Skip to Content

Effective Ways To Make Pocket Gophers Leave Your Garden 

Effective Ways To Make Pocket Gophers Leave Your Garden 

Sharing is caring!

Have you noticed animals with the cutest little front teeth running around your garden carrying plants in their pockets? Well, you’ve been visited by gophers!

They may look adorable, but there’s a twist as they can destroy flower beds. Even the small tunnels they dig to reach food sources can be a real nightmare.

I’ve been dealing with them for years. It’s kind of a love-hate relationship! I loved them because they were so cute, but I needed to get rid of them. They hated me because I was trying to get them out of their wonderland!

After trying every method out there, I found some pretty good ones! Within a few weeks, there was not a trace of gophers to be found in my garden. If you also want to drive them away in the friendliest way possible, you’re in the right place to find out how!

Make Some Noise In The Garden 

Getting rid of gophers is the perfect opportunity to gather all your friends! Prepare a barbecue with your homemade veggies and some good steak. Turn on the music and dance the gophers away (hopefully, none of the neighbors will complain)! These animals can’t stand loud noises. 

The next idea will absolutely become your favorite one! Make music in the yard. Your little ones need their own party, right? 

Give them some pots and a ladle, then watch your kids turn into real rock stars and play the drums! (You can do this yourself if you don’t have kids!) Gophers definitely don’t want to be part of it!

Source: Pinterest

You can also try using wind chimes. Besides the sounds that can drive them away, you can make your garden look aesthetically pleasing with these amazing bells!

Start Growing Flowers That Gophers Can’t Stand

Even though they are big plant lovers, there are some flowers they will avoid. Blossoms like lavender, rosemary, sage, catnip, and marigold will be of great help in the fight against them. Plant them around fences to let the gophers know they are not welcome!

Source: Pinterest

Growing these flowers can be a great opportunity to decorate your garden. You will definitely enjoy their scent. On the other hand, gophers definitely won’t! They don’t have the best vision, but their sense of smell has never let them down.

Try Experimenting With Essential Oils

It’s time to do a little DIY crafting! I loved making this magic potion because it was actually really effective. Here’s what you’ll need to do!

Source: Reddit

If you have peppermint in your garden, that’s a big plus. Take a few leaves and muddle them in a jar with a tight lid. Cover with olive oil, close the jar, and shake it well! Then strain it into a bottle after three days.

Put a few drops on some cotton balls, find the gopher tunnels, and place the cotton balls inside. Gophers can’t stand this smell! They definitely won’t be returning after this, that’s for sure.

Methods You Should Stay Away From

There are some methods that would be better to stay away from! You should not flush their tunnels with water. That can soften the soil and only make it easier for them to dig. By doing this, you’re helping these gophers to quickly reach your garden!

Source: Pinterest

Never use poison bait! It can cause a serious problem if you have pets. Cats and dogs love to sniff around the garden. They are big explorers! Unfortunately, their exploratory spirit can lead to trouble with bait and create big problems. So, avoid these options at all costs!

These tricks have been very useful in my garden. There have been no traces of gopher tunnels for years now! Pretty cool, right?

What’s most important is that these methods are safe to use. You won’t accidentally harm them because you will be separated in a friendly way! No worries, they will find a new home deep in the forest. Now, prepare your yard, plant some flowers, gather your friends, and enjoy!