Gophers can turn a beautiful Missouri yard into a mess of dirt mounds and damaged plants. These burrowing critters dig tunnels underground, ruining lawns and gardens in the process. Fortunately, you don’t need harsh chemicals or expensive exterminators to protect your property.
Natural methods can effectively keep gophers away while being safe for your family, pets, and the environment.
1. Plant Gopher-Repelling Vegetation
Certain plants naturally discourage gophers from entering your yard because of their strong scents or bitter tastes. Daffodils, marigolds, and castor bean plants work particularly well as natural barriers.
Gophers avoid areas where these plants grow because they find the smell overwhelming and unpleasant. Plant them around the edges of your garden or throughout your lawn for maximum protection.
This method beautifies your yard while keeping pests away, making it a win-win solution for Missouri homeowners looking for natural pest control.
2. Install Underground Wire Barriers
Wire mesh barriers buried beneath your garden beds create a physical wall that gophers cannot penetrate. Hardware cloth with half-inch openings works best for blocking these persistent diggers.
Bury the wire at least two feet deep and extend it several inches above ground to prevent gophers from tunneling underneath or climbing over. This protective layer shields plant roots from damage.
Though it requires some initial effort during installation, this long-lasting solution provides years of protection without needing replacement or maintenance.
3. Use Coffee Grounds As A Natural Repellent
Coffee grounds make an excellent gopher deterrent because their strong aroma irritates the sensitive noses of these underground dwellers. Spread used grounds from your morning brew around garden beds and problem areas.
The smell overwhelms gophers and encourages them to relocate elsewhere. As a bonus, coffee grounds enrich your soil with nitrogen, helping your plants grow healthier and stronger.
Reapply the grounds every few weeks, especially after heavy rain, to maintain their effectiveness and keep your yard smelling fresh and earthy.
4. Encourage Natural Predators
Owls, hawks, snakes, and even domestic cats naturally hunt gophers, helping control their population without any effort on your part. Installing owl boxes or perches encourages these helpful hunters to visit your property regularly.
When predators frequent your yard, gophers sense the danger and often move to safer locations. This creates a natural balance that keeps pest populations under control.
Avoid using rodent poisons, which can harm these beneficial predators and disrupt the natural ecosystem that protects your Missouri landscape.
5. Apply Castor Oil Solutions
Castor oil creates an unpleasant environment for gophers without harming them or your plants. Mix it with water and dish soap, then spray or pour the solution directly into gopher tunnels and around affected areas.
The oil coats the soil and plant roots, making them taste terrible to gophers who try to feed. This encourages the pests to abandon your yard in search of better food sources.
Reapply monthly or after significant rainfall to maintain protection throughout Missouri’s growing season when gopher activity peaks.
6. Create Vibrations With Wind Chimes Or Pinwheels
Gophers rely heavily on their sense of touch to navigate underground tunnels, making them extremely sensitive to vibrations and movements in the soil. Wind chimes, pinwheels, and vibrating stakes create constant motion that disturbs them.
Place these items throughout your yard, especially near gopher mounds and tunnel entrances. The continuous vibrations make gophers feel unsafe and uncomfortable in their burrows.
This colorful, decorative solution adds visual interest to your landscape while naturally discouraging gophers from settling in your Missouri property.
7. Maintain A Well-Trimmed Lawn
Gophers prefer yards with tall grass and overgrown vegetation because it provides cover from predators and easy access to food. Keeping your lawn neatly mowed removes this protective shelter.
Regular mowing and trimming make gophers feel exposed and vulnerable to hawks, owls, and other natural predators hunting from above. This discomfort often convinces them to relocate.
Consistent lawn maintenance not only deters gophers but also keeps your Missouri yard looking attractive and well-cared-for throughout every season of the year.
8. Flood Gopher Tunnels With Water
Flooding gopher tunnels forces these pests to evacuate their underground homes without harming them. Insert a garden hose into tunnel openings and run water for 15 to 30 minutes.
The water fills their burrows, making them uninhabitable and encouraging gophers to relocate to drier ground. This method works especially well when combined with other deterrents for long-term results.
Repeat the flooding process whenever you notice fresh mounds appearing in your Missouri yard, and the gophers will eventually seek out more stable territory elsewhere.