Gopher and yard pest control

Gophers in the West Valley

The Botta's pocket gopher is the burrowing rodent behind most lawn and garden damage in Southern California. A single gopher can create many mounds as it tunnels, eating roots, bulbs and irrigation lines from below. Homes that back onto open space or hillsides in West Hills, Chatsworth and Woodland Hills tend to see more activity.

Gopher or mole?

Gopher mounds are fan- or crescent-shaped with a plugged hole off to one side. Moles (less common here) leave volcano-shaped mounds and raised surface ridges.

Control methods

• Trapping in active tunnels is the most reliable method and avoids secondary poisoning risks to pets, owls and hawks.
• Exclusion: wire mesh under new lawns and raised beds, and wire baskets around tree and shrub roots.
• Monitoring to confirm the gopher is gone, since neighboring gophers can move into empty tunnels.

Other wildlife

Skunks, opossums and raccoons are common around Valley homes near open space. Some pest control providers handle wildlife exclusion (screening crawlspace vents, sealing under decks). California has rules on trapping and relocating wildlife, so ask the provider how they handle it.

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