1. Site Specific Pocket Gopher Management
Matthew Edmonds

2. Why the need for gopher management?

3. Gopher Biology
Mounds
1 Gopher + 1 Year = 200 Mounds
One per tunnel generally
Up to three litters per year
Feed on: Roots, Seeds, Stems, Tubers, Leaves, and Bulbs
Alfalfa, clover, garden crops, Fruit trees, etc.

4. Benefits Contribute to the formation and conditioning of soil
Increase soil fertility
Increase water infiltration
Increase soil aeration
Decrease soil compaction

5. Negatives Forage At density of 32 per acre 20%-50% reduction Alfalfa
Native grass

6. Negatives Dulled or plugged mowing machinery Mechanical breakdowns
Damages to buried cable,
irrigation pipe, and trees

7. When to manage Gophers? Identification of Problem
Pose economic significance?
Eating crops or interfering with farming activities?
To what degree?
Density
When is there too
many?

8. Control Methods
Depend on $$$$
Time
Determination

9. Control Methods
Traps
Toxicants
Repellants
Machinery

10. Traps Effective with continuous effort
Labor intensive over large areas
Gophinator 6 $42

11. Bait Use applicator to put pellets into tunnels Poison - Strychnine
1 to 2 lbs. per acre
$50

12. Burrow Builder Makes artificial burrows Drops bait in formed tunnel
Recommended for large areas
10 acres per hour using 2-3 lbs. of bait
$1200-$3000

13. Repellants Granular form Spread over area
One pound per 1000 square feet
Makes area unpleasant for gopher
6 $26

14. Electronics Uses sound, vibration, or signals Batteries or Solar
$20-$40
Effectiveness?

15. Plowing Disturbs soil – prevents major infestation Negatives
No-till farming
Perennial crops

16. Fumigation and Explosives
Smoke or gas usually not effective
Gophers seal off tunnel
Varmint Getter
95%Oxygen and
5%Propane
$1295-$1495

17. Damage Prevention Exclusion Typically used in yards and gardens
¼ to ½ inch hardware clothe
Buried 2 feet into the ground
Expensive and labor intensive

18. Damage Prevention Cultural methods and Habitat Modification
Crop Varieties
Crop Rotation
Grain Buffer Strips
Flood Irrigation

19. Early Detection
Control is:
Easier
Less expensive
Less time consuming

20. Site Specific Management?
How is this related?
Goal
Increase return on investment by minimizing risk
What is the risk of too many gophers?
Nebraska- $10 million in damage per year

21. Questions?