I first employed the local cats. Then set Dexter on the fresh tunnels. Then traps. Then smoke bombs. And more than a few years ago, removed the grass and what little was left of the former rose garden. Planting some gopher-unfriendly plants (sour-root systems), the gophers mostly stayed within my neighbors confines on either side.
But they would tunnel from the edge of our two properties. My last contribution was a little tarry substance poured into the fresh tunnels. But my neighbor decided upon a drastic course. This might get rid of the gophers!
Not really. I have given approval to my neighbor of 16 years to dig out a rectangle that borders our properties for a driveway. But the reality of seeing the huge mound of dirt and the exposed stump of a palm tree where everything had been undisturbed that morning was amazing. Glad I moved those rocks.
Sunday afternoon , with the pending construction as a motivator, I completely moved the last few wheelbarrows of small stones in the spot now buried by dirt. And I recorded that upper body workout as part of my exercise routine. Wheelbarrow and shovels: catchy name?
It was a dirty job, even without Mike Rowe televising it.
It's a Dog's Life 
It sure looks like a dirty job and love the show as well. 😉
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Hurrah for getting exercise in the form of actual work! I visited my sisters last weekend and got a stretch/workout while weeding several long rows of recently planted vegetables. What do gophers do? Eat the roots of non-sour-rooted-plants and kill them?
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And they turn even a modest yard into several dozen 18-hole golf courses with only sand traps for playing surfaces!
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Gophers must be related to squirrels, you just can’t get rid of them. At least squirrels aren’t tunnelers. I have a mole in my garden, but he’s a wee thing compared to your varmints! Bill did have some luck with his SRP.(Squirrel Relocation Program) the winter before last. We used Havaheart traps and got the little buggers. Then Bill would drive them 5 miles into town. He made sure he dropped them where they would have shelter and I encouraged him to make sure there were bird feeders nearby. I know! I’m incorrigible!
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Such a big heart. I wouldn’t mind the gophers if they had remained in the hills where they were happy and controlled – by predators… I put a lot of my plants in pots just in case…
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Around here you can put pots in plants all you want to but the deer will still come and eat them! The plants have predators, too!
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Exercise is always great when it is work around the yard. We used to live in a a house that had a field full of gophers behind it. Somehow, those sneaky blind critters would get in the house to steal Gravy Train dry dog food! They were such tiny buggers that they would only steal one at a time!
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