The short version
Around Olympia, the digger is usually the western (Mazama) pocket gopher. Trapping or baiting jobs often cost a few hundred dollars.
- Many gopher jobs in Olympia cost a few hundred dollars.
- Trapping in the main tunnel works best.
- Repellents and stakes rarely help.
- Big properties cost more.
- Compare what each quote includes.
Homeowners and gardeners in Olympia with mounds or tunnels in the yard.
What to look for
They push up fan-shaped mounds as they dig. Gophers eat roots, bulbs and plants from below. One gopher can ruin a garden bed in a few days.
- 1Fan-shaped dirt mounds.
- 2A plugged hole off to one side of the mound.
- 3Plants wilting or pulled underground.
- 4Chewed irrigation lines.
- 5Soft, sinking soil.
- 6Fresh mounds after rain or watering.
Why it’s worth acting soon
- Roots, bulbs and young trees get eaten.
- Irrigation lines get chewed.
- Mounds dull mower blades.
- More gophers move into empty tunnels.
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Estimate gopher control cost in Olympia
Adjust for your situation to see a ballpark range.
Estimated range
A rough guide only. Large lots and repeat visits cost more.
Treatment options and typical costs
Activity Mapping and Tunnel Probing
$75–$200
A pro probes near fresh mounds to find the main tunnel. On an Olympia lawn or orchard this is the step that tells trapping and baiting where to go.
- Time
- 45–90 minutes
- Best for
- Every job; separates fresh activity from old, abandoned mounds
Burrow Fumigation
$200–$600 per treatment
Fumigation puts a gas cartridge or restricted fumigant into sealed tunnels. Around Olympia this is used mainly on larger properties, since fumigants cannot be used near occupied buildings.
- Time
- 1–2 hours, with re-entry restrictions
- Best for
- Heavy activity on large lots, away from structures, where legal
Exclusion and Follow-Up Monitoring
$200–$1,500 depending on scope
A gopher-proof bed in Olympia uses half-inch or smaller galvanized mesh laid across the bottom before soil goes in. Buried perimeter fencing with a surface lip helps in smaller gardens.
- Time
- Half a day for barriers; monitoring visits 20–40 minutes
- Best for
- Gardens, raised beds, young trees, and properties near open fields
Trapping in Active Tunnels
$150–$450 per visit series
Set correctly in a main tunnel, traps often catch within days. Set in a lateral or old tunnel, they sit empty, which is why Olympia pros spend so much time probing first.
- Time
- 2–5 visits over 1–2 weeks
- Best for
- Small yards, gardens, homes with pets, and anyone avoiding poison
Prices are typical published ranges. Ask what’s included before you compare quotes.
Gophers eat roots from below. Plants that wilt and lift out easily are a classic sign.What gopher control costs in Olympia.
- Burrow Fumigation: $200–$600 per treatment - Exclusion and Follow-Up Monitoring: $200–$1,500 depending on scope - Trapping in Active Tunnels: $150–$450 per visit series - A typical home in Olympia is worth around $480k, and protecting the yard is part of that. - Activity Mapping and Tunnel Probing: $75–$200
Which gophers live around Olympia.
Pocket gophers are stocky, with cheek pouches and long claws. They live alone, so a yard usually has one or two. Moles also live here; their mounds are round, not fan-shaped.
Pocket gophers are stocky, with cheek pouches and long front claws. Each one lives alone.When they dig.
Digging peaks in spring and fall, when soil is moist. Mild winters keep them working most of the year. Summer heat and dry soil push activity deeper.
Finding the main tunnel.
Find a fresh, fan-shaped mound. The plugged hole is on the open side of the fan. Probe a foot or two back to find the main tunnel. That's where traps belong. Yards from Olympia out to Tacoma and Federal Way share the same pattern.
A year of digging in Olympia.
- Fall: a second peak before winter. - Winter: mild in Olympia, so digging continues. - Spring: peak digging as soil warms and stays moist. - Summer: highs near 78°F in Olympia push activity deeper.
Gopher, mole or vole?
- Vole: surface runways and chewed plant stems. - Chipmunk: neat holes, no dirt pile. - Gopher: fan-shaped mounds, plugged hole to one side. - Mole: round mounds and raised ridges.
