If you suddenly find yourself overlooking a lawn or garden full of mounds of dirt, you are dealing with a population of burrowing vermin. Moles and gophers are two of the most common types of burrowing pests in Central FL. These small mammals have an affinity for tunneling and can be hard to control due to the amount of time that they spend underground. To maintain a beautiful yard free of vermin, read up on our Heron Home & Outdoor technicians’ expert advice on how to check for moles and gophers.

How Are Moles and Gophers Different?

When you catch a glimpse of them, you can tell moles and gophers apart by the following features:

• Gophers are usually larger than moles: they range in size from 5″-14″ in length, while moles usually range from 4″-7″.
• Moles have much larger and more pronounced hands and noses, both of which are hairless.
• Moles are less territorial than gophers, so you might find multiple moles in your yard, but you’re more likely to find a lone gopher in your lawn.

5 Signs that There Are Moles or Gophers in Your Yard

If you’re worried that you might have moles or gophers in your yard, here are five tell-tale signs of their activity:

1. Fresh mounds of earth will pop up overnight on your lawn.
2. Mole tunnels will damage plant roots and lead to stifled growth in plants and grass.
3. Mole tunneling can bring stones up to the surface of the lawn. These can damage your lawn care equipment.
4. Gopher tunnels open up to three inch wide holes and go deeper into the ground than mole tunnels.
5. If you notice plants have been pulled through the earth or eaten on the surface, you likely have gophers.

Moles and gophers can cause extensive damage to your yard, so it’s important to be able to recognize signs of both.

Gopher and Mole Control in Central FL

If you find gopher or mole activity in your yard, you have to act quickly so that they don’t tear up your lawn or garden even further. Contact your local pest control company for help removing them from your property. At Heron Home & Outdoor, we train our yard pest experts to use the safest and most humane methods possible to ensure that our customers’ properties in Central FL are cleared of gophers and moles. For a free estimate or to learn more about our services, contact us today!