Are Gophers Territorial Animals?

Gophers are actually very territorial, solitary creatures.

A single gopher can cause a lot of damage in a yard. One gopher can even move back and forth between neighboring properties, leaving behind plant death and unsightly dirt mounds in their wake. Gophers do not like to cohabitate and are very protective of their tunnel systems.

We find that in most cases the majority of properties we service have between 1 to 3 gophers. However, if your property is larger or near open space the chances of multiples is more likely.

Gophers will cohabitate during:

• Breeding season (late spring to early summer)
• Summer (short period while young gophers live with their mothers)

Young gophers

How to tell if you have multiple gophers

A single gopher can leave behind a lot of mounds so it can be hard to tell how many gophers there are! Usually if you have signs of activity in multiple distinct areas then chances are you have multiple gophers. You will see pushed up mounds of dirt and plant death. The mounds will be spread out and you can sometimes see a plugged hole towards the center.

It’s important to note that mole and gopher mounds can sometimes look similar. Moles travel a lot further than gophers so they can leave mounds all over a property within a single day.

  Mole Mound vs Gopher Mound 

Note that the mole mound is chunkier and does not have a plugged center. The gopher mound is more crescent shaped while the mole mound is centered.

Our technicians can help!

We know activity from these rodents can be overwhelming and stressful. So our technicians are here to help you! They are able to determine how many gophers are currently active on a property. If we feeling like you have an excessive amount of activity we will always let you know. Then we will provide you with alternative treatment options to best suit your needs.

If you need help taking care of gophers in your yard you can learn more about our gopher service here or you can submit an online form.