Protecting gardens and trees.
- Bulbs: use small wire cages. - Drip lines: check for chew marks each spring. - Raised beds: line the bottom with hardware cloth. - Trees: plant in wire root baskets.
What works, and what doesn’t.
- Rarely: sonic stakes, gum, castor oil or flooding. - Rarely: plants said to repel gophers. - Works: traps in the main tunnel. - Sometimes: labeled baits placed deep in tunnels.
How gopher traps are set.
- Set: place a trap facing each way. - Cover: block light with a board or sod. - Check: look again within a day. - Find: probe near a fresh mound for the main tunnel. - Open: dig down to expose both directions.
Lawn care that discourages diggers.
Water deeply but less often. Keep weedy edges and tall grass mowed. Pull mulch back from tree trunks. Healthy turf recovers from digging faster.
Fixing the yard afterward.
Wait until the digging stops. Rake mounds flat and fill sunken tunnels. Water to settle the soil. Reseed or patch bare spots in spring or fall.
Irrigation lines and sprinklers.
Gophers chew drip lines and sprinkler tubing. Check for wet spots or weak spray each spring. Bury lines a little deeper where you can. Fix leaks fast, since damp soil draws more digging.
Natural help.
Owls, hawks, snakes and foxes all hunt gophers and voles. Barn owl boxes can help on bigger properties. Bait can harm pets and wildlife if misused. Traps avoid that risk.
Myths about yard diggers.
- Sonic stakes: animals get used to them. - Repellent plants: little proof of results. - Many mounds, many animals: often it’s one. - Gum or laxatives: no evidence they work. - Car exhaust or flooding: unsafe and unreliable.
Signs the problem is over.
- Flattened mounds stay flat. - New mounds later? Another one moved in. - No fresh mounds for two weeks. - Plants stop wilting or disappearing.
Underground wire baskets.
Plant new trees, roses and bulbs in baskets of galvanized wire. Leave a few inches of wire above the soil. Baskets last several years, long enough for roots to get established.
Raised beds that stay safe.
- Edges: run the wire up the inside walls. - Soil: fill after the wire is in place. - Base: staple hardware cloth across the bottom. - Wire: half-inch mesh, not chicken wire.
When a whole street has them.
Diggers move in from vacant lots, fields and neighbors' yards. Clearing your yard alone may only last a season. Talking with neighbors and treating at the same time works better.
Pets, kids and digging.
Keep kids and pets away from traps and bait. Choose traps over bait if a dog likes to dig. Fill old mounds so no one twists an ankle.
Gopher-proofing new landscaping.
Lay wire mesh under new sod before it goes down. Plant shrubs and trees in wire baskets. Raised beds with mesh bottoms protect vegetables. It costs more up front but saves replanting.
Questions to ask before you sign.
- How often will you check? - What if another one moves in? - Is it safe around pets? - Is it a gopher, mole or vole? - Which method will you use?
Ways to keep the cost down.
- Protect beds and trees with wire. - Confirm what’s digging before paying for treatment. - Trap early, when there’s just one.
How to size up the yard damage.
For Olympia homes, because each gopher is solitary, a yard with several fresh mounds usually means several animals, each with its own network. For Olympia homes, count the active mounds during your walk-through — that number, not a national average, is what should drive a treatment plan. For Olympia homes, state wildlife agencies put a single pocket gopher at roughly a ton of soil moved per year, and mounds are the first thing most people notice. For Olympia homes, tunnel systems typically run 6 to 12 inches below the surface, with deeper nesting and food-storage chambers.
What affects the price
- Rural acreage rates versus suburban per-visit rates.
- Whether wire baskets or buried mesh are requested.
- Soil type, since dry or sandy ground limits fumigants.
- Number of fresh mounds and active tunnel systems.
- Proximity of activity to buildings and hardscape.
- Documentation requirements for HOAs or property managers.
- Travel distance from the provider to the property.
- Lot size and total ground the provider must cover.
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What's digging in your yard?
When to call for help
for big lots next to fields. A pro can find the main tunnels fast. Call if new mounds keep appearing after a week of trapping.
