You See A Mound in Your Yard – Now What?
September 15, 2025
If you see a pushed up mound of dirt with no open hole nearby then chances are it’s a gopher or mole!
How do you tell the difference?
To an untrained eye these mounds probably look quite similar! But there are some key differences to help tell what’s a mole and what’s a gopher.
The first thing we’ll look at is the look of the dirt itself:
- The mound on the left is denser, chunkier, and centered
- The mound on the right is looser and is piled more to one side
The mound on the left is from a mole, they push the dirt with their large front paws and basically bulldoze through the soil. This causes the dirt to erupt onto the surface, leaving behind a volcanic shaped pile. Moles will also often tunnel along the edges of things like walkways, pavers, and bender boards.
The mound on the right is from a gopher, they push process the dirt through little pockets in their checks and then shove it out of a small hole they create to the surface. This is what causes the finer texture and more crescent shape of the mound. You can also just slightly see the area where the little hole used to be in the middle as well. Gophers will only leave these holes open as they’re actively working. Once they’re done they will plug it up with more soil to prevent predators from getting into their tunnels.
Another telltale sign of gophers is that plants will go missing entirely or decline in health. This is because gophers eat plants from the root up.
You’ve identified the critter, now what?
You have to decide if you want to try some DIY options or reach out for professional help with these critters!
Gophers are known to destroy valuable plants and landscapes so they are most often a major concern for many. Moles are disruptive and messy but they do not eat plants so it’s up to you if you want to take care of them or not. Moles are also more likely to move off of a property because they dig much further in search of food than gophers do. They can actually travel the length of football field in a day!
How we can help!
We actually offer the same service for gophers and moles. It’s a trapping service where place lethal traps directly into their underground tunnel systems. We then keep checking on and resetting those traps until no new activity appears! This means there is no set time limit for our service since it is all activity dependent.
We also offer an optional ongoing maintenance program if you experience more regular activity!