Voles versus Moles

The main difference between voles and moles is the type of havoc they wreak. Moles primary diet is earthworms making them insectivores. They also like to have a few grubs and insects tossed in. Since they don’t eat plants, their landscape massacre is really the accompanying damage of tunnels and runways dug into lawns while on their never-ceasing search for more squiggly worms.

Voles, on the other hand, are plant-eaters. They enjoy feeding on grass and perennial-flower roots, they’ll even eat seeds and bulbs. In winter especially, when other foods are scarce, they’ll even girdle the bark off trees and shrubs.

Unlike moles, voles are rodents that look much like mice, only with shorter tails. They’re dark brown in color, about 5 inches in length and have eyes and ears that you can readily notice. Among the various types of voles are those that do their damage above ground (i.e. meadow voles) and some that do more insidious root- and bark-chewing from underground (i.e. pine voles).

One of the best ways to control voles is to send out a cat to patrol the vole infested area. Cats love hunting for rodents, and they’re often so proud of their conquests that they’ll bring dead prey into the house just to show you what good hunters they are.

Unfortunately, killing moles is the most effective long-term control. Most say it is the only way to control their populations. This can be done either by trapping or baiting.  Both scissor-type and harpoon-type traps are available in most garden centers. To use these, locate active runs by tamping down tunnels and then watching to see where the tunnels are raised back up a day or two later. These are good spots to insert traps. When the mole comes swimming through, it trips the mechanism that will be their fatal demise.  Below are a few other “home remedies”:

• Gas cartridges lit and inserted into runs
• Flooding the burrows with water
• Dumping used kitty litter down the burrow
• Inserting lava rocks soaked in onion and garlic solution in burrow

A type of mouse trap called Snap trap is also pretty effective at catching voles. A half & half mixture of peanut butter and oatmeal is a favorite bait, as well as small apple slices. For the best result, place traps along active runs and disguise them with an inverted box and/or leaves and grass (with the vegetation out of the way enough that it doesn’t impair the traps).

Whether you have voles or moles invading your property Gopher Patrol, the pest control experts, are here to help. Call 888-466-4674 immediately!

What a Gopher Problem Means for Your Property

Gophers are infamous for their ability to destroy lawns, flower beds, and gardens in a short amount of time. If mounds of dirt are appearing in your lawn or garden overnight, you may need to bring in agopher removal expert to prevent the problem from spreading and becoming worse. Even one gopher is bad news for your property, so don’t hesitate to contact a trained pest control professional to eliminate the threat. Below are just a few of the problems that can result from a gopher infestation on your property.

Plant Damage
Gophers are insatiable herbivores. They will consume and destroy large amounts of vegetation in a single day, and left unchecked they can completely destroy your entire landscape. In addition to consuming plants, gophers will also gnaw on tree roots and bark. The resulting damage can cause trees to die. If you want to protect your landscape from this burrowing menace, contact a gopher removal expert as soon as you notice signs of a gopher problem.

Irrigation Damage
Gopher tunnels are usually between 2 to 3 inches in diameter and often run parallel to the surface, usually at depths between 6 to 12 inches. Because of the size and location of gopher tunnels, it is not uncommon for gophers to run into irrigation lines or sprinkler systems. Gophers can chew through hoses and wiring, wreaking havoc on your entire irrigation system and possibly flooding your yard.

Property Value Damage
Between the dead trees, broken sprinklers, and dirt mounds everywhere, your home or business won’t be much to look at after a gopher blows through. The resulting damage from a gopher infestation can lower the value of your property, so take matter into your own hands and protect your investment by hiring an experienced gopher removal expert to evict this unwanted guest.

When it comes to gopher eradication in Riverside, few companies have as much experience and expertise as Gopher Patrol. For more than 16 years, we have provided homeowners and business properties with quality gopher removal services. Visit our website or call us at (855) 460-0564 to learn more about our services.

Why Is Trapping the Preferred Method for Rodent Control?

Once rodents start eating your food and leaving their droppings everywhere, you may wish to get rid of them by any means necessary. However, poisoning rats and leaving them to die can leave you with a much worse problem.

If you poison rats, they’ll continue to wander around your property until they die. Pretty soon, you could end up with dozens of dead rats decomposing in different areas around your home. As you can imagine, the smell would make your home uninhabitable for quite some time. The best solution is to plant traps around your home—that way, professionals can periodically check the traps and promptly remove the rats. When paired with exclusion measures, trapping is an extremely effective means of eliminating rats from your property.

For expert rodent trapping and exclusion services, contact Gopher Patrol of LA. No matter how extensive your rodent infestation, our team of professionals will promptly take care of it. You can contact us at (855) 460-0564 or through our website.   

Gopher Control Companies

I get asked alot, how do you take care of gophers? Gophers are in my lawn and they leave these horrible dirt mounds, what can you do to stop them. Well luckily they've asked the right person, the gopher guy. Gopher control experts are hard to find. Sure you can call your local pest control company or the termite man, but they don't know the secrets to taking care of those pesky gophers. At Gopher Patrol Ive learned the secrets to not only stopping gophers dead in their tracks but how to keep them out of your lawns, flower gardens and landscaped areas. Now to be honest the only effective way to treat for them is as they appear, but its needs to be effective. By maintaining ongoing control we can target them before they reach too far into your property and cause too much damage. See, like with all my other fellow gopher control experts i keep my customers my customers. Ill be the same guy who comes out to your home every month. that means i become familiar with your property. I know where the hot spots are, i know where you are most concerned with gophers and make sure to always pay special attention to the areas that need that special attention. If i see that you are having an outbreak i schedule myself a follow-up visit just to stay on top of it. Ongoing monthly gopher control is the best way to keep those gophers out of your flowers and gardens. 

So get rid of that ant guy and call me up - The Gopher Guy! ill make sure to stop that gopher infestation before it destroys every plant you have. Give me a call or schedule an appointment and ill have a qualified tech call you back to discuss your gopher problem and what we can do to help.