What you can do yourself
Find the right tunnel and follow the trap instructions. Once you know what it is, trapping is DIY-friendly. Skip sonic stakes and home remedies.
Gophers in Olympia
Mild winters around Olympia keep digging going most of the year. In Olympia's neighborhoods, lawns and vegetable gardens next to open lots are hot spots. With about 51 inches of rain a year in Olympia, digging peaks when the soil is moist in spring and fall.
Gopher tips from the experts
Fresh mounds tell the story
Around Olympia, Washington, fresh, dark soil means a gopher is active now. Look at the mound shape, the plugged hole and any wilting plants before deciding what you have.
Gopher, mole or ground squirrel?
Gopher mounds are crescent or horseshoe shaped, with a plugged hole off to one side. Mole mounds are rounder, often with raised ridges nearby. Ground squirrel holes stay open, with no mound.
UC IPM: pocket gophersWhat they damage
Gophers chew roots, irrigation lines and sometimes buried cables. Fresh, moist soil means they’re active now. Keep watching after treatment, since a quiet yard doesn’t always mean they’re gone.
Utah State University Extension: pocket gophersBased on guidance from university extension services.
How we check our sourcesLocal research
Gophers in Olympia, WA: what the public record shows
Before you compare quotes, it helps to know which gophers actually live in Washington, when they are busiest around Olympia, and what the state figures look like. Everything below links to the agency or university page it came from.
Species
Mazama is state threatened; Thurston and Pierce County subspecies federally threatened (April 2014).
WDFWDensity
Nest chambers as deep as 6 feet; feeding burrows 4-12 inches down.
WDFWReproduction
Slower than California's irrigated populations.
WDFWGopher species recorded in Washington
- Northern pocket gopher (Thomomys talpoides) — Smallest and most widespread western species; all of eastern Washington and Oregon east of the Cascades.
- Mazama (western) pocket gopher (Thomomys mazama) — State threatened in Washington; Thurston/Pierce County subspecies federally threatened since April 2014; lethal control not permitted where listed.
When gophers are busiest around Olympia
Fall-spring (wet season). Pacific Northwest: northern gophers east of the Cascades; protected Mazama gophers west.
Based on Olympia’s marine west coast climate profile.
South Puget Sound prairie soils are Mazama gopher habitat; check listing before any control.
Rules that apply in Washington
Sources: Living with wildlife: Pocket gophers; Internet Center for Wildlife Damage Management; UC IPM (University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources). Figures are quoted as the source prints them. How we check our sources
Simple ways to keep gophers away
- Line raised beds with wire mesh.
- Plant trees in wire root baskets.
- Check for fresh mounds weekly.
- Trap new gophers early.
- Keep weedy field edges mowed.
- Skip sonic stakes and repellents.
Ask what the quote covers if another gopher moves in after the first is caught.Did you know?
Gopher teeth never stop growing
A gopher's fur brushes flat in either direction
Questions people ask
How much does gopher control cost?
Many jobs around Olympia cost a few hundred dollars. Large properties cost more.
Does gopher control cost more with pets or children?
Sometimes, since safer methods can take more visits.
Does property size change gopher control pricing?
Yes. Bigger lots usually mean more gophers and more visits.
Is it cheaper to trap gophers myself?
Yes, if you find the main tunnel. Traps cost little.
Can I trap gophers myself?
Yes. Set traps in the main tunnel near a fresh mound.
Can gophers damage my foundation or patio?
Rarely. They can chew irrigation lines and undermine paths, though.
How do I protect my garden and fruit trees from gophers?
Use wire baskets around new tree roots.
How much does it cost to trap gophers?
For Olympia homes, two hundred to 600 dollars is Ask for a written quote that spells out visits and the warranty. S. It's a published estimate, not a local quote.
When is digging worst in Olympia?
Spring and fall, when the soil is moist. Mild winters keep some digging going.
Are there gophers in Olympia?
Yes. Around Olympia, it's usually the western (Mazama) pocket gopher.
Nearby cities
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Sources (5)
The facts in this article come from the public sources listed above. Every home is different, so ask the company you talk to about pricing and what’s included. Published by Gopher Exterminator · Updated September 11, 2026 · How we write these guides