Gophers, voles and moles ... oh my!

Northeast Colorado is home to the plains pocket gopher or Geomys bursarius. Prairie voles or Microtus ochrogaster also find their home in our area. But wait, there is one more damaging critter, moles or Scalopus aquaticus spp caryi who live along the Lower South Platte, which includes Logan, Sedgwick, Phillips, Morgan, Washington and Yuma counties.

Each one of these critters will leave their mark in a different way.

First, plains pocket gophers like to leave mounds and dig tunnels. These are usually found more frequently in sandy and silty soils. They tend to stay away from compacted soils. These gophers will construct a burrow system where they create fan-shaped mounds that are 12-18 inches wide and 4-6 inches high. In other words, you can’t miss them. Voles and moles will never leave this kind of mound.

The plains pocket gopher will feed on roots gathered as they are digging their tunnels. However, they will still eat above-ground vegetation during the season when it’s green and succulent. If plains pocket gophers burrow too close to shrubs and trees, they will eat the roots.

There is an upside to plains pocket gophers in that they increase soil fertility by adding organic matter from plant material and feces. They increase soil aeration and water filtration, reduce soil compaction and more.

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