Gophers and moles are notorious for tearing up yards and ruining gardens. You may have tried different remedies, but the truth is, that getting rid of these pests permanently often requires professional help. This guide will walk you through common DIY methods, their limits, and why experts like The Mole Hunter are your best bet for lasting results.

What You Will Learn

Identifying Gophers vs. Moles – Learn how to spot the differences so you can target the right pest.
DIY Methods and Limitations – We’ll cover traps, plants, repellents, and what results you can expect.
Benefits of Professional Pest Control – Discover why experts, like The Mole Hunter, offer the most reliable and long-lasting solution.
Setting Your Yard Up for Success – Tips to prevent future infestations and keep your lawn safe.

Keep reading to find out which solutions are worth your time—and which may just lead you back to where you started.

How to Repel Gophers and Moles

If you’re dealing with a gopher or mole problem, various methods can help repel these pests. While DIY solutions provide some relief, professional pest control is often the most effective and long-lasting approach.

Professional Solutions: The Most Effective Approach

Professional pest control is the most efficient and guaranteed method to remove gophers and moles. Services like The Mole Hunter offer:

Expert Identification: Professionals can precisely locate gopher and mole tunnels, main runways, and entry points.
Effective Control: With targeted treatments, they address the problem at its source.
Comprehensive Service: Professionals ensure safe handling of baits, traps, and chemicals, creating a solution that lasts.

For heavily infested yards, professional pest control is often worth the investment, providing thorough and long-term results.

Identifying Pocket Gophers and Moles

Understanding whether you have pocket gophers or moles can help you choose the most effective control methods.

Pocket Gophers

Gopher emerging from a dirt hole in the ground, showing its front teeth and whiskers. — A gopher peeking out from its burrow, often a common sight in yards with gopher infestations.

Pocket gophers are known for their destructive digging habits and for creating C-shaped dirt mounds, usually located near entry and exit points. These rodents prefer soil with ample food sources, like plant roots and vegetables, which they access through complex tunnel networks.

Food Source: Gophers feed primarily on roots, often destroying flower beds and vegetable gardens.
Habits: They rarely venture above ground, spending most of their time digging and creating mounds.

Moles

Moles, unlike gophers, feed on insects like grubs rather than plants. They create volcano-shaped mounds and leave extensive tunnels beneath the lawn. Moles are solitary and tend to dig closer to the surface, often causing bumps and ridges in the yard.

Diet: Moles eat grubs, earthworms, and other insects, preferring soil rich in organic material.
Behavior: Moles’ surface tunnels weaken the ground, which can lead to uneven soil and plant damage.

Control Techniques for Gopher Mounds and Tunnels

Once you’ve identified the type of rodent, you can try specific methods to control their activity.

Physical Barriers: Gopher Baskets and Mesh

One way to protect your garden from gophers is by installing physical barriers. Gopher baskets and mesh are common choices, effectively blocking access to plant roots and flower beds.

Gopher Baskets: Installed around individual plants, these baskets protect roots from gopher damage.
Mesh Barriers: Placing mesh or wire barriers around garden beds or under the lawn can prevent gophers from entering.

While effective, installing these barriers requires time and labor. For larger areas, professional installation may be more practical.

Using Pet Waste and Mothballs

Gophers are territorial and can be discouraged by pet waste or strong-smelling substances like mothballs. Place pet waste around entry points or near gopher holes to signal the presence of predators, naturally repelling gophers.

Mothballs: The strong odor of mothballs can drive gophers away when placed near entry and exit points.
Pet Waste: Placing waste around gopher holes can create an unwelcome environment for gophers, encouraging them to leave.

Repelling Gophers with Castor Bean Plants and Other Deterrent Plants

Planting certain plants can help repel gophers and moles naturally. While not foolproof, these plants create a less attractive environment for pests.

Castor Bean Plant and Other Repellent Plants

The castor bean plant is a well-known natural gopher deterrent. The plant’s scent and toxicity deter gophers from areas where they’re planted.

