Gophers: Serious Landscape and Underground Damage

Name: 101 Exterminators Inc.
Address: 635 Sanborn Pl Ste 12, Salinas, CA, 93901, US
Telephone: (831) 500-1613

Scientific name: Thomomys bottae

Botta's pocket gopher is the dominant gopher species in Central California and one of the most significant burrowing pests in the region. They destroy ornamental plantings, vegetable gardens, and native restorations by consuming roots and stems from below. Their extensive tunnel systems undermine irrigation systems, driveways, and walkways. In agricultural settings, gopher populations can cause substantial crop loss.

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Before You Call

What to Note About the Gophers You Found

Note where fresh mounds appear and which lawn, garden, or planted area is affected.

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Visual Guide

How to Identify Gophers

Size

12–20cm body. Roughly the size of a large chipmunk.

Color

Brown to tan, matching soil color — lighter in sandy soils, darker in clay.

Body Shape

Stocky, torpedo-shaped body with very small eyes and ears. Large clawed front feet for digging. Fur-lined cheek pouches.

Distinctive Features

Crescent or fan-shaped soil mounds — gophers push excavated soil laterally and plug the tunnel hole (visible as a dirt plug on one side of the mound). Mounds appear after rain or irrigation softens soil.

Biology

Behavior & Lifecycle

Pocket gophers are solitary and territorial — each individual occupies and defends its own tunnel system of 200–2,000 feet. They are active year-round and can produce 2–5 litters per year under favorable conditions. They rarely venture above ground. A single gopher can push several hundred pounds of soil per year while expanding its tunnel system.

Commonly Found In:

Lawns and gardensAgricultural landProperties near open spaceIrrigated areas

Local Knowledge

Gophers in Central California

Botta's pocket gopher is distributed throughout all four service counties but is most problematic in Monterey County's agricultural areas and in residential properties bordering natural open space in Santa Cruz and Santa Clara counties. The Salinas Valley's irrigated soil — kept consistently moist — is particularly favorable for year-round gopher activity. Hollister and surrounding San Benito County farmland faces significant gopher pressure in irrigated fields.

Why This Matters Here

Gophers undermine the root systems of valuable landscape plants, trees, and ornamental gardens. Their tunneling near structures can undermine driveways, patios, and walkways. They cut irrigation lines by gnawing through poly tubing. In agricultural settings, they are a regulated pest with significant crop loss potential.

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Prevention

How to Reduce Your Risk

Use these steps to reduce unwanted activity from gophers around your property.

01
Install 1/4-inch hardware cloth baskets around the root zones of high-value plants and trees
02
Use raised garden beds with hardware cloth bottoms for vegetable gardens
03
Underground hardware cloth barriers (buried 18 inches deep) can protect smaller landscape areas

When to Call a Professional

When fresh mounds appear in the lawn or garden, when plants begin dying from below with no visible damage, or when gopher activity is impacting irrigation systems or structural surfaces.

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Service available in:

Monterey CountySan Benito CountySanta Cruz CountySanta Clara County

How We Treat It

Services for Gophers

The right method depends on the species and how far activity has spread. These are the services we use against this pest.

Rodent Control

Active Service Areas

Where We Treat Gophers

Salinas Marina Gonzales Soledad Greenfield Hollister Aromas Tres Pinos View all areas

Common Questions

Gophers FAQs

What's the difference between a gopher mound and a mole mound?

Gopher mounds are crescent or fan-shaped with a visible plug on one side — the plugged hole where the gopher exits its lateral tunnel. Mole mounds are volcano-shaped — symmetrical and round with the tunnel entrance in the center, but this entrance is typically pushed shut. Moles are rare in most of Central California's dryer areas. If you see crescent-shaped mounds in Monterey or Santa Cruz County, it is almost certainly a gopher.

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