Which Pest is Causing Damage?

If you don’t have experience dealing with these critters it can be hard to tell the difference between them!

 

Gophers

   

Gophers are usually the most common culprit we encounter. The easiest way to determine if you have a gopher is by the mounds of dirt and plants declining or dying. Gophers are great diggers so they create elaborate underground tunnel systems. They’re exclusively herbivores so they cruise around searching for plants to eat. They will typically eat away at the root bulb but they are known to pull entire smaller plants down into their tunnels.

If you find yourself dealing with a gopher and you want some assistance getting rid of it we offer a “one time” trapping service!

 

Moles

   

Moles are probably the next most common critter we encounter. Similarly to gophers they leave behind pushed up piles of dirt. You’ll see that these mounds do look a little different though! Moles are even better diggers than gophers and use their large front paws to basically bulldoze through the soil and create their tunnels. This causes their mounds to look more like volcanoes that have been pushed up through the ground.

Gopher mounds tend to be shorter and more spread out and are often a little more lopsided. They also have a little dirt plug near the center. Gophers are more likely to pop their heads out than moles so they have to plug their holes back up to prevent anyone from getting into their tunnels.

The other big difference is that moles do not eat plants, they are actually carnivores so they are eating bugs and other small critters living in the soil. Moles’ tunneling can disrupt the roots of plants sometimes but if you have plants dying it is unlikely that a mole is the cause.

If you need help taking care of a mole at your property we also offer a “one time” trapping service for them!

 

Voles

   

Voles are often confused with moles because of their similar name but as you can see they are very different critters!

If you have a vole problem it will look quite different from gopher or mole activity. Voles are not great diggers so they often take over old gopher or mole tunnels and leave behind clean, open holes. If your lawn looks like Swiss cheese then you most likely have a vole!

Like gophers, voles are herbivores so they will also eat your plants. Instead of eating at the roots underground voles tend to eat towards the base of plants and even rip off the lower bark of trees and shrubs.

Another difference is that voles do tend to live in groups unlike gophers and moles, who are more territorial. Because of this and their smaller size we do not find trapping to be an effective method to control them. We would have to set a large number of traps and constantly check them. Instead we offer a one time baiting service for them.

 

These critters are also covered by our ongoing Gopher, Mole, and Vole Control Program which offers year round control!

Since these critters are active all year round we are here to offer our services all year too! If you think you have a gopher, mole, or vole issue please contact us!