How to set gopher traps
This post is about how to set gopher traps, killing the gophers not trapping them. If you have some wire gopher traps and you’re tired of your yard looking like a gopher convention came into town, this is how to set traps so that you can soon rid yourself of these pests.
Things to know that will make your hunt successful
First things to know is what drives the gopher. What they don’t like that really bugs them. How they construct their tunnel ways. When you know these things you will know how to “bait” your traps to catch the gopher.
Victor Twin Pack Gopher Traps
Gophers like to have their tunnels neat and closed, not open to the atmosphere. A little breeze in the tunnel really bugs them and they will start looking for the hole that is allowing the air into the tunnels.
Where to set the traps
When looking for a good place for setting your traps always choose a place where the hill is of fresh dirt. That way you know that they are currently active in that tunnel area. When you see a hill of fresh dirt in your yard it is serving a purpose for the gopher. It has a purpose, I can’t tell you what that purpose is, but I can tell you that this is where you will have access to the gopher’s tunnel system.
How to set gopher traps
Gopher traps.
When I am talking about using a gopher trap I am talking about a wire trap. There are different kinds of gopher traps but I find the wire traps work best. The traps need to be used in pairs. You don’t know which side of the tunnel the gopher will be coming from so each side of the tunnel needs to have a wire gopher trap in it.
The traps need to be attached to a stake. This stake is driven into the ground to keep the gopher from running away with your traps.
Setting up for success
Find a fresh hill of dirt and very carefully dig down usually about 6″ to 18″. Dig into the hill of dirt in a circle. Remove enough dirt that you can see the horizontal tunnel leading off in the two directions. Do not enlarge the horizontal tunnel openings. When you see the tunnels make sure that they are not so large that the gopher may be too far above the trap for it to work properly. The tunnel should be just large enough to cause the gopher to be climbing over the trap dragging its belly on the trap. Build up the dirt under the trap to close up the tunnel height if necessary.
Drive the stake into the ground. Set up each of the traps so that they are ready to work. Put them in each of the tunnels so that the entire trap is in the tunnel. So now for the bait. Remember that gophers don’t like air moving in their tunnels. Place a cover(cardboard, plywood, etc.) over the hole you dug to get at the tunnels. Weigh the cover down so that it can not blow away from the hole. Leave a small hole 2 square inches maximum so that your bait(fresh air) will draw the gopher to your traps. Place some plant material over the opening to filter the light going into the tunnels.
Check your traps twice per day. Once in the morning and again in the evening. Remove the cover over the tunnels. Look for fresh dirt at your traps. If there’s fresh dirt pull the trap out and hopefully a dead gopher with it.
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