Gopher Wire for Lawn: Does Underground Mesh Actually Work?
When Gopher Exclusion Is Worth the Investment — and When It Is Not
Gopher wire (hardware cloth mesh) installed underground can physically prevent gophers from entering specific areas. For vegetable gardens and individual planting beds, wire exclusion is highly effective. For entire lawns, it is expensive, disruptive, and may not be worth the investment. Here is an honest assessment.
How Gopher Wire Works
Gopher wire is galvanized welded wire mesh with openings of 3/4 inch or smaller. Installed 18-24 inches deep below planting areas with the bottom edge bent outward (an L-shaped footer), it creates a physical barrier that prevents gophers from tunneling up from below into protected areas.
The wire does not eliminate gophers from the property — it only prevents access to the protected zone. A gopher can still be active in your yard outside the wire barrier.
When Gopher Wire Is Worth Installing
Raised vegetable beds: Lining raised bed bottoms with hardware cloth is the most practical and cost-effective use of gopher wire. Installation is simple during bed construction and provides lasting protection for your vegetable garden. Individual planting areas: Lining the bottom and sides of a defined planting bed with wire before planting provides reliable protection for ornamentals and shrubs. New landscaping installation: Adding gopher wire during a complete landscape renovation or new construction adds modest cost to an existing project and provides long-term protection.When Gopher Wire Is NOT Worth It for Lawns
Installing gopher wire under an existing established lawn requires removing and replacing the turf, renting trenching equipment or hiring excavation, purchasing significant quantities of wire, and carefully backfilling without creating drainage problems. For a typical Southern California residential lawn, the cost of gopher wire installation under turf can exceed $3,000-$8,000.
For most homeowners, professional gopher control with a 60-day guarantee — at $150-$325 for initial treatment — is a far better investment than full-lawn wire installation. The wire does not eliminate the gopher; the gopher can still damage everything outside the wire perimeter.
The Best Approach for Most Properties
Professional gopher elimination combined with gopher baskets for your highest-value individual plants provides the most complete protection at the lowest total cost. The gopher is eliminated, all your plants are protected immediately, and you have a 60-day guarantee backing the result.
Call 909-599-4711 for gopher control with a 60-day guarantee throughout Southern California.
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