Gopher vs. Mole: The Ultimate Underground Showdown

You wake up to find fresh mounds of dirt ruining your perfect lawn. Is it a gopher? A mole? Or are you just cursed by mischievous garden gnomes?

Most homeowners battle these pests every year, but most cannot tell the difference, and that is a problem, because control methods for gophers and moles are completely opposite.

Walk with us now, as this showdown settles the debate once and for all!

 

Why Do People Confuse Gopher vs. Mole?

Well, to start with, people often confuse these animals because they both:

• Live underground
• Create mounds and tunnels
• Destroy lawns and gardens
• Rarely come above ground

But this is where the similarities end. Most homeowners often misidentify these pests, leading to wasted money on ineffective traps and baits.

 

Read also: What Is The Difference Between Moles And Voles? A Guide To Identification & Control

 

Gopher vs. Mole: What do they Look Like?

Feature	Pocket Gopher	Mole (Eastern/Star-nosed/Townsend’s)
Size	5 to 14 inches, 0.5 to 2 lbs	4 to 8 inches, 1 to 6 oz
Eyes	Tiny but visible	Nearly blind, often covered by fur/skin
Ears	Small but visible	No external ears
Front paws	Massive digging claws, outward-facing	Shovel-like, outward-facing, no claws
Teeth	Large orange incisors (always visible)	Small teeth, hidden in fur
Tail	Short, nearly hairless	Short, thick, often ringed
Fur	Coarse, brown/gray	Velvety, black/gray, repels dirt

 

Gopher vs. Mole: What Do Their Tunnels Look Like?

Using their tunnels to identify these invaders has proven to be quite effective:

Gopher Tunnels

• Mounds: Fan-shaped or heart-shaped, with a visible plug (the gopher seals its hole)
• Tunnel depth: 6 to 12 inches below the surface
• Pattern: Crescent-shaped mounds in lines or clusters
• Lateral tunnels: Often collapse into shallow trenches

Mole Tunnels

• Mounds: Volcano-shaped, perfectly round, no plug (moles push dirt straight up)
• Tunnel depth: 4 to 18 inches, with raised ridges on the surface
• Pattern: Winding surface runways you can feel underfoot
• Feeding tunnels: Rarely collapse

 

Gopher vs. Mole: What Makes Up their Diet?

Knowing the differences in their diet preferences is very crucial in their control:

Animal	Primary Diet	Eats Your Plants?	Eats Grubs/Worms?
Gopher	Vegetarian (roots, tubers, bulbs, grass)	YES (devastating)	No
Mole	Carnivorous (earthworms, grubs, insects)	Rarely	YES (beneficial)

Moles are actually nature’s pest control, as a single mole eats 50+ pounds of grubs and insects yearly. Gophers, meanwhile, will devour an entire rose bush from below without ever showing their face.

 

Gopher vs. Mole: What are their Damage Patterns?

Gopher Damage

• Plants suddenly disappear or wilt (roots eaten)
• Large crescent mounds everywhere
• Vegetable gardens destroyed overnight
• Trees girdled at root level

Mole Damage

• Raised ridges across lawn
• Small volcano mounds
• Grass turns brown in patches (tunnels dry out roots)
• Beneficial insect populations reduced

 

Gopher vs. Mole: What is their Legal Status?

• Moles: Protected in several states (e.g., Massachusetts, Connecticut) or require permits for lethal control.
• Gophers: Considered agricultural pests with no federal protection (lethal control is widely allowed).

 

Gopher vs. Mole: Control Methods

What Works for Gophers

• Pocket gopher traps (Macabee, Gophinator, Cinch)
• Carbon monoxide fumigation (BurrowRx, gas cartridges)
• Poison baits (strychnine, zinc phosphide (restricted use))
• Castor oil repellents (limited success)

What Works for Moles

• Scissor traps, harpoon traps, plunger traps
• Grub control (reduces food source)
• Vibrating stakes, ultrasonic devices (mixed results)
• Castor oil pellets (more effective than on gophers)

 

Read also: The Scariest Bugs In The United States: A Spine-Chilling Guide

 

Conclusion

Category	Winner	Why
Most Destructive	Gopher	Kills plants directly; can destroy entire gardens
Most Annoying	Mole	Creates visible tunnel networks across lawns
Hardest to Control	Tie	Both require specific methods; misidentification causes failure
Most Misidentified	Mole	People blame moles for gopher damage constantly
Beneficial to Ecosystem	Mole	Natural pest control, eating grubs and harmful insects

Thank you for reading!

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