What Made That Mound - a Gopher or a Mole?
Finding freshly dug mounds of soil in the garden, lawn, or landscape might be a sign of gophers or moles.
Their mounds look similar and are frequently confused for each other.
Fig 1. The margin of a mole mound tends to be circular. (Credit: Larry A. Strand)
Figure 1 shows a mole mound, which usually is volcano-shaped with a circular margin.
Fig 2. Gopher mounds are crescent-shaped and have a plugged burrow opening. (Credit: Jack Kelly Clark)
Figure 2 illustrates a gopher mound and the characteristic crescent shape and plugged opening.
Actual mounds may look slightly different from these pictures, but the descriptions are typical of the two vertebrates.
Knowing which animal is digging in your garden will help you know what kind of damage it will do. Gophers eat plant roots, but moles eat mostly eat worms, insects, and grubs. A mole may dislodge a plant with its digging, but it usually isn't eating it. Mounds themselves can be an aesthetic problem in turf and landscapes, and they can also be tripping hazards.
Once you've correctly identified which pest made the mound, consult the management information
for these two pests by visiting the UC IPM Pest Notes Pocket Gophers and Moles.
for these two pests by visiting the UC IPM Pest Notes Pocket Gophers and Moles.