How to Prevent Gophers From Chewing Underground Wires
Burrowing gophers may be cute, but they can do a number on lawns, flowers, trees -- and underground wiring. They are considered a nuisance with no protected status, meaning homeowners can pursue them at will when they make an appearance. While the best time to protect underground cables from damage is at the time they are being placed in the ground, gophers may not create issues until later. While poisoning the offenders may seem the best route of action, other options are also available. Does this Spark an idea?
Things You'll Need
- Wire covering (such as plastic sheathing)
- Gravel
- Commercial gopher traps
- 5-gallon buckets
- Natural gopher predators
Instructions
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Enclose the wire to be buried in materials -- such as a plastic sheath -- that make the wire at least 1.75 inches in diameter. Gophers can open their jaws to chew on items 1 inch in diameter; making it closer to 2 inches should prohibit the gopher's ability to chew on the underground wire.
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Cover the cable on all sides with at least 6 inches of coarse gravel, at least 1 inch in diameter or larger. This can be done after the initial burial, but will require the ground to be dug up around the wire -- time consuming if you do it yourself and expensive if you hire someone else to do it. However, this is an effective option, as gophers prefer to burrow around gravel of this diameter, and should leave the underground cable alone.
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Trap the gopher doing the damage. This can be done with one of several commercial traps made specifically for gophers, which can be purchased online or at garden supply centers. Some varieties trap the animal humanely, allowing for release elsewhere; while others dispatch the creature for disposal of the body.
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Flood the gopher's burrow to force it out and encourage it to move elsewhere. This works well for gophers that are new to the area, rather than established colonies, and is more humane in the spring before nesting begins. Pouring large amounts of water -- such as several 5-gallon buckets of water -- into a burrow hole will flood the tunnel system quickly.
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Use natural predators such as dogs, snakes, skunks or weasels to discourage the gophers from staying, or to kill and remove them from the area. Attracting birds of prey, such as raptors or barn owls that eat young gophers, is an effective technique that can be utilized in areas that are more rural.
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Tips & Warnings
Baiting gopher traps isn't necessary; however, a faster result may be obtained from placing peanut butter, apples, lettuce or carrots in the trap.
Trapping gophers only works on a small population, and can be time-consuming. If you believe there are numerous gophers at work in the area, calling in a pest-management company may be a better choice.
References
Resources
- Photo Credit Hemera Technologies/Photos.com/Getty Images
