Understanding Trapping as a Tool to Manage Pocket Gophers

Abstract

The pocket gopher is one of the most damaging vertebrate pests in California and throughout much of North American. Many options are available for managing pocket gophers including the use of rodenticides, burrow fumigation, and trapping. Trapping can be time consuming and labor intensive in some situations, but the efficacy of this approach can often offset these negative attributes. As such, we have engaged in several research projects over the last 5 years to increase the utility and effectiveness of trapping as part of an Integrated Pest Management (IPM) program for pocket gopher control. When comparing traps, we found that the Gophinator trap was a more effective trap than the Macabee, particularly when trapping larger pocket gophers. There does not appear to be a substantial benefit to covering trap-sets in most situations, but if trapping when temperatures are high, covering trap-sets may provide a slight increase in capture efficiency. If covering trap-sets, utilizing peanut butter might provide a slight increase in capture success; attractants provide no benefit if using uncovered trap-sets. Trapping was a highly effective technique for managing pocket gopher populations in crop fields. Furthermore, only 3 days were required for novice trappers to become efficient at capturing pocket gophers, although additional experience does increase the rate of capture. Collectively, these results validate the importance of including trapping in an IPM program, and should benefit all individuals who utilize trapping for managing pocket gopher populations.