Pocket Gophers Exterminating Methods - Applications
Gophers exterminating methods to obtain the highest percentage of Pocket Gopher extermination it is recommended to conduct the application during the hours of peak activity only.
In most cases, the best times are early morning and late afternoon when the pocket gophers are active. By treating active tunnels, this will assure that the tunnels are open throughout their system, and down to their den sites. On cool or cloudy days or during the fall and spring, pocket gophers may be active throughout the day.
As soil temperatures begin to increase in the late morning through the mid-afternoon hours, pocket gophers will normally cease activity and den up for the remainder of the day to avoid the heat and daytime predators. When this occurs, pocket gophers will typically place a series of blocks in their tunnels to keep out predators, other gophers and water.
Remember: Pocket gophers are primarily nocturnal animals and not active during the heat of the day wit the exception of cool or cloudy days and after a long period of rain. The best time to make your applications is early in the morning and late in the afternoon (early evening).
If you are treating old mounds that are not from recent activity, this will result in poor results as gophers place blocks in their tunnels or may abandon old tunnels.
Please Note: One of the most common calls to Customer Support is when an application has been made on what is thought to be "active" or fresh mounds, and the next day, the pocket gopher has dug twice as many tunnels and mounds as the day before.
This is an indicator that the application was performed on old mounds and that there were blocks in the tunnel, preventing complete penetration to the gophers den site.
Since this application was not successful, the gopher was simply trying to establish new tunnels to replace the destroyed older tunnels.
Determining soil composition or plasticity for Pocket Gophers
Soil composition or plasticity is the determining factor in the amount of gas mixture that is injected in the burrowing animals' tunnel system for successful results.
If the soil is composed of a denser material such as clay with minimal moisture, the amount of gas necessary to inject into the tunnel would be considerably less compared to soil that is lighter in density as with sandy or loamy compositions.
More simply, dense dry clay soil helps contain the underground shockwave by allowing the shockwave to travel deeper into the tunnels without absorption of the shockwave by the tunnel. This type of soil composition may require the minimal amount of gas during the application process.
Pocket gophers tunnels in light sandy or moist clay soils have a tendency to absorb he shockwave and may require more gas during the application process.
Locating Mounds and Gopher Tunnels
Before starting your work, carefully plan your application. Start by sectioning the field into quadrants, (equal sections). Work one section thoroughly before starting another.
The key to successfully treating pocket gophers is locating fresh mounds only. Fresh gopher mounds reveal which tunnel systems are active and will provide the best result in exterminating pocket gophers and the majority of their open tunnels.
- Try to schedule the applications "before breakfast" and "after dinner". In other words, early morning and late afternoon.
- This technique will get you into the field when the pocket gophers are actively working to excavate their tunnels to gather grasses and roots.
Types of Gopher Mounds
Pocket gophers normally make fan shaped mounds as part of their excavation activities. There are two other mounds that are often overlooked - small dome shaped boils and larger mounds that are from the major excavation of a den site.
Fan Shaped Mounds - Granular Appearance or Composition
These mounds are constructed by the gopher for normal excavation of soil from the gophers' main tunnel to the surface via a lateral tunnel. The excavation of these tunnels may occur as the gopher is looking for better food sources may be cleaning tunnels that have collapsed or have been flooded.
With normal tunneling activity, the dirt excavated to the surface may appear to be a granular composition at the excavation site (mound). The application to this type of mound and tunnel will generally have good results.
Fan Shaped Mounds - Muddy Appearance or Globular Composition
A mound that has a muddy or globular composition is the result of a gopher clearing out flooded tunnels.
An application to this type of mound may not produce effective results due to excessive moisture in the gopher tunnels, blockages and diversions placed by the gopher.
The application should be delayed until normal mounding with granular soil is observed.
Large Fan Shaped Mounds or Clustered Mounds (Den Sites)
Typically in the spring or late fall, pocket gophers will excavate deep tunnel systems and prepare for winter by digging den site deep underground or to clean out their den after weaning their offspring and preparing for another litter.
This type of excavation gives the appearance to be a group of large mounds close together or an abnormally large gopher mound. This indicates the location of a gopher den site. These den sites can go as deep as 12 feet below the surface, depending on geographic location, climate and soil.
In moderate climates, a pocket gopher will burrow a den site approximately 4 to 6 feet below the surface in a comfortable location that offers a ambient temperature of 57 degrees and is well below the saturation point of surface water and above the groundwater table.
In extreme northern climates where there is a frost line, pocket gophers will burrow a den site approximately 5 to 7 feet below the frost line, or as deep at 12 feet below the surface in order to survive the cold climates.
Small Dome Shaped Mounds
Small dome shaped mounds or "boils" are usually created by the pocket gopher for immediate access to food at the surface. These are typically located directly above the main runway or between two mounds.
Pocket gophers use these like a hatch to quickly poke out to gather food or nesting material. A small plug is pushed back up by the gopher, creating the "boil". These plugs are normally weak and can be opened with a finger or the gopher shovel that came with your Rodenator.
Recommended Treatment Plan for Pocket Gophers Extermination
There are 3 things to remember when treating Pocket Gophers which are unique to this species. Patience, Persistence and Understanding!
