Gophers belong to the category of rodents. They are mostly famous for digging holes in your garden for the purpose of a living place. However, infestation of gophers in the garden can cause problems for the plants.
Today, we are going to discuss the plants and smells that gophers dislike and find out how to use them as repellents.
9 plants and smells that gophers dislike and how to use them:
The smell of thyme plant, lavender plant, rosemary plant, eucalyptus plant, pine plant and geranium plant can be used to get rid of gophers. The essential oils extracted from these plants are equally effective at keeping gophers away. Coffee grounds and castor oil are also good gopher repellents.
Table of Contents
There are a lot of plants and smells that gophers do not like. Let’s discuss in detail about some of them and see their effectiveness as gopher repellents.
Smell of thyme plant and essential oil:
Thyme plants can increase the beauty of your garden. But another benefit of thyme plants is their ability to repel gophers effectively. It is not possible for gophers to dig holes in gardens that have the presence of thyme plants.
Because the sensitive smelling sense of gophers gets troubled by the strong smell of thyme plants.
That is why experts have suggested the use of thyme plants in the garden as an effective gopher repellent. There is also the option of using thyme essential oil available. Gophers do not enjoy the smell of essential oil extracted from thyme plants.
The thyme essential oil can be used as a spray along the perimeter of the garden to keep gophers away from entering the garden.
Smell of lavender plant and essential oil:
Lavender is a beautiful plant to have in your garden. According to experts, lavender is an effective gopher repellent too. Gophers do not like to hang around in gardens that have lavender plants.
The aroma of lavender plants is too strong for the smelling sense of gophers.
Additionally, the essential oil extracted from lavender plants can be used as a gopher repellent. You will have to mix the lavender essential oil with water and spray the mixture in and around your garden.
The powerful smell of lavender coming from the mixture will keep the gophers at bay.
Smell of Rosemary plant and essential oil:
Rosemary plants can become an eye catching landscape in your garden. Additionally, the rosemary plant has the ability to keep out gophers from the garden. The reason behind this is the strong aroma of the rosemary plant.
The effectiveness of rosemary plant as a gopher repellent does not end here. The essential oil extracted from the rosemary plant possesses the same smell as the plant.
That is why rosemary essential oil can also be used effectively in the form of a spray to keep gophers away from your beloved garden.
Smell of eucalyptus plant and essential oil:
Eucalyptus is one of the most famous flowering plants throughout the world. The presence of eucalyptus plants is enough to keep gophers away from your garden and yard.
The reason behind this is that the smelling sense of gophers can not handle the strong smell emitted from eucalyptus plants.
Another form of eucalyptus that can be used as a gopher repellent is eucalyptus essential oil. Eucalyptus essential oil can be used as a spray in the garden to drive the existing gophers away.
Smell of pine plant and essential oil:
It is believed by experts that gophers do not particularly like the presence of pine plants in your garden. The strong smell of pine plants make gophers quite uncomfortable and can drive them away from the garden.
The essential oil extracted from pine oil can also be used to deter gophers away. Gophers detest the smell of pine essential oil just as much as pine plants.
Smell of coffee grounds:
According to experts, it is possible to repel gophers away from your garden using nothing more than coffee grounds. The smell of coffee grounds can disturb the smelling sense of gophers.
The most effective way of using coffee grounds as a gopher repellent is by targeting the hiding places of gophers in your garden.
Smell of peppermint essential oil:
Peppermint essential oil is one of the most useful essential oils around the world. But the repellent quality of peppermint essential oil is known to all.
Gophers belong to the list of animals that can be successfully repelled by the strong smell of peppermint essential oil. So it is safe to say that using peppermint essential oil as a spray in your garden will be more than enough when it comes to driving gophers away.
Smell of castor oil:
Castor is one of the most widely used cooking oils in the world. But castor oil can be a good option when it comes to repelling gophers from your garden. The strong aroma emitted by castor oil is not liked by gophers at all.
But you will need to make a mixture of castor oil, water, and dish soap before you can use it as a spray to deter gophers away. The smell of this particular solution will be too much for the gophers to handle.
Smell of geranium plant and essential oil:
Planting geranium plants in the garden has been known for getting rid of gophers. Geranium essential oil can also be used for the same purpose.
What attracts gophers to your yard or garden?
Gophers are always in search of food and living just like other animals, this is what attracts gophers to your yard or garden. Gophers perceive the plants in your garden as their potential food sources.
So if your yard or garden has lots of plants that fit the description of a gopher’s daily diet, then your yard or garden has the possibility of infestation of gophers.
The problem does not end here. Gophers are great at digging holes in the garden. They try to make tunnels by digging holes and live inside those tunnels until you drive them away using repellents.
It can be very difficult to get rid of gophers from the garden if timely measures are not taken.
How do you find active gopher holes?
There are some things you can take into consideration to find active gopher holes in the garden. The first thing you need to take into consideration is the state of the gopher holes. If you have previously driven away gophers from your garden, then you will have to revisit the holes.
Inactive gopher holes will look just like before. But active gopher holes will showcase signs of gopher activity.
But if you are recently facing an infestation of gophers in your garden, then the easiest way to find the gopher holes is by checking around the preferred plants of gophers. Gophers like to stay close to their food sources.
Long-term solutions to keep gophers away from your yard:
There are lots of solutions available when it comes to keeping gophers away from your yard. Let’s discuss in detail about some of the most effective long-term solutions.
Grow gopher repellent plants:
If there is a potential gopher infestation in your garden, then the best way to get rid of gophers is by planting gopher repellent plants. The list of gopher repellent plants include thyme, lavender, rosemary, geranium etc.
These plants can be grown along the perimeter of the yard to keep out gophers effectively.
Apply essential oils:
Another effective way of keeping gophers away from your yard is by applying essential oils. Rosemary essential oil, lavender essential oil, thyme essential oil, peppermint essential oil – all of these essential oils can be used as a spray in your yard to repel gophers.
Target the tunnels of gophers:
Gophers are natural diggers and they dig holes in your yard to create habitable tunnels. You will need to target these tunnels to drive the gophers away from your yard permanently. For example, you can spray the essential oil solutions directly inside the tunnels.
The strong smell of essential oils will be too strong for the gophers.
When to call for professional help?
Gophers usually dig tunnels in the garden to live and search for food. The various plants in the garden fall in the list of gopher’s daily diet. So gophers can end up messing your garden in order to satisfy their hunger.
If you fail to drive gophers away from your garden using gopher repellent plants and essential oils, then it might be time to seek the help of a professional.
Professional animal repelling agencies have many tricks up their sleeves and they can use them to get rid of gophers permanently.
Final Thoughts
There are various plants and essential oils available that can get rid of gophers in the garden. The strong smell of these plants and essential oils can trouble the smelling sense of gophers and drive them away. Professional help should be sought if natural repellents can not drive gophers away.