What Do Gophers Eat?
Pocket Gopher Diet and What They Target in Southern California Yards
Pocket gophers eat plant roots, bulbs, tubers, and other underground plant material. They are herbivores that feed almost entirely underground, pulling plant material into their tunnel systems as they tunnel through the root zone. Understanding what gophers eat explains why gopher damage often appears suddenly and without obvious above-ground cause.
Gopher Food Sources in Southern California Yards
Plant roots: The primary food source for pocket gophers. Gophers eat the roots of grasses, ornamental plants, shrubs, and trees as they encounter them while tunneling. Lawn grasses are a constant food source in residential yards. Bulbs and tubers: Gophers actively seek out bulbs and tubers, which are energy-dense food sources. Tulips, daffodils (except narcissus, which are toxic), dahlias, irises, and potatoes are frequent targets. Bulbs may disappear entirely as gophers consume them underground. Root vegetables: Carrots, beets, sweet potatoes, radishes, and other root crops in vegetable gardens are highly attractive to gophers. A gopher in a vegetable garden can destroy an entire bed of root crops within days. Shrub and tree roots: Gophers eat the roots of woody plants including ornamental shrubs, fruit trees, and landscape trees. Young trees are particularly vulnerable — gophers can girdle the root collar of young trees, killing them. Succulents and ground cover: Ice plant, agapanthus, and other common Southern California ground covers are frequent gopher targets. Their fleshy roots and storage organs are appealing food sources.How Gopher Feeding Causes Plant Death
Gophers feeding on roots cause plant death in two ways. Direct consumption removes the root mass the plant depends on for water and nutrient uptake — the plant wilts and dies without the root system to support it. Gophers also sometimes pull entire plants underground, dragging them through the tunnel entrance from below.
The characteristic sign of gopher root feeding is a plant that wilts and dies suddenly with intact green stems and leaves — the above-ground portion looks normal until the root system is too damaged to sustain it.
Do Gophers Eat Anything Above Ground?
Pocket gophers occasionally venture above ground to eat surface vegetation near their tunnel entrances, but this is uncommon. Most feeding happens entirely underground. If you see a gopher above ground, it is usually pushing dirt out of a tunnel opening — not foraging on the surface.
Protecting Your Plants
Understanding what gophers eat helps prioritize protection. High-value plants — vegetable gardens, young trees, prized ornamentals — should be protected with gopher baskets or wire mesh. Eliminating the gopher with professional trapping protects everything on the property.
Call 909-599-4711 for gopher control with a 60-day guarantee throughout Southern California.
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