Gopher Control Prep Sheet
These are the ideal conditions for treating gophers. The more conditions that are met the better.
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Damp soil that is uniformly moist to a depth of at least 4" and has been for at least several days before treatment. Dry soil is difficult to work with. It's either too hard or it collapses when we try to find the tunnel. Avoid having dry patches due to spotty irrigation- this includes drip irrigation which only waters around the base of each plant, leaving the rest of the area dry.
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If the soils is dry, use an automatic spray irrigation system (not a drip system) or a fountain-type sprinkler attached to a garden hose that waters the area with a fine mist or small droplets. Do not hand water with a stream or jet of water from the hose. The force of the water will collapse the tunnels and obscure the gopher activity. About 2o minutes with a sprinkler, or 1/2 to 1 inch of water is about right. This supplemental water should be applied 24-48 hours BEFORE we come. The same day is too late.
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If you cannot irrigate your property it is best to wait for some good rain to help you out. We cannot work in bone dry soil. On the other hand, we can't work while it is raining or if the burrows are filled with standing water either.
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If your yard has soggy spots due to recent rain or two much irrigation, let it dry it out some. Muddy clay soil is usually sufficiently drained within 1-2 days so have us out then.
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Cut tall weeds several days before we come.
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Mow your lawn a few days before or after but not the same day as your appointment. Mowers tend to crush the tunnels.
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If possible, don't water heavily the day of your appointment. If you have a timer that you don't want to change, don't worry about it.
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The best time for us to treat gophers is when you have seen recent activity- within the last several days or so.
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Don't disturb the mounds or tunnels. If you have been working on the gopher yourself (trapping, poisoning, digging, flooding, chewing gum, moth balls , human hair, urine, used kitty litter, incendiary devices), STOP! We need a happy, relaxed, perky, gopher in a pristine, undisturbed, fresh burrow system not a stressed out, soggy, ticked off gopher who has decided to move to the neighbor's yard via his underground network only to return to your yard 3 days later.
Seriously though, if you have been after the gopher yourself- and we don't blame you for trying- it is probably best to get your appointment a few days from now so that the gopher has time to resume normal activity and rebuild his tunnel system. When you see several new mounds or back-filled tunnels, the time is right!