(602) 919-5915What’s the Difference Between Moles and Gophers? You wake in the morning, and in your yard, there are holes everywhere. Your crops have been eaten, dirt from a dug hole, and a tiny footprint all over the yard. It may be confusing if it’s a gopher or moles invading your yard. Before you conclude, you should know both living underground and dugong is their work. Before you know what to do, you’ve to know what pest you are dealing with.
What’s the Difference Between Moles and Gophers
Gophers
Gopher
If you see a medium-sized rodent with fur-lined near the mouth and with four incisor teeth pointing out, then it is a gopher. This pest is 12 inches tall, with the fur of various colors. They have small necks, sharp long crawls, and solid forefeet for digging. These creatures have small eyes, small ears, and whiskers.
Moles
Moles are also tiny, about 6-8 inches, with sharp snouts and forefeet for navigation. These creatures have no outer ears, tiny eyes nearly invisible, and strong claws for digging. They have soft fur, which comes in gray or brown colors.
What Do Moles and Gophers Eat?
What these pets feed on is another thing that differentiates them. Moles are insect eaters, while gophers eat plants and root vegetables. However, moles holes cause a lot of damage to your crops in the yard.
Mole
Gopher Holes vs. Mole Holes
Gopher burrow systems consist of a network of tunnels connecting. The tunnels are primarily 4-18 inches deep and filled-p mounds on the surface. These mounds are usually 10-20 inches in diameter and appear mainly in the spring and fall seasons.
Molds created by moles are usually 2 inches in diameter and cone-shaped. This mold is also referred to as a molehill. Moles holes generally have 16-18 inches deep but are not as numerous as the holes of gophers.
What Damage Do Gophers and Moles Cause?
Both pests cause significant damage to your yard if allowed to stay for long. A gopher can dig as many as 200 holes in a year. Gophers are also destroyers of underground cables or piping.
On the other hand, Moles are pretty solitary in their work as they can mostly be noticed only when their tunnel activities become apparent. However, the digging actions of moles can upset the growth of grass and roots crops.
How To Get Rid of Gophers and Moles
If you notice any of these pests in your yard, then it is time to get rid of them before they cause more damage. There are some ways to prevent moles and gophers from your yard.
Natural Predators
If you own a cat, owls, or snake as a pet, then it’s time to release them into the yard to hunt these pests. This may not be a complete solution, but it helps.
Barriers
Having a deep barrier in your yard will keep these pests away. The barrier has to be deep and tall to stop these pests from entering. This solution is expensive and time-consuming.
Hire a Pest Control Company
You can hire a pest control company to get rid of these pests. These pests can be tricky and hard to catch, but a pest control worker is trained to overcome such challenges.
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