Castor Beans: The smell and taste repel gophers, though they should be planted with caution, as the beans are toxic to pets.
Other Plants: Daffodils, garlic, lavender, and rosemary have scents that gophers and moles dislike. Planting these in your garden can create a natural barrier.

While plants can deter some gophers, their effect is often limited to small areas and may not work in heavily infested gardens.

Using Loud Noises and Vibrations

Gophers and moles are highly sensitive to sound and vibrations, making noise an effective, albeit temporary, deterrent.

Wind Chimes, Radios, and Ultrasonic Devices

Wind chimes, portable radios, and ultrasonic repellents are common DIY options. These devices create constant noise that disrupts gopher activity.

Wind Chimes: Simple and cost-effective, wind chimes create vibrations that deter gophers from areas where they’re hung.
Portable Radios: Burying a radio in a waterproof bag near gopher tunnels produces disruptive noise and vibrations.
Ultrasonic Repellents: Ultrasonic devices emit high-frequency sounds that are annoying to gophers and moles, encouraging them to relocate.

While noise deterrents can be helpful in small areas, they require consistent use and are not guaranteed to work in large or heavily infested yards.

Natural Deterrents: Castor Oil, Coffee Grounds, and More

Mole crawling on the ground, displaying its distinct, large front paws for digging. — A mole moving through loose soil, using its strong front paws to create tunnels underground

Several natural deterrents can discourage gophers and moles. These solutions are simple to apply and eco-friendly, though results may vary.

Castor Oil and Spicy Repellents

Castor oil is a popular natural repellent for gophers and moles. When applied to the soil, it disrupts their digestion, making them less likely to return.

Castor Oil Spray: Mix castor oil with water and dish soap, then spray around gopher tunnels.
Granules: Castor oil granules can be scattered near mounds for a longer-lasting effect.

Other spicy mixtures, like a blend of peppermint oil and Tabasco sauce on cotton balls, can create an effective repellent for gophers and moles. However, frequent reapplication is needed, as rain can wash away these substances.

Coffee Grounds and Smelly Substances

Gophers dislike strong smells. You can use coffee grounds, peppermint oil, and camphor near tunnels to create an unpleasant environment.

Coffee Grounds: Scatter used coffee grounds near gopher holes and along tunnel entry points.
Peppermint Oil and Camphor: Soak cotton balls in peppermint oil or camphor oil and place them near gopher mounds.

These substances create a repellent scent, but results may vary depending on the size of the infestation and the weather.

Attracting Natural Predators: Owls, Cats, and Dogs

Natural predators like owls, cats, and dogs can help control gopher and mole populations.

Owls: Installing owl boxes can encourage these predators to nest nearby and hunt gophers naturally.
Cats and Dogs: Pets can discourage gopher activity, but they may also dig and disturb the yard.

Encouraging predators can help reduce pest populations, but it’s not always a complete solution, as gophers may simply relocate to safer areas of the yard.

Live Traps and Chemical Solutions

For persistent gopher problems, traps and baits are another option. However, these methods require care to ensure the safety of pets and other animals.

Live Traps and Baits

Live traps capture gophers for humane relocation, though they can be challenging to use effectively.

Live Traps: Place traps along active tunnels to capture gophers, then relocate them away from residential areas.
Chemical Baits: Products like Talpirid mole bait mimic a gopher’s food source, but they must be used with caution, especially around pets.

Professional pest control companies are experienced in using baits safely and can ensure thorough treatment for more extensive infestations.

Your Path to a Pest-Free Yard

While some DIY methods can help deter gophers and moles temporarily, they often require ongoing effort and aren’t always fully effective, especially for larger or persistent infestations.

For a reliable, long-lasting solution, The Mole Hunter provides a dedicated service that permanently removes gophers and moles from your property. With our professional techniques, tools, and expertise, we’ll help you reclaim your yard and keep it protected from future infestations.

How to Repel Gophers and Moles: A Comprehensive Guide