Welcome back to the Gopher Patrol blog! In our first installment of this two-part blog series, we began looking at some fun facts about gophers. Gophers are a real problem for residents and businesses in San Diego, Los Angeles, Riverside, and throughout Southern California. As burrowing rodents, these furry critters can completely devastate a backyard or commercial property as they build and move through their tunnel systems. Here are four of the gopher tidbits we looked at last time:
- There are five gopher species common to Southern California, with the Botta’s pocket gopher as the most common.
- All gopher species share common identifying features such as large incisors, round bodies, and sharp claws.
- Gophers are herbivores that love chowing down on all kinds of plants, roots, shrubs, flowers, and other flora.
- Even though gophers can tear up a yard, they can help natural environments thrive as they aerate soils each year.
Let’s pick up where we left off last time and look at a few more surprising facts about gophers. Have a gopher problem you need to be handled? Call Southern California’s most trusted gopher control companies — Gopher Patrol! We’ll help you take your yard back from these invasive critters in the safest, most effective manner possible.
Surprising Facts About Gophers
Preferred Habitat
Gophers thrive in nearly all environments here in San Diego, Los Angeles, Riverside, and throughout Southern California. These underground rodents prefer porous and moisture-rich soils with good drainage and for easier navigation and tunnel building. They also favor environments that have plenty of diverse vegetation to eat, for shelter, and for nesting. For these reasons, gophers are commonly found in agricultural landscapes, open spaces, and, of course, backyards all throughout SoCal.
Huge Burrow Systems
Probably one of the most interesting gopher behaviors — and most destructive — is their characteristic burrow systems. Gophers prefer underground life because they can easily access, transport, and store food and nesting materials. Additionally, remaining mostly underground gives them protection from potential predators like owls, hawks, and snakes so they can go about their business without the worry of being snatched by a hungry bird. Additionally, because gophers don’t hibernate, the tunnel systems they build give them year-round access to food and shelter. Some tunnels can reach up to 2,000 square feet!
Hoarding Herbivores
Gophers are notorious hoarders. They spend their days tunneling and gathering food that they then carry to their catching chambers where they store their food for later consumption. Their expandable fur-lined cheek pouches extend from their mouth to their shoulders, providing them with a highly useful pouch to carry all their goodies back to their chamber.
Contact Gopher Patrol
Gophers sure are cute, but they can cause a lot of damage to your yard and property. If you would like to schedule an appointment for gopher removal and control services, reach out to Southern California’s gopher exterminator to get started.
Problems with gopher control in Southern California? No problem! We have an expansive service area that includes Altadena, San Diego, Chula Vista, Fountain Valley, Hawthorne, Inglewood, Long Beach, Los Angeles, Riverside, San Bernardino, and beyond.
