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MF770 Managing Pocket Gophers

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Pocket gophers are burrowing rodents that live almost entirely underground. These medium-sized rodents are approximately 9 to 12 inches long and weigh 7 to 14 ounces. They are named pocket gophers because of their large and external fur-lined cheek pouches, one on either side of the mouth. These patches or pockets are used for carrying food. Gophers have powerfully built forequarters with large claws Managing on their front feet, a short neck, external ears, small eyes, and lips that close behind their large incisors. Their fine soft fur Pocket ranges in color from dark brown to nearly white. Gophers Two species of pocket when it is green and succulent. gophers are found in Kansas. The plains pocket gopher The plains pocket gopher prefers succulent forbs in Charles Lee Wildlife Specialist (Geomys bursarius) is dis- spring and summer but also Kansas State University tributed throughout Kansas feeds on grasses – alfalfa and except for the southeastern dandelions are preferred by quarter. The yellow-faced pocket gophers. Occasionally pocket gopher (Pappogeomys trees and shrubs are clipped castanops) is found only in a just above ground, especially limited part of southwest- under snow cover. ern Kansas. Distinguishing Biology, Reproduction, and between the two species is Behavior rather easy, the plains pocket gopher has two grooves on the Pocket gophers construct midline of the paired upper burrow systems by loosening incisors, while the yellow- the soil with their claws and faced pocket gopher has one incisors. The gophers then groove. Most species are about use their forefeet and chest the same size. to push soil out of the bur- Pocket gophers obtain the row. The soil is deposited in highest densities on light-tex- fan shaped mounds 12 to 18 tured soils with good herbage inches wide and 4 to 6 inches production. Shallow or sandy high (Figure 2). soils limit pocket gophers Burrow systems consist of a due to tunnel cave-ins, and main tunnel generally 4 to 18 provide poor insulation from inches below the soil surface warm summer and cold winter and a variable number of lat- temperatures. eral burrows extending from the main. Lateral burrows end Food habits Pocket gophers feed on roots encoun- tered while digging, on vegetation pulled into the tunnel from below, and on above- ground vegetation Kansas State University near the tunnel. Agricultural Experiment Station and Pocket gophers Cooperative Extension Service prefer above-ground portions of vegetation Figure 1. The plains pocket gopher. 1 owls. Pocket gophers are also limited practicality, exclusion consumed by several mammals is of little use except for highly including badgers, coyotes, valued ornamentals, shrubs or foxes, bobcats, weasels and landscape trees. domestic cats. Cultural methods and Economic damage habitat modification Pocket gophers can be In alfalfa, large taproot a factor in economic loss plants may be killed with but also benefit the soil and the vigor of the plant greatly vegetation in several ways. reduced by pocket gophers Their borrowing activities feeding on the roots. Varieties increase soil fertility by adding with several large roots rather Figure 2. Pocket gopher mound and its relation to organic matter in the form of than a single taproot suffer the tunnel system. buried vegetation, unused food less when gophers feed on them. with a soil mound or only a caches and feces; and to soil formation by bringing subsoil There are many good rea- soil plug at the surface. The sons for using crop rotations main burrow is generally 12 to material to the surface where it can be subjected to weather- – minimizing problems with 18 inches away from the plug. pocket gophers is one good Burrows are about 3 inches in ing. Their burrowing increases soil aeration, increases water reason. When alfalfa is rotated diameter, depending on the with grain crops, habitat size of the gopher. A burrow infiltration, and reduces compaction. Unfortunately, is incapable of supporting system may be linear to highly pocket gophers. Annual grains branched, may contain 200 the positive effects are not as visible as the mounds in the do not establish large under- yards of tunnels, and may ground root storage structures, have several mounds. Pocket hay field, lawn or pasture. Damage caused by pocket thus there is insufficient food gophers can construct 1 to 3 for pocket gophers to survive mounds per day although the gophers includes destruction of underground utility cables year-round. Planting 50-foot rate is variable. The mound buffer strips of grain around building of one gopher brings and irrigation pipes, direct consumption and smother- the fields provides unsuitable 2 1/4 tons of soil to the surface habitat around the fields and each