If you have gophers in your yard, you know how frustrating and destructive they can be. Gophers can chew through the roots of bushes, shrubs and trees and disrupt walkways and patios, not to mention move so much soil that they can make your yard uneven to walk on.

Getting rid of gophers means one of two things. Either you are going to end their little lives or you are going to annoy them to the point where they decide to go live in your neighbor’s yard. You basically have to decide which of these two roads to go down. If you really don’t like one of your neighbors, then the decision might be easier.

If you have decided to exterminate your gophers, the best two options are gopher traps and poisons. They both work. They are both inexpensive. The poisons are less work, but you have to be really careful with placing them so no unintended animal or bird gets to them. Traps can be used again and again, but you really need to mess your yard up to use them, and you have to deal with the dead gopher inside it.

If you decide you just want to move your critters out of your yard, you will probably end up spending a bit more money. There are chemicals you can shake or spray onto your lawn which will taint the gophers favorite foods. The theory goes that they will venture out every night looking for better tasting food and their search will lead them away from your home to some other ground where the owner is not tainting their food. If your yard is big, you will be spending a nice chunk of money on these gopher repellents because the chemicals don’t go far and you will need to reapply often.

Good luck.