Pocket Gopher & Vole Control in Pueblo, CO

How to Identify Pocket Gopher & Vole

• Pocket gophers: 6-10 inches, brown, large cheek pouches
• Gophers have small eyes and ears, large front claws
• Voles: 4-6 inches, stocky body, short tail
• Voles look like small mice but with blunter snouts
• Gopher mounds are fan-shaped; vole runways are surface trails

Signs of Infestation

• Fan-shaped mounds of fresh dirt (gophers)
• Surface runways through grass (voles)
• Plants dying or being pulled underground (gophers)
• Gnaw marks at base of trees and shrubs (voles)
• Holes approximately 2-3 inches in diameter

Health Risks & Dangers

• Not a direct health risk to humans
• Can damage irrigation systems and utilities
• Trip hazards from tunnel collapse
• Significant damage to vegetation and landscaping

Prevention Tips

• Install hardware cloth barriers around garden beds
• Use gravel barriers around tree roots
• Remove weeds and ground cover near vulnerable plants
• Maintain hawk and owl perches to encourage predators
• Keep grass short to reduce vole habitat

Our Treatment Approach

Gopher and vole control typically involves trapping and exclusion. We identify active tunnel systems and set specialized traps. For large infestations, we may use bait applied directly into tunnels. Habitat modification and exclusion around valuable plants provides long-term protection.