- Patience is the key when treating an invasive species like pocket gophers. Since they are migrating species, totally eliminating them from an infested area may not be possible on a long term basis. However, total control can be achieved by following the application guidelines set forth in this Operator's Manual.
- Persistence to maintain a treatment regimen which will reduce the gopher population considerably with each and every application. The more you keep your regimen, the fewer pocket gophers exist now and in the future.
- Understanding the habits of these animals. Pocket gophers can tunnel a hundred feet or more per night, excavate over a ton of soil per season, cause erosion problems and cost farmers and ranchers money in lost crops, damaged equipment, injured animals and unsightly landscape.
Making your Application
It is important that during your initial application that you completely work the first section without missing any fresh mounds. The following morning or evening before starting another section, go over the previous day's work to observe any overnight activity.
If fresh mounds have appeared overnight, begin your application on the new overnight holes before starting a new section.
The appearance of new mounds the following day in the treated area does not indicate poor application results. In areas of extensive gopher infestations, additional treatments to gopher tunnels are to be expected. Some applications may be loss effective than others because of complex, blocked abandoned tunnel systems.
Mark Fresh Mounds
It is important to start early in the morning before the sun dries out the mounds, making it difficult to identify the fresh mounds dug the previous night. Place flags or markers on the fresh mounds.
Opening a Plugged Mound
Remove the plug from the mound (if plugged) with the Rodenator brand Gopher Shovel.
Insert nozzle of applicator into hole and lightly press dirt around the nozzle with our foot to help seal around the nozzle. This will help you see if there is a block in the tunnel system by gas blowing back out of the tunnel moving the dirt.
Inject the Gas Mixture
Inject the gas into the hole using the Gas Timing Chart for Pocket Gophers (generally 60 seconds).
Perform you're application with a watch or stop watch to accurately dispense the gas into the tunnel.
Igniting the Gas Mixture
Immediately after releasing the gas, (and closing the ball valve on R1 models) depress ignition button to detonate the oxygen/fuel mixture.
Remember to follow the safety protocols for Closed Hole Tunnels - Position and Stance in Operators Manual of R1 device.
Survey Completed Application Area
Pocket gopher tunnels are very deep by design. A successful application will result in the concussion traveling deep underground and the operator observing a loud "thump", a slight heaving of the surface and long radiating disruption of the gopher tunnels.
Loud bangs and short tunnel disruptions may be an indication of a blocked tunnel system.
Often a gopher may place blocks in the tunnel. These blocks may prevent full penetration of the tunnel system. When this condition occurs, enter the tunnel at the point of the block and proceed to blast the remainder of the tunnel system.
Many tunnels have opposite facing tunnel runs. When this situation occurs, first blast one side and ten the other where necessary.
Follow-up
Carefully examine the previous day's work. Repeat the same application process for new mounds if they reappear. When the infestation in the area is moderate or extreme, repeated applications are often necessary to obtain control.
Note: Cold weather conditions may require follow-up applications because the gopher may have moved to deeper levels within the tunnel system and set blocks in the tunnels far below the normal sub-surface tunnels.
Perimeter Applications
After applying the Rodenator treatment to all sectors, check all outer property areas or borders for additional tunneling activity. If any additional tunnel activity is present, re-treat the area.
Evaluation
During the application process, when you ignite the gas mixture, a loud muffled sound (thump) in combination with a rumbling ground indicates the application has penetrated deep into the tunnel system. This is what you want!
If the sound is very loud, this indicates the application was blocked within the tunnel system. This not an effective shot and you need to find another entrance into the tunnel and re-apply process.
Note: If the application was blocked, it is necessary to find another entrance point, or wait until a fresh mound occurs.
Pocket Gopher Timing Chart
| Clay Soil Composition | Time |
|---|---|
| Dry | 30-45 seconds |
| Moist | 60-90 seconds |
| Wet, Muddy or Saturated | Not recommended |
| Black or Heavy Soil | Time |
|---|---|
| Dry | 30-60 seconds |
| Moist | 60-90 seconds |
| Wet, Muddy or Saturated | Not recommended |
| Loam or Medium Soil | Time |
|---|---|
| Dry | 60-90 seconds |
| Moist | 30-60 seconds |
| Wet, Muddy or Saturated | Not recommended |
| Sandy or Light Soil | Time |
|---|---|
| Dry | 60-90 seconds |
| Moist | 30-60 seconds |
| Wet or Saturated | Not recommended |
- Pocket gophers normally do not occupy wet, muddy or saturated tunnels until they have drained sufficiently to allow the pocket gopher to excavate.
- If new mounding activity occurs within a day or two of the initial application, this is an indication that the tunnels may have been blocked. Simply repeat the process when fresh mounds are present.
- In hayfields, male pocket gophers may travel through the hay at night from the perimeter of the adjacent fields, looking to mate with females. This is normal activity and evident during the next cutting when new mounds are discovered in a treated hay field that was previously cleared of gophers. It is always recommended to conduct a perimeter check of the fields several times a month to reduce the chance of re-infestation.