Title: 
Headings: 

Content: Botta’s pocket gopher can dig in almost any kind of soil and tolerates dry weather. Plains gophers prefer crumbly soil that is rich in humus and seek out well-watered landscapes. Usually identifying gophers is not a major concern for homeowners. In a few areas of the western United States, however, certain species of gophers are under consideration for federal regulation as protected species. If you live in western Washington state or Colorado, check with your local wildlife office before you trap or kill any gopher, to avoid substantial fines if you are caught. Is It a Gopher or a Mole? Both gophers and molesdo damage to shrubs and bedding plants by killing their roots. Both gophers and moles can be trapped for relatively easy pest control, but knowing whether your pestis a gopher or a mole is critical for choosing the right trap. A trap that is large enough to catch a gopher may be ignored by mole, and a trap that is small enough to catch a molecan be evaded by a gopher. The best proof that the tunnels in your lawn and the dead or dying shrubs and bedding plants are caused by gophers is mounds of fresh soil.