOPHER, the Desert GOPHER, the Texas GOPHER and the Yellow Faced GOPHER. The south has the Southeastern GOPHER. The major traits distinguishing the species are the size of their forefeet, claws, and front incisors.
To learn about GOPHER species information and locate maps of their distribution, go to:
University of California Cooperative Extension
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Where can I see a MOLE?
To see photos of the species of MOLES go to: http://home.cc.umanitoba.ca/~campbelk/moletunnel.html
MOLES are not a rodent, they are an insectivore related to the bat and shrew. While MOLES are often confused with meadow mice (voles) or pocket GOPHERS, they have very distinctive traits. Most important, pay attention to the surface damage they create.
MOLES are about the size of a chipmunk and can weigh 2- 6 ounces. The most defining physical characteristics of the MOLE are its forepaws and its snout. The forepaws are proportionally very large when compared to the rest of the body. The paws are about the size of a nickel with webbed fingers and strong claws. The snout the MOLE is pointed and extends ½ inch from above its mouth. The snout provides most of its sensory information. MOLES can detect light, but cannot see. With the exception of the Star-nosed MOLE, MOLES can only detect vibrations.
MOLES have a highly developed sense of smell and touch and are extremely sensitive to anything unnatural in their environment. Never tear up large sections of a MOLE burrow trying to locate a good spot to set a trap. A poorly set trap is a detour sign for a wary MOLE. The GopherGoner™ MOLE digging tool is essential for opening and clearing tunnels to set a good trap.
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Where can I see a GOPHER?
To see photos of the species of GOPHERS, go to:
http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/site/accounts/pictures/Geomyidae.html
Pocket GOPHERS are medium-sized burrowing rodents and range in size from 5 to nearly 14 inches (13 to 36 cm) long. Adult males are 10% larger than adult females. There are two defining physical characteristics of a GOPHER. The first are the large and sharp incisors that grow outside their lips allowing GOPHERS to close their mouth all the way and chew without getting dirt in their mouth, an amazing adaptation to their underground existence. As in all rodents, GOPHERS must gnaw continuously to keep their teeth ground to an appropriate length. GOPHERS exert tremendous pressure with their bite, up to 18,000 pounds per square inch (1,265 kg/cm2).
The second obvious physical characteristic is its fur-lined pouches outside of the mouth, one on each side of the face. The pouches open next to the mouth and reach back to the shoulders. When filled with food or bedding, the pouches make the pocket GOPHER’S head looks almost twice its size. Pocket GOPHERS can turn these pouches inside out for cleaning
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GOPHERS have loose, flexible skin and can run backward in their burrows almost as fast as they can run forward. GOPHER fur is very fine, soft, and varies in color. The color generally matches the color of freshly turned soil, a light brown to almost black. The small external ears and eyes are hardly worth mentioning. The whiskers and tail act as sensory devices. Interestingly, we have read that the tail also acts as a radiator, helping to maintain steady body temperature regardless of changes in the environment.
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What do MOLES eat?
MOLES can survive in unfavorable conditions, but most often they choose to dig up well kept lawns and gardens. They prefer to hunt for food in moist shady areas. The reason MOLES dig more commonly in the moist fertilized areas is because the conditions usually support an abundant supply of their favorite food—earthworms. It could be a compliment that the MOLE chose your property. Good soil means lots of worms. Watch out though, once established, they aren’t particular. MOLES will supplement their diet with just about any kind of bug or grub, millipedes, insect larvae, snails, and an occasional frog or a litter of young mice. When the food supply dwindles, MOLES will leave the area and return when foraging is favorable again. MOLES do not hibernate and neither do worms. Both burrow deeper in the hot summer months to seek moisture and in the winter months to avoid freezing and water. The best time of the year to trap MOLES is when they are most active, during the spring and fall months.
MOLES may damage your delicate annuals, ornamentals or trees by creating air pockets around roots, but they are not after plants. MOLES use up so much energy pushing through dirt that they have to eat a lot of food to keep going. They eat an enormous amount of food everyday—up to 100% of their body weight. Because of the type of foods they eat, MOLES must cover a lot more ground than other animals that live in the earth. Experts write that the territory of a MOLE is thought to be 20 times that of a GOPHER’s territory.
F. Robert Henderson, Extension Specialist, Animal Damage Control, offers this informative article about the Eastern Mole. No matter what species of mole in your region, you will find information about habitat, food supply, reproduction, damage and identification and control.
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What do GOPHERS eat?
Pocket GOPHERS are strict herbivores. People say that GOPHERS are all mouth and no heart because they eat such a wide variety of plants. Their diet shifts seasonally according to the availability of food and its needs for nutrition and water. For example, cactus plants loaded with water may become a major part of their diet during the hot and dry summer months in arid habitats. Plains GOPHERS consume grasses, especially those with rhizomes, but they seem to prefer fleshy plants when they are succulent in spring and summer.
GOPHERS eat aboveground parts of vegetation mainly during the growing season, when the vegetation is green and succulent. The height and density of vegetation may also offer protection from predators, reducing the risk of short surface trips. Year-round, however, roots are the major food source. Many trees and shrubs are clipped just above ground level. This occurs mainly during winter under snow cover. Damage may reach as high as 10 feet (3 m) above ground. Seedlings and grapevines also have their roots clipped by pocket GOPHERS. GOPHERS exist from low coastal areas to elevations above 12,000 feet (3,600 m). Pocket GOPHERS are found in a wide variety of soil types and conditions. They reach their greatest population densities in light-textured soils with rich leafy plants such as alfalfa, especially when the vegetation has large, fleshy roots, such as grape vines, roses, bulbs, and tubers.
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I’ve heard that MOLES and GOPHERS are antisocial. Is that true?
The experts describe a MOLES and GOPHERS as solitary and territorial animals. We have observed GOPHERS to be extremely aggressive. When one pocket GOPHER meets another, they squeal and hiss at one another, and their teeth chatter. They may fight violently. An adult GOPHER is extremely territorial and will rigorously defend its territory against intruders. Never try to pick up a live GOPHER.
We have experienced exceptions on occasion. We have caught a GOPHER and a day later, a caught another MOLE or another GOPHER in the same tunnel, sharing an extensive runway, we assume, without confrontation. We only mention this to encourage you exhaust every trapping opportunity.
Except during mating season, MOLES and GOPHERS live alone in their burrow system. Experts say that a pocket GOPHER runs it main tunnel, checking its entire territory every 24-hours. MOLES are not so predictable, but if you locate a main tunnel near to his location, the air and light will bring him to the surface to check and make repairs. Our GopherGoner trapping system takes advantage of the day to day habits of MOLES and GOPHERS.
Read more about biology and behavior of GOPHERS at the Utah State University Cooperative Extension
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