year. Mound-building ing of forage by mounds, and changes in species composi- can minimize immigration of activity is usually greatest in gophers. In orchards, shelter- spring and fall. tion on rangelands by pro- viding mounds for invading belts and rangeland situations, The plains pocket gopher control of forbs, which usually breeds from February to April annual plants. Pocket gophers can reduce the productivity of have the large roots preferred and produces one litter of by gophers, may limit gopher usually 3 to 6 young after a alfalfa fields and grasslands by 20 to 50 percent. If gophers damage by some species of gestation period of about 20 gophers. Flood irrigation can days. Usually, only one adult is are present on 10 percent of an alfalfa field, they may effectively control pocket found in each burrow system gophers. Water can fill up except during the breeding reduce productivity of the field by 2 to 5 percent. gopher burrows, thus causing season. Six to 8 plains pocket the gopher to drown or flee to Control methods gophers per acre are consid- the surface where it is more ered high densities. Young Exclusion vulnerable to predation. pocket gophers usually begin Pocket gophers can be dispersing from the natal bur- Repellents excluded from valuable orna- row in June, when about half Although there are some mental trees and shrubs with a grown. When on the surface, commercially available repel- 1/4- to 1/2-inch hardware cloth pocket gophers are subject to lents, there is no scientific fence buried at least 18 inches. predation, particularly by birds supported evidence that they Because of the expense and of prey such as hawks and work. 2 Toxicants ing by hand, the main burrow The use of rodenticides system must be located and may be the most widely used baits should be placed at 2 or manner to control pocket 3 locations along the burrow gophers. Various 0.25 to 0.50 system. A metal probe can percent strychnine-treated be used to locate the tunnel, cereal grains, 2 percent zinc which is then opened with phosphide products, and a shovel or trowel. After anticoagulants are marketed the placement of the bait for the control of pocket well within the tunnel, the gophers. Some baits, includ- hole should be completely ing all those registered for covered. Pocket gophers will use with a burrow builder, be attracted to light and air are Restricted Use Pesticides. sources in their tunnels and Figure 3. Methods of applying gopher bait by hand Pocket gophers occasionally will close off holes, potentially or with a probe. (A) Hand application: remove plug the tunnel area where a covering the bait with dirt as plug in tunnel, starting from the gopher mound. poison bait has been intro- they do so. Place quantity of bait into main tunnel with a duced into the burrow system. An alternative to opening long handled spoon. Seal tunnel with sod, tak- The bait may be mixed with the burrow with a shovel is to ing care not to cover the bait with soil. (B) Probe dirt or possibly carried away. use a hollow probe that has application: Locate the main tunnel with the probe There is some concern that a bait dispenser attached. A as described in the text. With a spoon, drop the bait pocket gophers may develop push button dispenses bait into the tunnel through the hole made by the probe. or consume sublethal doses when a tunnel is found. Cover the probe hole with sod. of some toxicants and then The mechanical burrow develop bait shyness. This builder is drawn behind a behavior has prompted the tractor and automatically use of anticoagulants which delivers bait to the tunnel are slow acting and cause it produces. Artificial bur- internal hemorrhages when rows should be constructed they constitute a substantial at depths similar to those of part of an animal’s diet over a natural pocket gopher tun- period of several days. Other nels and spaced at 15 to 20 work has demonstrated that feet intervals. The depth of gophers have alternatives for natural tunnels varies with other food during the growing the geographic area and must season and that will reduce be determined locally. The bait acceptance. Some baits tunnels will intersect natural are more highly accepted than pocket gopher burrows and others. Excess soil moisture exploring gophers will find the Figure 4. The “burrow-builder” machine may be may lead to bait decomposi- bait. Do not keep the bur- used to control pocket gophers on large acreages. tion with some baits in damp row builder in the ground for burrows. more than 200 feet, because Baits for pocket gophers that makes super burrows for must be placed underground. the gophers to travel. Run the Poison grain baits spilled on burrow builder in a crisscross the ground may be hazardous pattern in areas of heavy infes- to ground-feeding birds or tation. Disadvantages to the other wildlife.
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