Ways To Keep Gophers Out of Your Yard
Many homeowners experience the destruction gophers cause in their yards, gardens and lawns. Gophers are a problem to gardeners and those who like their lawns to look nice and neat. Gophers dig holes, make tunnels underground and eat the roots of plants, which kills garden plants, flowers and pretty decorative greenery. Gophers can do a lot of damage and ruin your hard work with a nibble here and a nibble there. There are some ways to get rid of gophers and take your yard, garden and lawn back without hurting the gophers. Humane choices are the best way to handle the problem. Even though gophers can be a problem for those with a green thumb they do have their place in the environment and handling them with hurting or killing them is much better than destroying them.
Human Hair
Use your hair and the hair from your family. Gophers do not like human hair. They are scared away by the scent of people and nothing carries the scent better than hair.
Collect hair from hair brushes and keep hair trimmings from haircuts.
Put the hair in the gopher holes to make them leave.
Leave clumps of hair around the garden where gophers are known to be a problem.
Dog Fur
Just as human hair deters gophers, so does dog fur. Save your dogs fur from brushing or gather the fur the dog has shedded on your floors and furniture. If you dont have a dog or have a non-shedding dog, visit your local groomer and ask for some dog fur. You may get a few strange looks and double takes, but hey it gets rid of the gophers. Gophers are afraid of dogs and will leave their holes when they smell the scent of a dog.
Essential Oils as Gopher Deterrents
Use essential oils. Gophers are naturally repelled by peppermint, citronella or lavender ess
ential oil or castor oil.
Put a few drops of the essential oil on a small piece of a rag, cotton balls or a small pieces of newspaper.
Place the essential oil soaked material in gopher holes and spread it around the lawn, yard and garden to keep gophers away.
Instant Rice and Instant Grits Gets Rid of Gophers
Use instant rice or instant grits.
Place the instant rice or grits into the gopher hole or sprinkle it around the outside of the hole. The gophers will eat it and get a stomach ache because they cannot digest it properly.
Once they feel ill, they will leave your property because they will associate the illness with your property.
Repel Gophers with Garlic and Onions
Chop garlic and onions in your food processor.
Use 8 to 10 cloves of garlic and 4 to 6 onions until they are a liquid.
After you have pureed the garlic and onions, add 3 to 4 tablespoons of cayenne pepper and 1 cup of water.
Pour the mixture into the gopher hole.
Commercially Available Gopher Repellants
Home and garden centers and online stores carry a line of gopher repellents if you dont find success with the home remedies above.
Sometimes gophers become smart and savvy and not fall for your trickery making buying a gopher repellant necessary and useful.
Use any one of these methods to get rid of the gophers destroying your yard, garden or lawn.
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