Around California
Conditions vary across the state. Choose your city below, then describe what’s happening around your home or business.
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Local gopher information
Gopher control in California
Learn what to look for around your property, explore your city, and ask about an inspection or a quote.
Gophers in California: what to know
What to note
Where you see gophers, how long it has been going on, and anything you’ve already tried are the most useful details to mention.
A useful next step
Ask about an inspection, what treatment would involve, and whether follow-up visits are included. You don’t need to identify the problem yourself before getting in touch.
Local research
Gophers in California: what the public record shows
Before you compare quotes, it helps to know which gophers actually live in California, when they are busiest, and what the state figures look like. Everything below links to the agency or university page it came from.
5; Botta's most widespread
Pocket gopher species in California
Length 6-10 inches; tunnels 2.5-3.5 inches in diameter.
UC IPM (University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources)200 to 2,000 square feet
Burrow system size
Explains repeated mounds across a yard from one animal.
UC IPM (University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources)Nongame mammal; no trapping license required for gopher removal
Legal status
Baits: 0.5% strychnine grain or 2.0% zinc phosphide placed in the main tunnel.
UC IPM (University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources)Gopher species recorded in California
- Botta's pocket gopher (Thomomys bottae) — Most widespread of California's five species; also in disjunct southwest Oregon populations.
When gophers are busiest in California
Up to 3 litters a year in irrigated landscapes; trap when fresh mounds appear.
Aluminum phosphide fumigation requires a licensed applicator.
Rules that apply in California
For context, nationally
- 14 species in 3 genera (Thomomys, Geomys, Pappogeomys) — Pocket gopher species in the U.S.. Internet Center for Wildlife Damage Management
- 200 to 2,000 square feet — Botta's pocket gopher burrow system. UC IPM (University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources)
Sources: Pest Notes: Pocket Gophers; Internet Center for Wildlife Damage Management. Figures are quoted as the source prints them. How we check our sources
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